I think it is important to relay to the students that their opinion is not needed when dealing with the facts.
I like your approach and will apply this type of solution to the next student who tries to shift the blame unto others.
Good point thanks for that! I really struggle with this topic because I want them to act like adults...
This is hard for me because the student I deal with are adult learners and I want them to act that way! As we all know this is not the case, I do like breaking them up into groups that seems to work, however some times it seems as if their problems seem to be larger than what I can help with. If I feel that is the case I will ask them to come with me to student/graduate services to see if there is something they can do to help.
I believe putting students in small groups helps with this behavior. The peer pressure factor holds them accountable.
First make the student aware of what is expected of them. You cannot hold them responsible if the instructor does not explicitly make clear what they are to do. Then it is up to them. If they do not do what is required, I would refer back to the expectations outlined in the course syllabus.
Reminding student to take ownership of what they have done without blaming them is very important. Can be very tricky though...
I believe that some of this can be prevented before it begins, by reminding students that I don't "give" grades. Any time I hear any comment from a student that "You gave me a B..." I good-naturedly cut them off to remind them that I didn't "give" them that grade; they earned it. Even if they're talking about a prior course and a prior instructor, I'll say, "Hey, (s)he didn't GIVE you that A..." I especially look for opportunities to say that with students who say that I "gave them an A." I continually reinforce to students that grades good AND bad are earned, not "given." It's a point I make from the beginning of a term when we're going over the syllabus and policies - that some students work very hard to earn their As, and others work very hard to earn their Fs.
I try to keep reinforcing that concept in other ways, too. When talking about editing and revising essays (in my writing courses), students like to refer to spell-check and how that should prevent a lot of simple mistakes. I tell them yes, it can, but ultimately it's YOUR essay - not Microsoft's, and not Bill Gates's. Spell-check isn't foolproof, so take responsibility for how YOUR essay appears, don't hide behind spell-check.
I think it really is a mindset that I try to create throughout a course that I hope sinks in - take responsibility for your own results.
Once it happens, though, once students start playing the blame game, it might depend on the specific situation of who they're blaming, and why, and what they're blaming them for. Many times a calm but pointed question like, "OK, well, what other options do you have?" can remind students that they almost always DO have other options around whatever situation they're trying to blame on others (transportation, lack of understanding of material, etc.). That can get them proactively trying to solve their own problem without just throwing their hands in the air. And I try to phrase it in such a way to point out to them that those options already exist and don't require complicated changes.
In other cases, I ask the student to retrace their actions and actions: "OK, so if you were having trouble on Professor X's exams, did you speak to her about it? Did you e-mail her so you could go back and remind her during the week, or was this just a quick hallway conversation?"
Hi Teresa,
Students seem to be held more accountable and will perform at a higher standard when a contract is involved. To the student, it is serious because of the contract. Contract just seems like a serious document.
Patricia Scales
Hi Johanna,
Students have to learn how to take responsibility for their own action. Students are quickly to point the finger at someone else. I try to relate the situation to the workplace to get the student to understand his/her actions.
Patricia Scales
I often remind students that while things can and do happen that are out of our control, the one thing we can control is ourselves and our responses. I encourage students to consider whether trying to place blame helps them succeed or just gives them an excuse for failure.
Most often giving htem a specific job to assist with class everyday seems to calm the blame game down.
Student contracts help ensure that the individual has a plan for his/her success. It is very apparent when one/two students are responsible for their own work when open and honest conversations are shared with the instructor. The time spent finding a mutually agreed upon plan can lead to improved academic success.
I have had success with either using the student that “blames “ as a group leader, and informing that student that as a leader a portion of his or her grade is determined on how well all the team members are able to work together.
I try to bring in the "real world" perspective and explain that most bosses do not care whose fault it is...they merely want the job done (as a way of helping let go of that bad habit).
I totally agree, and when a student tries to shift blame to others, I try to give constructive examples of how the situation applies to a real-world (after school) career scenario: i.e. when you are at your first internship, the best way to deal with an unfortunate situation is almost always to own up to your mistake. Whether it was 100% your fault or not, that makes you a mature adult in your employer's eyes.
I absolutely agree with this statement.
There are NO "excuses" in the real world. By us as instructors accepting them, it will continue on into the work world. I love that you hold them accountable. I do the same.
Exactly, I relate the issue to an example in a job they will have , where they have to take responsibility
I am a Business Instructor and I often like to give students my real life experiences in the business world to reflect on when faced with a problem. For example, I had a student explain that she would not work well with the other students in her group, therefore I should not expect a good grade from her. I asked her if that would be acceptable for me to say to the Department Head of the college if asked to collaborate with another Instructor? I went on the give her another example of a time when I was asked to work with an manager from another department... I was not particularly fond of this gentlemen; however, I explained that meeting my supervisor's expectations outweighed my personal differences. The student understood my message and did well on the assignment.
Thanks Joe. I work in health care as well. I am a first year teacher and I have a couple of these blame shifters right now that I am struggling with. Your comment was very helpful.
