I'll Do It Later
(Responsibility Lesson)
Grade K

Leader Hints: Think of how being responsible has helped you in your career and your life. Were there times you were irresponsible that hurt you? Think of how others' responsibility/irresponsibility helped/hurt you. Your students need to know that responsibility is important to you. By jotting down these formative life experiences before the lesson, you'll have them to share during the discussion time.

Miss Annie was the oldest teacher I ever had, but she never seemed old to us. She was always full of energy, one minute telling a joke and laughing out of control, the next minute darting from student to student to check on our progress and give suggestions.   

I had a harder time understanding things than most students, but she never made me feel dumb. If I didn't understand something, she had a way of explaining it in a different way so that I understood. If I still didn't understand, she'd pat me on the back and say, "Brittany, don't you worry. One day it will all make sense." And it always did.

Miss Annie didn't just teach us. She loved us. She cared. You can see why Miss Annie was always my favorite teacher. 

I guess that's why I felt so terrible the day I let her down. I remember it like it was yesterday.

Miss Annie was especially busy that day, helping us put the final touches on our Thanksgiving posters so that we could display them around the room for parents' night. About an hour before dismissal, she asked us to clean up our messes while she stepped out in the hall for a meeting with another teacher.

But we were not responsible. We thought we had plenty of time to clean up, so the boys made paper airplanes and the girls, well, we told jokes, laughed and giggled until we heard the door creaking open.

Miss Annie's disappointment made her face look old and tired. "Tonight your parents are coming" she said. "I wanted the room to look perfect for them. Since the bell's about to ring, I suppose I'll have to stay here and clean up instead of going home and getting some rest."

I felt terrible. I couldn't eat supper that night, knowing that Miss Annie had to stay after school and miss her supper, and it was partly my fault.

The next day, Miss Annie didn't say anything about our irresponsibility. She didn't have to. She knew we felt bad about it. It was too late to clean up the room, but we had to do something.

At lunch, we were all pretty gloomy until I got an idea. I talked to my friends and they passed it on to the rest of the class. The more we talked, the more excited we got.

Back in class, I raised my hand. When Miss Annie called on me, I said, "We got to talking during lunch and decided that we want to be the most responsible class you've ever had.  Whenever you ask us to clean up or be nice to a visitor or do a good job on a project, we want to do MORE than you ask. Maybe we can win the school's Character Award at the end of the year."

I know I saw a tear in her eye as she told us how much she needed to hear that. And this time, we didn't let her down. We worked so hard for Miss Annie that our class won the reward.

It was Miss Annie's last year to teach, and I was so glad that our class could present her with the school's character award. In her speech, she said that we were the best class she'd ever had. 

And for me, that experience taught me one of the most valuable lessons I ever learned. Be responsible to do what you're supposed to do. And do it first, before you get involved in something else and forget.

Discuss the Story

1. Why did Brittany like Miss Annie so much?
2. How did Brittany let her down?
3. What did Brittany and her class do to make Miss Annie feel better?

Drawing Activity

Conclusion

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I dedicate this lesson to the fond memory of Annie Laura Stanley, who taught first grade for over thirty years with boundless energy and a huge heart.   

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(Copyright November, 2007, Steve Miller and Legacy Educational Resources, www.character-education.info )