Social responsibility is a learned behavior – one that typically starts in the classroom. The classroom is one of the earliest opportunities for humans to interact with other humans and learn how to be social. From a teacher’s perspective, we must be aware of and cognizant of these interactions and guiding students through them. Teachers are responsible not only for academic growth in students but also growth in how students care for others around them. How students care for one another in the classroom can dictate how they function in and care for their respective communities (Gangone, 2020).
As a Christian educator, social responsibility for oneself and encouraging social responsibility in our students goes a step further. Matthew 5:16 (English Standard Version Bible, 2001) encourages us to “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Our job as believers is to let our light shine in such a way that others take notice. This can be shown in the way we talk to our students, the way we plan our lessons to meet all student’s needs, the way we are empathetic and kind in our correction, and the way we mediate and encourage social interactions among others.
Social responsibility should be at the forefront of a teacher's mind and something that is continuously addressed in the classroom. When our students leave our classrooms, they may not remember what was taught, but they will remember how they felt. We can ensure that they felt safe, cared for, and seen, simply by valuing social responsibility and encouraging it among our students.
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/
Gangone, L. (2020, February 12). Educators and Social Responsibility: What This Means to Informed Citizenry. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). https://aacte.org/2019/08/educators-and-social-responsibility-what-this-means-to-informed-citizenry/.