Student Responsibility

Teacher responsibility is often talked about. What about a student's responsibility? What are students responsible for? Are they responsible for anything beyond paying dues, showing up for class and doing whatever is being practiced in class?

I argue that students are responsible for a lot, including choosing a good teacher, the safety and atmosphere of the dojo, and the quality of their learning. That's what I wrote about in this blog post.

http://budobum.blogspot.com/2014/03/...nsibility.html

What are students responsible for in your dojo?

I think the student is responsible for cleaning the dojo, educating newer students in etiquette and care for the dojo. Helping with newer students learning. Setting examples and when at a seminar properly representing your teacher and dojo.

Hi all,

in our dojo, luckily the cleaning is done by someone contracted by the administration (it belongs to an educational complex), and I'm very happy about it. So there is NO student responsibility for cleaning

What is most important in my opinion, and I think most of the students realise it although no one mentions it explicitly, is continuity both in payments (we need to cover the rent of the place) and in practice. We are not many, only sixteen, but everyone is quite regular. So the teacher has planning security.

There are lots of other unspoken responsibilities, and I think most students are aware of them, like:
- commitment to learning, including going to seminars, memorising Japanese words, etiquette etc.
- punctuality (sometimes difficult to arrange with work and family, but done as far as possible)
- willingness to share experience with all students
- respect of the other students and the teacher
- taking up voluntarily any upcoming dojo chores (distributing flyers, helping out at seminars, administration, assisting during childrens' lesson....)

Here in Belgium, nearly all dojos are non-profit. So every student knows that the teacher spends a lot of his time for us, with no other reward than seeing us progressing, and I think that the absence of any "value for money" approach also contributes a lot to the sense of responsibility. You wouldn't want to disappoint someone who invests his time and energy in you without expecting any remuneration.

Best regards,

Eva