It's Always Someone Else's Fault

I've taken on a new and exciting adventure for this summer. I'm assisting a high school summer class in math. It's intense, packed from opening bell to closing bell with work. Although a large majority of the students in the class have already taken the course, there is still a large amount of instruction, practice, review, and application of what is being taught that they need to go through.

As is most of today's summer school courses those who are in the class are there because they need to recoup a credit in order to pass onto the next grade. Not all the students are in this situation, some are there to get ahead or take a required requisite to advance to a higher level. For the most part, though, the students in this math class are there because they need the credit.This is not always the ideal situation for them, but they do what is necessary to get through the day and, eventually, the course. 

Today marks the end of the first week for summer school; which actually equates to an entire quarter of "regular" school. Yes, it's that intense. There are three segments of two hours each in summer school which is the same as two weeks in regular school. All things being the same our students have done more work in 5 days then they would have done in an entire quarter.

So, I asked myself why someone would put themselves through that kind of a math boot camp. I couldn't think of a reason so I did what any curious person would  and asked them. In a class of 18 students 2 were there to get ahead and the rest needed the credit. Of the 16 who needed the credit I asked why they just didn't do the what was necessary during regular school. Of the 16, 10 admitted to being lazy, uncaring, or either unwilling or unable to ask for help when they needed it. The other 6 flat out blamed the teacher's inability to teach.

It was someone else's fault. 

Today's passage from Genesis 3:8-15 has Adam and Eve kind of doing the same thing. When God asks Adam if he ate from that tree Adam says, "Yeah, but that woman made me." And just as quick Eve replies, "Yeah, but the snake made me." Nobody took responsibility for their own action. 

It seems to me that some people are still like this. It's always easier to blame someone else for your wrong doings and hope that you escape from any penalties. Our reading ends with the serpent being punished for being the instigator and if we read on we also see that both of the humans also receive a punishment. God didn't take sides, everyone who had a part in the wrong-doing also took part in the penalties. 

Which brings me to my final thought for the day - Why do the things you're not supposed to in the first place? Or, as is the case with the summer school students, why not just do what you're supposed to from the beginning? Wouldn't that make life a little easier?