As students achieve and lead successful lives as upstanding individuals, we channel this new norm as we raise Gen-Z, so that we’ve resolved this issue of ‘power’ several generations down the line. Through creative activities, we draw lines between what is acceptable versus what is entirely out of line. There’s also an in-between category of inappropriate behavior, and through age-appropriate events, we touch upon the principles that encompass a respectable man, painting a picture that’s likely to pop up in their minds each time they find themselves in grey situations. Eventually, habits of positive behavior will be formed and passed on to future generations.
Addressing the issue: As we shift toward new societal norms, we seek to integrate such norms into the education system from a young age, lobbying school boards and lesson plan design that teachers implement. Children spend a large portion of their day in school, after all, and it is imperative to keep this in mind as we explore pedagogical frameworks. Through peer interaction in and out of the classroom, we start to see children develop and explore an array of interests (Hawkins & Weis, 2017). Ultimately, it is not enough to raise children properly at home if they are taught conflicting values elsewhere. Epstein (2018) argues that these two settings—though not one setting without the other—play influential roles in creating identities as children balance community involvement with schoolwork and family.