Not stopping a thief...

Sorry, I don't have page #'s or the exact quote (book is not in front of me), but the thing that struck me in this section as I was reading was the author's thoughts about kids not turning in work and/or not succeeding. It really got to me, because it made me rethink a lot of what I do. He compared an unsuccessful student to a thief...a thief who isn't caught won't change on his/her own, they just become a better thief. While I try to help students work through why they aren't turning in work, a lot of times I'll just say to myself that they're choosing not to do it, and I can't change that choice. So...how am I contributing to them becoming a better underachiever (is that possible...a better underachiever? If they become better at it, aren't they achieving at something?) He mentions time and time again that holding kids responsible is key, which I think we all do, but breaking the cycle of underachievement is not an easy task!