R-E-S-P-E-C-T

RESPECT

INTRO
“Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself” (Heschel, 2006, para #1). Respect is an attitude. Being respectful helps a child succeed in life. If children do not have respect for peers, authority, or themselves, success can seem impossible (McChesney, para #5). In classrooms today many students have a lack of respect. One must agree it is because of this lack of respect in the classroom that students are must be disciplined. Teachers in the first week of school need to establish respect for self, respect for others, and respect for authority figures; doing so will help eliminate misbehavior. Teaching respect can be hard, but if approached in the right way, a student will be better off having that knowledge and will feel better about him/herself.
SELF-RESPECT
Some students come from backgrounds without respect—where they learn they can do whatever they feel like at the time or treat others poorly. So the teacher needs to start at the bottom of the slope and not only teach pupils respect for others but also for themselves. Self-respect is one of the most important forms of respect. Once one respects one’s self, respecting others comes naturally (McChesney, para #10). Teaching respect means showing students its fundamentals, such as respect for one’s body and one’s future wellbeing. No one should write on their bodies, hurt their bodies, or misuse their bodies. Also, everyone should do what is asked of him or her so that they don’t harm their potential in life. Students go to school to further their lives, and if they get behind in schoolwork then they are harming and disrespecting themselves. Teachers can help prevent this by including parents in the learning process of self-respect. Simply sending out a letter to parents to inform them that their child is learning about self-respect can encourage this learning and enforce the guidelines set forth by the teacher. Having parental support will help children in many ways.
RESPECT FOR PEERS
After self-respect is established, the next step is teaching respect for others. Once the student masters self-respect, respecting others will be easier to understand. So how are the seeds of respect planted in the classroom? First, teachers should ensure at the beginning of the school year that rules and expectations are clear. A good statement to start off the discussion would be: “Everybody is different or unique. What a person looks like on the outside has nothing to do with what is inside! Every person has special talents and special qualities...” (Hopkins, 2004, para #12). If students make this philosophy their own, the road to respecting others will be short. The best way to start them on this road is to lead by example and show them respect. Second, teachers should not allow any disrespect in the classroom no matter how inadvertent it may appear. Students need to know that a great deal is expected from them. Even if they do not like someone they still need to treat others as they would like to be treated. A good set of rules to post in one’s classroom is as follows…
Be honest – If you do something wrong, admit it and apologize.
Be positive – Don’t embarrass, insult or make fun. Instead, compliment.
Be Trusting –Make choices and take responsibility.
Be polite – Use “please” and “thank you”.
Be reliable – Keep promises. Show your peers that you mean what you say.
Be a good listener – Give your peers your full attention.
Be caring – Show concern for people, animals and the environment (McChesney, para #8).

By encouraging and expecting mutual respect in the classroom, a teacher empowers students to face life with confidence and accountability. Students learn respect by taking responsibility for their own actions. Because the teacher and each student are accountable for the behavior in the classroom, everyone can feel safe, even secure, in school every day. When someone misbehaves everyone else is disappointed because everyone expects more.
RESPECT FOR AUTHORTIY
As students get older their disrespect grows. They want to know why they have rules and why they have to follow by them. This leads to the disrespect of authority figures. In the Bible the 5th Commandment states: "Honor your father and mother that your days may be long upon the land." The commandments preceding the fifth are instructions concerned with love for the Lord and for one’s neighbors, but for their parents, everyone is commanded to honor them. The Lord even makes a deal with mankind: “in exchange for this respect…we will have a long life.” (Allred, 2008, para #7). However, perhaps a literal “long life” is not what’s meant. Instead, perhaps the true promise is that if one’s days are filled with love and respect for one’s parents then they will feel longer because their days are more complete.
CONCLUSION
Just as in a family, each classroom should be filled with love, honor and respect. Each student deserves the respect of his/her teacher. Every teacher deserves the respect of each student. Students must respect each other for their days in the classroom to be successful and “long”…not long in hours but in ability, dignity and fulfillment.