I’ve had a couple of encounters with students that have left me scratching my head thinking, “How has this behavior ever been allowed??”  Both stem from respect, something we talk about a lot in our classroom: respect for ourselves, respect for others, and respect for property.  Both times it comes right down to the fact that this student does not feel the need to respect others, but classmates and teachers.

Where did that idea that respect is not valued in our classrooms?

#Isoundlikemyfatheralert

Seriously, if I’d have acted this way, I know for certain, phone call or email, I’d been in deep when I got home.  Yet, students don’t seem to feel that way any more.  Why?  There’s been a shift there somewhere since I’ve been teaching.  A shift from “respect adults” to “respect those you feel like respecting, to h*ll with the others.”  I teach about respect, something I feel is silly, yet, as I watch students coming in the door, walking down the hall, listening to their conversations with peers and adults, that respect is NOT always there.

I hate being preachy about topics like this, I do.  But if we as teachers aren’t doing it, where else does it happen?  When we talk about teaching Character Counts lessons, isn’t that what should be going on at home?  Yet, when character lessons are being taught, I hear, “This is a waste of time! This kind of stuff should be taught at home! ”

#hardtodoonewithouttheother

I don’t know.  I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about where our profession is and how we are viewed, not only by the reformey people, who look down upon us, but also the students who show us (and many others) a general lack of respect.    Why is it that what we do can’t garner a little bit of respect, because we as a profession, we work not for a paycheck (very often) but to make a difference in our community and in a our world  That is pretty heady stuff.

I leave you on a happy note though: Aretha Franklin and R – E – S – P – E – C – T  🙂