Teaching Respect

PRAISE – Begin a praise day and have all students write down something they like about another person in the class. It could start, “The nicest thing about you is” and have the students finish the paragraph. This encourages respect amongst students and makes it the norm in your classroom. One student gets a turn everyday. The teacher becomes quality control and filters out any negative comments. One student a day leaves with a folder of nice comments made about them.Of course teachers should use praise as a tool for motivation. Remember to praise character not achievement.

KEEP PROMISES – Students will wrap their life around promises you make to them. Make them very sparingly and very carefully. Consider all the variables and make sure you can control them. Don’t tell students they can bring candy to school for Halloween and then find out administration doesn’t allow it. Make promises and keep them.

SINCERITY AND HONESTY – Students can pick out a phony a mile away. Be sincere with your concerns and student abilities.

SAY HELLO – Say hello to all students this encourages communication and helps to break down any walls between you and the student and helps build a positive relationship.

CALL BY NAME – NO NICKNAMES OR DEROGATORY REMARKS
Don’t fall into the trap of calling students a name that their friends call them. Remember “Leave it to Beaver” his teacher did not call him Beaver she called him Theodore.

AFFECTION – Because of the fear of touching teachers have shied away from touching their students. We are not talking here about inappropriateness but rather a hand on the shoulder, a high five, or a pat on the back. This not only affirms but also makes the student feel that you recognize and are aware of them.

LISTENING – There are five types of listening, ignoring, pretend listening, selective listening, attentive listening and finally empathic listening. We all want to be empathic listeners. This is when we listen with our body posture and our eyes. We reflect back content and feeling. We don’t offer any advice but rather use listening as a means of strengthening the relationship. We want avoid reading our own autobiography into the conversation.

2-3-4-5 X 10 – Every day for ten days straight have 2-3-4 or 5 minute conversation with one of your students just like you would with a good friend. Have several of these going on everyday. Around day eight the students will look to you for the conversation and develop a greater sense for you as a person.

LITTLE COURTESIES – The little things are the big things. Model what you want from your students.

RECOGNIZE EFFORTS – Recognize when a student does his best and focus on what he did that was right rather than what was wrong. Be positive and value the differing abilities of your students

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