3 Simple Ways To Earn Your Students’ Respect

3 Simple Ways To Earn Your Students’ Respect


by Michael Linsin on October 13, 2012




You can’t teach your students to respect you.

Oh sure, you can try. Many teachers do. They harp on it, do read alouds about it, and even role-play it.

But in the end, students can’t be persuaded or talked into respecting you. No, in this day and age, respect must be earned.

But here’s the good news: Your students are looking for someone to believe in. They’re looking for a leader to look up to and to fill their sails with inspiration.

So when you step forward with a combination of strength, compassion, and integrity . . .

You’ll have their respect within a week.

Here’s how:

1. Your word must be golden.

If you say it, you must follow through with it. Saying one thing and doing another is the single greatest reason why teachers struggle with disrespect, particularly when it comes to enforcing behavior standards.

You must be the one person your students can trust unequivocally. Many students don’t respect teachers simply because they’ve never met one who didn’t lie to them—which, fair or not, is how they see it if you don’t do what you say.

Unless your word is golden, you’ll be just another wishy-washy lightweight, short on influence, weak in authority, and easy to dismiss with a wave of the hand or a roll of the eyes.

2. You must be the same teacher yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Your students won’t respect you if you’re moody and unpredictable. Snapping at them one day and behaving as sweet as summer squash on another is confusing and disorienting to students.

Seek instead to be the same pleasant and reliable teacher every day. Having spot on classroom management is the key here. It makes keeping your cool, being likeable, and building rapport naturally easy, and is the best antidote for stress and irritability.

3. You must never take misbehavior personally.

When you allow students to get under your skin, it’s hard not to fall into hurtful methods like yelling, lecturing, arguing, and
sarcasm—which in turn causes students to view you as a peer-equal they can backtalk, challenge, and wrest control from.

To earn their respect, and avoid angry and resentful behaviors, keep your emotional distance when responding to unwanted behavior. Matter-of-factly, even robotically, enforce your consequences every single time a rule is broken.

Letting your classroom management plan do the dirty work for you allows you to keep your influential relationships with students intact and your teaching persona positive and gentle-hearted.


Sadly, you can no longer expect students to arrive in your classroom with a healthy respect for teachers already impressed upon their heart.

Those days are long since past . . . sigh.

But earning your students’ respect isn’t so difficult. It doesn’t take lengthy lessons, how-dare-you lectures, or impassioned
speeches. It doesn’t take a domineering personality or a Navy admiral’s stature.

And it’s not something you have to demand from your students.

Respect is earned through the honor of your word, the steadiness of your temperament, and the gentle, quiet strength of your convictions.

SOURCE:
http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2012/10/13/3-simple-ways-to-earn-your-students-respect/

thank you sassy for the golden peaces of advice, regards.

very nice tips! wish we could use them. I find the third tip quite challenging. Which is better and feasible? to make them respect you or love you?
thank you sassy

You're welcome guys, I'm so glad you liked it

@ Aspire: Well, for me; I've just discovered that it's more important for students to repect me and respect my class than loving me.

I have had to face a problem last week concerning a student who I think used to like me coz he used to talk to me about his personal problems. And because we have had many pleasant and funny moments together, he thought that I would make an exception and that I would never reproach him his conduct in class. And guess what, I did !!! And I know he felt hurt and betrayed (like I was very close to him and now I'm treating him like everybody. Though he's still distant with me, I won't explain my decision, he just has to understand that he is anybody for me (though I may have a certain preference for him). When it comes to respect, I'm very stict. I know we're gonna be close again soon, coz students are so sweet when they understand that it's not personal. Respect is an important value (not only in teaching

In most cases the teacher makes a choice, either be respectable or liked. very few students know how to like their teacher without breaching the limits of respect. Worse, if the teacher shows interest in one particular student cos she is bright and promising, she starts to have "stray thoughts" and illusions. that's why teachers should (in my view) make it clear that they r there to teach in the best amiable and friendly atmosphere, not to make friends or i don't know what. not easy, class management.

aspire wrote:In most cases the teacher makes a choice, either be respectable or liked. very few students know how to like their teacher without breaching the limits of respect. Worse, if the teacher shows interest in one particular student cos she is bright and promising, she starts to have "stray thoughts" and illusions. that's why teachers should (in my view) make it clear that they r there to teach in the best amiable and friendly atmosphere, not to make friends or i don't know what. not easy, class management.

I do agree with you COMPLETELY !!! JUST what I had in mind and you put it so eloquently.
Another point, sometimes when students like you and they make a mistake (concerning respect of course) it's generally not done on purpose (at least that's what they say). But though you like them and they like you, you must do no exception. And it's hard to find that balanced attitude as you've said.

We were students and we awfully hated those unfair teachers who favoured the rich, the beautiful, their relatives, etc. Moreover, even those favoured recipients of biased treatment will not respect a teacher partial to them. He turns to a mere lackey.
I believe a successful teacher should find a way to encourage bright learners without frustrating their peers or bending the rules of conduct. May God help us

just like usual Sassy comes with very useful advices. thank you I find these tips very useful. of course respect should be imposed by the teacher. you're soooo kind and lovely that's why your student like you BUT you should show them that respect means a lot to you and that you prefer a student who respects you rather than the one who likes you and forgets that you're there JUST to teach (you're not their friend). their respect to you and your class should be put in the first position. I am sure that eventhough you do prefer some students, you're FAIR

May Allah helps and guides you sister

You're so sweet sister I really want to be fair, and I don't even feel like it's diminishing for a teacher to say 'sorry' if s/he has made a mistake. And it really can happen