How do you teach respect?
I just had a rhetorical question today, while I was reflecting on my teaching.
How do you teach respect?
I was telling my former French teacher the horror stories of what I have to go through every day. Her first comment was that these students have no respect for themselves, for their peers, for adults and for public property.
I would imagine that this group of students somehow got by without being taught what respect is... But really though, how do you teach respect? How can you teach respect?
Two of the classes that I have now... They have no respect for themselves, for their peers, for adults, for public property... They always come into the room that's relatively clean, and at the end of the 75 minute period, they leave and there's all sorts of crap all over the floor.
I feel like I'm haven't gotten this whole classroom management thing down yet...
posted by radoboist @ 6:08 PM
2 Comments:
You need to demonstrate concrete acts of "respect" because "respect" is a concept that younger kids may not be able to grasp.
In our gr 7/8 special day class, we talk about "mutual respect" allllllll the time so that the phrase itself's drilled into their brains (the kids themselves will sometimes sprout the phrase :-P ). "Mutual respect" includes active listening -- only one person can speak, and when that person's speaking, your mouth's shut, your hands are quiet, and your eyes are on the speaker.
Another way to show respect is "no shout-outs".
Another is our school-wide "hands-off policy" in which physical contact (esp negative) is not tolerated.
Another is showing appreciation. I guess this is taken from TRIBES... in the beginning, every Friday, the students would sit in a circle and say "I appreciate (name another student next to them, otherwise they'll pick their friends only) for ______."
Another is no talking back or swearing or saying mean words. "Use kind words" is a phrase we often use.
Hope this helps!
This is helpful, thank you.
However, I also have the not so nice thing of having to teach the material in Grade 9 math so that the students can actually write the the provincial exam... I know teaching is a delicate balance between curriculum and the like. However, the students in grade 9 (across the board) are weak, and we are already behind according to the pacing guide... The three grade nine teachers who teach grade 9 math are just trying to do as much as we can so that the students have enough tools for their provincial exam.
I enjoy myself, teaching is fun (it's definitely a calling too), but some days I'm just completely drained!
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