Ain't got no respect?

In society today, often a lack of respect is present. This lack of respect could be for material objects, ideas, or other people. The world in many areas is turning things into a giant free for all, without even the courtesy to let other people believe what they want to.

Something we're taught from very early on in the education system is respect. But what is it? When thinking back to my elementary years, what immediately comes to mind is "the Golden Rule: Treat others how you'd like to be treated." Not really that hard of a concept. But then you also need to consider treating other peoples things how you'd like people to treat your things, or your ideas. Then things start getting trickier because what some people view as being acceptable, others think crosses lines. In my own words, I think of respect as attempting to understand all parties involved, and then treating other people based on how the common interest group wants to be treated, not just how one (potentially self-centered or biased) person thinks.

In the classroom, this starts at a very early age, in understanding that it's not okay to simply rip your neighbor's color crayons out of their hands. If someone else is talking, don't interrupt because you wouldn't like it if they interrupted you. As one progresses throughout school, and the writing implements advance beyond the more colorful stage (generally), interrupting other people or talking their ideas down becomes a lot more prominent. Telling someone else that their idea is stupid is rude, and has no place in the classroom. Allowing that sort of rude interruptions take place in the classroom can quickly degenerate the order of the class, and chaos can ensue.

When a classroom is a respectful atmosphere, in general everyone is going to feel more comfortable, and more confident. If someone is constantly getting shot down for anything they do or say by everyone else in the class, that person is going to bring a more negative attitude to the class, which in turn will make everyone else more unhappy. However, if everyone in the class is able to have a positive attitude, then it will be a more enjoyable experience, and a more creative experience.

Now their isn't one way to create respect in a classroom. It definitely needs to happen at the very beginning, starting perhaps with the teacher catering to the specific age group of the students (and remembering how old they are - treating 10th grades like 6 year olds isn't going to earn the teacher any respect, nor would doing the reverse, treating 6 year olds like 10th graders). If the teacher doesn't show some respect for the students, then the students will likely not show any respect back to them. Respect is something that is really only successful when it goes both directions. The teacher won't respect students who have no respect for them either. Always being angry is not a way to earn respect, it is useful to smile, and seem like you're enjoying what you're doing, though that isn't necessarily to earn respect, but simply so the students don't all think you're a prick.

That's all for now.