You Must Earn
Students Respect

"The #1 question a student has in his or her mind when first meeting you," says Professor Joe Martin, "is Who are you? Trust me, you need to generate a response thats much greater than the sound of your name. Unless your last name is Winfrey or Gates, youre going to have to earn the respect of your students.

"Who you are to them must speak louder than the actual words you use. In other words, the presence of your character should speak before you ever utter your first word. How you walk, look, stand, dress, act, speak, respond, and even smell when you enter your school always should produce the response, I want that. Or, at the very least, it should say, Shes different.

"Now understand, that doesnt necessarily mean you will be respected, but at least you will gain your students attention long enough for them to listen to what you have to say about respect. If students get the impression you dont respect yourself, theyll conclude that they dont have to respect you either.

"The next couple of questions students ask themselves to determine whether or not they will respect you is, Why is what youre teaching me important? and Do you mean what you say?

"I think you can draw your own conclusions about why your answers to those questions are critical to building your credibility in the classroom. I will tell you that you must immediately address all three of those questions, and you must do it clearly, confidently, and concisely. Your respect and your reputation in the classroom depend on it."

Source: Teachers Must Earn Students Respect

09/14/2010