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This is an article in the Total Teacher Transformation series. Click here for a complete table of contents.
As discussed last time, part of gaining respect from students comes from being respectful. The second element of earning the respect of your students (and their parents), comes from being respectable. No amount of courtesy to your students can overcome a disrespectable personality!
So what are some character traits we should be modeling?
Competence - Knowing your content area is vital. If you are a band director, you need to have some sort of clue how to play an instrument. If you are an English teacher, you ought to be reading regularly. If you are a history teacher, you should have some sort of historical understand.
Poise – When you are talking, slow things down. You don’t need to be in a hurry all the time. The more relaxed you are, the more control you feel in the given situation. The more control you feel, the more control you will ultimately have.
Passion – Love your subject matter. It’s that simple. If you do, then it will show itself in your teaching. Your students will come to love the same things you do (even middle school kids)! If you are stuck in a job, it will become quite evident to the students as well. Don’t let it happen. Make whatever changes are necessary, but don’t allow yourself to stay in a setting you can’t stand.
Care – If you have the three above, and don’t care about teaching students, it simply will not work. If you care about the children, then the above three will begin to fall into place. This is really where it all becomes real. They won’t care what you know until they know that you care. Cheesy, trite, perhaps. But it’s still pretty much dead on also.
Today’s assignment
Find some ways you can personally be more respectable. Watch others you know whom you deeply respect and try to figure out why it is that you respect those people. Try to emulate some of those characteristics and apply them directly to your teaching.
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Joel, I would suggest that while competence in subject matter is important, it is not enough–competence in pedagogy is equally important.
Organization may seem obvious, but it’s another important part of respectability–one that hasn’t come easily to this teacher, even after eight years!
To new teachers who are organized, kudos–you are ahead of the game and this will serve you well as you learn more about your kids and your teaching practice. For new teachers who are not organized, this might be a helpful focus that will save you time and effort.
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“What’d'ya think, we’re stupid or something?” is how kids will react, no matter how bright or unmotivated they may be, if we as teachers aren’t prepared to truly instruct. Not that this is a guarantee that they will take the bait and go along with the lesson, but they sure as shootin’ won’t if we walk in with nothing and try to wing it.
I learned this the hard way, and it didn’t take long before I figured out that most, not all, but most, of my classroom management problems were because I was not at least 4 steps ahead of the gang as they came in the door. Remember, we are always outnumbered, all day, every day, so use the edge of preparation to even the odds.
Tom Anselm
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