Reading – The Seven Languages of Respect
Share your experiences. When do you feel respected by your students? Is there something that you have implemented with your students that you feel has encouraged respect?
IMPORTANT NOTE – Teacher PD Accredited Hours
If you are participating in this forum as part of obtaining Teacher PD accredited hours please be aware that you must complete steps 1 and 2 below in order to meet the requirements of this forum and in order for you to receive your accredited PD hours.
You are required to do 2 things:
- Add your own contribution to the Community of Practice Forum
- Respond to at least two other posts on the Community of Practice Forum
I try to reach out to my students through sharing workplace experiences; some successful and some not. Showing them my ‘vulnerable’ side I feel, helps to show them that I am only a human too. I find it builds rapport, which in turn, leads to mutual respect.
I agree. I think this breaks down some barriers created by the labels of ‘student’ and ‘teacher’ and promotes better relationships and meaningful learning opportunities.
I agree – I had a teacher at school who often shared their real life experiences – it always helped us seeing him as real and being able to respect what he was saying was somehow made easier – I try to do this with my students – real life examples are always good for starting discussion
I agree with you, Erica. I think it’s important that both sides see each other as human beings, which can reduce the stress that some students may experience in the classroom. I find that students like to hear real life stories they can relate to, rather than be provided with “text book” information only.
I agree respect must be earned not automatically given. I think students are hard to fool & if they can see the teacher is genuine in their desire to help them succeed this fosters respect.
yes i agree – when students see a teacher is engaged with the class content AND engaged with their learning relationships are formed that lead to mutual respect
Yes, if you give them your time and show a genuine interest in them, and try to answer any questions they may have, them they will trust you have their best interests at heart, and gain their respect.
I feel most respected when students actively participate in learning. I endeavour to learn and use the names of all students as quickly as I can. I think this is the first step in developing the relationship, it opens the floor for two-way communication.
I agree Christine, we all respond better when somebody addresses us by our name.
Absolutely! It makes you feel like they genuinely have concern for you.
This discussion about respect resonates strongly with me. I am concurrently taking a leadership course and the ideas are similar with there respect to how to get the best out of your employees – autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
Purpose, absolutely! Make it relevant and real.
Agree Jennifer, the relationship in the classroom between teacher/student is similar to manager/team member in the workplace. If we as teachers or leaders want to earn respect we have to be willing to give some responsibility to our students and get to know them.
I work in the VET sector with students ranging in age from 17 – 60+ and respect and value the vast knowledge and experience in the room when teaching. I feel we learn more from actively listening to the content, then asking for input and ideas from the students on their understanding or experience of the concepts.
Definitely a way to empower and engage with students!
I too work in the VET sector with a wide range of students and find that the interchange of knowledge between the young and old in both directions often leads to respect and an increased willingness to work together.
Agreed. We show respect when we honour their experience and knowledge
Yes I agree.
All ages come together in learning environments and we all take away some new knowledge or level of respect.
As I have reading all of these comments in this forum.
I think that respect is a two way process and in the role of a teacher it is crucial to be a positive role model and show respect to students.
I feel respected when there is open conversation and all parties feel that they have something to contribute to the experience. I
I teach adults from CALD backgrounds and it’s important to respect our learner’s cultural and linguistic backgrounds as well as their life and professional experiences. From the outset, we establish a mentor/mentee learning relationship and welcome suggestions and feedback on our lessons.
I teach adults as well Jane & I agree we must respect their various backgrounds & individual needs as well as the vast knowledge & experience they bring with them
I seek to empower students by emphasising choices. For example, You can choose to do the review questions or you can choose not too. I do follow it up with encouraging good choices over poor choices and the benefits of making good choices.
I definitely feel respected by the students as I see them making progress in learning, understanding and engagement.
I currently train students that are completing their HSC. I encourage communication, a positive attitude, and I share with them real life experiences that relate to their work. We have a lot of fun and smiles.
Hi Kathryn,
I think that the linking of course work with real life experiences is a great way to build understanding and respect. It shows that you have an interest in the students.
Wow, mine sit there and stare! But, I have managed to conquer through relating the learnings to situations that they can relate to. Sometimes, not easy!
I have students ranging from teenagers to mature learners. I share real life stories especially work experiences (credibility) with my students and they share real life stories with me and the class. I never assume anything as the students bring in their own wealth of knowledge and experiences. I always greet my students with a warm welcome in the morning. Creating a safe and welcoming environment is crucial to the student overall learning experience.
I couldn’t agree with you more Katina. Sharing life stories with our students validates who they are and enhances their self esteem. Learning a new language and adapting to a new culture is a challenging experience and students need to connect to the past as well as the present to create their future.
I love sharing stories. Students love hearing and sharing stories too. Win-win.
As a tertiary teacher I enjoy hearing students stories and experiences and in turn share my experiences. Students classes usually have a range of age groups and a varying levels of experience in the workplace.
Hi Sue,
I agree that the sharing of stories and experiences is vital to gain an understanding of how the content/knowledge is applied in real life. It also allows the students to hear how other age groups or dynamics experience life.
I believe in sharing with my students. I always share stories of my family, work life etc. I think this creates a rapport with them. I teach cooking, so having stories from my previous jobs etc, they can be linked to what I am teaching, it engages them as well as shows them that I am not just another teacher. I am a person who does work and is someone other than a teacher.
They share too and it creates a collaboration of ideas, support and respect.
I have found that sharing experiences from my working life before teaching engages students, allowing them to place in context aspects of their learning especially for younger students with little experience in a workplace.
I have a range of learners from teenagers to mature learners. I feel respected by students when there is a healthy rapport between us and when communication is open and everyone contributes. I have class protocols and we devise together as a group and negotiate on which are the most relevant to ensure effective learning and that everyone’s viewpoint is catered for. Encouraging this inclusivity has also ensured learners respect each other and also respect me. I adopt a collaborative, exploratory learning approach with relevant signposting where required, depending on individual differences and learner’s needs
I love your ideas and will take them with me to my next teaching group – setting the class rules rather than dictating them is a great way to indicate respect.
I have students ranging from school leavers to 70 year olds in my classroom and many from CALD backgrounds. This can be tricky to cover all aspects of respect. I usually try get to know each one personally and respect them for who they are and why they are attending. Everyone has wonderful experiences to share and the younger ones get a lot out of the older ones being in class and vice versa. Here they respect each other and also myself for listening and leading discussions.
Hi Trish
I agree that it is very useful to draw on learners’ experiences and it is a great way of building respect between learners of different ages and you as the listener and class leader. I adopt a similar approach and facilitate, discussions, drawing on learner’s knowledge and then helping them apply this to topic concepts.
Hi Trish and Margaret,
I understand where you are both coming from and I also interweave their experiences into whichever topic we are on. It’s an enriching shared experience.
Being a genuine person is the best tool we can have in our satchel. Stories are of upmost importance in the tourism industry.
I agree think being genuine and transparent is gold.
Great point. Authenticity is very important to build respect and connection.
I agree totally, there is nothing better than authenticity 🙂
Share your experiences. When do you feel respected by your students? Is there something that you have implemented with your students that you feel has encouraged respect?
As a first-year teacher, I have found that it is much easier to gain the respect and approval of the students because I am looking for the same thing. In my first couple of lessons, I made it a particularly important goal of mine to learn my students’ names. I remember when I was a student, myself, it was such an empowering thing to know that my teachers cared enough about me to actually learn my name. I also find that I feel respected by my students most when they are actually interested and engaged in what I am teaching. As a new teacher, it can be very hard to have confidence in my teaching methods, and to have students remove this fear with positivity and enthusiasm is incredibly encouraging.
Positive affirmation is one of the best strategies I have implemented for gaining respect from/expressing respect for my students. I know that while many students independence in the classroom the demonstrate their understanding of content, one of the greatest feelings within the classroom is hearing the teacher say things like “you are doing a fantastic job” or “awesome work!”. I make it a goal of mine each day to compliment my students’ kindness or intelligence when using Google Classroom as I find this helps to boost them up a little higher during their current struggles with online learning.
Join the discussion…
I agree Joshua the students really love it if you make the effort to encourage them as they feel important.
Joshua, I totally agree with this. I always learn all students names, within a few weeks of starting with a new group. I try really hard to learn their names from their home rather than a given english name.
And they walk into the kitchen with a hello chef
Hi Joshua,
I also believe in positive affirmation. It does build their confidence especially when they feel they are not keeping up with the other students.
I had never really considered the different dimensions to “respect”…but I do know that in a Vocational Education classroom with adults, it is absolutely critical to value their experiences that they bring. That, and creating a safe and welcoming environment is crucial. Adults will not come if it not a fun and engaging experience.
Hi Fran
I total agree that creating an engaging experience is crucial and our role is to facilitate this in how we leverage learner’s experiences, how we enliven topic content and the tools we use. I also believe respect should be earned through communicating with learners and working together to ensure a collaborative environment, where respect is inherent and learning enhanced
Hi Fran, this is very true, as I can verify that with adults as I am one of them and we do need it to fun when we are being educated:)
I find that it is important to know the students names, also it ask them things about themselves when waiting to go into the classroom or finding out if they play sport on the weekend and how their games went, it demonstrates that you are interested in the students themselves and that you are interested in them as people and they are not just a number in the system.
I find that if they do a task well and you encourage them they then keep trying.
Encourage them to come up with ideas that we could do in class activities using simular skill sets, therefore they feel they have felt included in the decision making.
Hello Joanne – remembering student’s names is a must to show your interest in the student.
Hi Joanne, that is something I really try very quickly is to remember students names. I have been involved in the Hospitality industry all my life and people love you to remember their names:)
I teach a number of practical classes and find that by giving students individual tasks that play to their strengths and don’t leave them feeling vulnerable they start to blossom. Even if those tasks may seem small and insignificant if the student can complete them and feel a sense of accomplishment you start to see a change in their attitude toward you and a willingness to (eventually) take greater risk. When those students approach difficult tasks more willingly I feel trust and respect has been earned.
Hi Sharon,
This is so true as I do this with my students in my practical classes. I find this more important with my vulnerable students when they compare themselves to their peers who are already working in the industry and come to class with greater confidence completing the practical tasks.
I find that developing a rapport with students by getting to know them (in a professional manner of course) and sharing stories and putting your humanity out there for them to see is a great respect builder. Even more difficult students eventually respond when they realise that as a teacher you have their best interest at heart, not just their academic achievement.
Pamela, I always try to develop a rapport with my students as well. I will always have little stories to tell them and then they also share!
I feel respected by my students when the follow my implementation for email etiquette. I have asked that my students always acknowledge having received these emails and when sending emails they always use the first line to address me with either Hello Maryanne, or Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening Maryanne
I always greet my students with a warm welcome in the morning. In returning from lunch I welcome student back. I share real life stories with my students and they share real life stories with me and the class. I ask for their opinion and ideas creating a flexible class.
Welcoming your students Jackie is a great way of making your students feel respected and important. Sharing your stories and them sharing stories with you demonstrates trust from both sides making your students more open to listening and learning from you.
As a TAFE teacher I often ask students to bring their own experiences to our discussions or learning sessions as often they give a different perspective or extra knowledge – its not like I know everything. Often they will pipe up with them anyway, which is great as it shows they are engaged.
I love it when students offer their stories. We all have so many experiences to share. My classes are from 18-70 yrs old and I can learn so much from them.
yes – i too find this very important and an enjoyable part of Higher Ed teaching. i feel it also helps in forming a connection with the students which then in turn greatly benefits their learning
AS a TAFE teacher and a Nurse I like to get to know my students, I involve them. I give them real life stories. And I never assume anything if you involve your students and encourage their participation in discussions. I also ask them what they want to get out of this course, and build on this
Asking your students what they want out of your course is a great way to empower them. Giving them real life stories i feel makes their learning journey more real and in turn makes them realize what they too can accomplish
Yes, great point. Providing examples from our own experiences is a great way of fostering mutual respect.
As a TAFE teacher of 30 years, my pre-work to a class is to capture images and student details so I am familiar with the cohort and can put a name to the face. I don’t make this a public document for the class to see. I add to their profile along their learning journey, whether it be social stories they have made public or achievement in the class. Being aware and able to draw down on past interactions, I find helps build a Interconnected and safe environment for the students to feel safe and learn in.
That is really useful and it can bring forward special considerations for some students as well eg things you might have to make allowances for from their backgrounds.
I think a warm greeting and taking an active interest is so important in vocational education. The learners feel validated when we ask how their week has been and show an active interest in them personally – it breaks from the mold of traditional student/teacher relationships and allows them to feel valued
Christina just giving them a warm greeting is as great start as it makes the student feel welcomed and asking how they feel is a good idea as I do this as well as it makes them feel comfortable with you and they will seek your help if something is not going right for them.
I have gained respect of my students by incorporating my own “real life” experiences. They are very interested in how the skills they are learning can take them around the world to work in exotic locations, or the local coffee shop.
Hi Glenn
That sounds like a great way of letting your students get to know you as a person and also to link real life learning to your teaching- great idea
Hi Glen
I do the same thing with my VET classes. I try to build respect by Incorporating people, places, photos and events that I have experienced into my presentations. I think it shows the students that I don’t just ‘talk the talk’ but have real life experiences to back up the information. If I can show them what something ‘looks like’ not just have them copy down notes the learning becomes more authentic and they tend to engage more.
We deal with many very disadvantaged students that often have multiple barriers to their learning – the seven languages of respect is a really useful tool to help build respect and create the best possible learning environment….. and I should stop using “should”
I agree, Lucy! I am now reflecting on the number of times I use that word (and its way too often!). Disadvantaged students can be made to feel very valued just in the way you greet them and listen to what they have to say…often they don’t expect to be respected, so if you build the right environment, they will flourish!
I think for some students, the experience of being respected may be new. The respect shown by a teacher can be so empowering.
I feel respected by students when they are willing to engage in discussions and contribute to learning experiences. This shows me they have been listening to me and want to be involved in learning. I try to include the students ideas and thoughts into my teaching style by having lots of informal discussion with them to learn about their interests and passions. I can then make connections between the content and their experiences to try to make learning meaningful for them and I feel this therefore gains their respect as I am showing that I care about them as individuals and respect them. It’s reciprocal.
Hi Chloe
I think allowing students to share their thoughts and opinions helps to validate their worth and also is respectful to them and a great way to share knowledge with the class – great strategy
Join discussion…
Hi Chloe
I think it is so important to have students know that you are listening to their interests and passions and that you make that effort to include it into your classroom. It is always great to get new idea on how to make students feel included and that as adults we can be flexible
Students feel respected when their life experiences, stories and knowledge is valued and incorporated into our teaching and learning. The degree to which we can enable students to be leaders of a particular session is influenced by the course and the curriculum.
It’s fascinating reading the comments below and it would be great to capture and share these experiences and teaching ideas.
i enjoyed reading all these posts about respect and Michael’s talk made a lot of sense to me . I think that all the students I encounter in the VET classroom would be similar , not just the young ones. We all like to feel acknowledged and valued and have some choices and responsibility in how we learn.
As a conversation starter i asked my young ( early school leaver) students ” if you were a teacher , what is the one thing you would never do/” . They had very clear ideas such as not treating individuals unfairly because of the behavior of others , not being “arrogant” , but also not giving up the responsibility of being a teacher and showing leadership. It was very enlightening to hear their thoughts and I hope they felt respected.
Joy, I’m going to use your conversation starter. That’s a great idea worth stealing 🙂
Thanks Joy, I like the idea of the conversation starter, would give an interesting perspective from the students point of view.
I teach Beauty Therapy to apprentices and i find, once being an apprentice myself i am able to show them empathy and support and most importantly flexibility when it comes to the training room environment. They often run the day – they assist in organizing how the day should be planned and how we can improve on it in the next session, i allow them to share their experiences, ideas and notions on the topic being discussed, so we are able to learn from each other, i have always believed there isn’t one set way of doing things, experience and willingness to learn will only strengthen our knowledge and ultimately our career.
That is great as it shows their inputs are valued and it gives them ownership of the whole learning process
Hi Karalyn, I totally agree, as I also teach to trainees and I always reflect back on when I was training and studying at the same time. We all discuss our experiences and ideas.
VET is a diverse environment of workplace trainees and mainstream students. I train teenage learners coming from home schooled backgrounds through to mature age students. Respect begins by communicating with all learners as adults. Knowledge concepts or processes need to be broken down to first principles and putting it all together by working through repeat examples. Nobody becomes an expert straight away. Encourage questioning. Practical skills need to be demonstrated slowly and clearly. Learners deemed competent are still learners in the initial phase. It’s important a learner is encouraged to continue practicing a skill to become an expert over time. We all make mistakes, but the skill is to learn from them!
Agree with the practice makes perfect mentality – be a life long learner!
great insight!
Hi Dan, great points about learners deemed competent are still learners in the initial phase and to continue practicing. As a maths teacher in VET I have found this applies to theory based subjects as well. It’s great to contextualise theoretical learning as well through practical applications. This can help students to apply the theory to real situations and gain a better understanding .
In my teaching experience I have always found the learners respond positively when you give them responsibility and ask for ideas, as well as, listen to their stories and experiences. If you show your learners respect they will always respect you in return.
completely agree! if they are able to have responsibility, engage in ‘story time’ while learning its a much better outcome for all
thank you
This also works for older learners , especially those who did not feel respected in their own school experience
I agree Helena. Responsibility and asking for their ideas is a great way to create mutual respect. Being flexibly with their ideas is a positive in their learning
Hi Helena, I also totally agree. The generates a great deal of respect for both the learners an the teacher. I teach students with a range of different ages. It is great to hear about the different learning experiences over the decades as well.
I teacher young people mainly women to work in the retail and service environment or hair and beauty. A number of these learners come directly from school and have never had a job. I find setting up an environment of where the students feels comfortable to contribute their ideas is very important to getting these learners to engage. Being interested when they do share is an effective way of achieving this.
I agree with setting an environment for students to feel comfortable to share and contribute their ideas – this is essential for them to get the most out of their learning, but also helps us as Teachers check for understanding and get to know their learning style.
As a teacher at TAFE in the field of Accounting, Bookkeeping and Business Management, I work with many students from HSC SBATs, Trainees, and older generations who are either wanting to upskill or change careers. This means that many of my learners come to me with their own knowledge and wealth of experiences which can be beneficial to the other learners. Even by using the word learner and addressing each of my learners as individuals with something to bring to the class bestows respect.
When commencing a class with new learners for the first time I like to invite them to always feel confident to ask questions and, when they feel something I may have said or an answer that I may have given during a tutorial may have been in error or may seem ambiguous they should feel as though they can interject and let me know of the error or the ambiguity of the advice given. I am not always going to have the one and only right answer, there may be other answers and they may have a way of communicating a response which others would find more understandable. I also tell them from the onset that there is “never a silly question”, the only “silly question” is the one that remains unasked – and where I do not have the answer to a question raised, I will make every effort to research the response. This seems to give learners an idea that we are all here together to learn from each other. Learning needs to be fun and interesting and each learner should leave my classroom every lesson with something new – this builds respect as a 2-way process and seems to work.
Yes I agree with this strategy I have always found the learners respond positively if you don’t put yourself up as an expert that cannot be questioned. Setting up a learning environment of mutual learning and exchanging of ideas it much more beneficial.
I feel that my students really feel respected when I empower them to make their own decisions during the lesson. This may be through role play etc.
Yes, they need to be given a bit of autonomy in their learning, I totally agree. Every students learns differently and we need to value and respect this.
I agree Karen, I have found role play to be very effective as well.
I am a TAFE teacher and work on disengaged youth programs. Working with youth at risk requires a teacher to catch the young persons attention fast through meaningful, interesting and relevant learning whilst building rapport and connection. I feel respected when students turn up for class, return to class, acknowledge and adhere to the co-designed class rules/boundaries that guide conduct, engage in conversation, ask questions, are honest, trusting and have a positive attitude towards the course and their learning. All of these aspects take time and we often have little time, however the first encounters are so very important in earning and working towards a respectful student/teacher relationship. Due to the nature of these programs i usually have the opportunity to meet the young students before the program commences. I find this increases their sense of confidence and sense of belonging. I also have the opportunity to understand their motivations and challenges.
Bryony, I too have been involved in the PATH program designed for disengaged young people at TAFE and agree with your comments that respect with these young people starts with understanding them and their unique and very challenging situations. When working with my group of learners, I made it very informal with many collaborative discussions within the group of things which were relevant to their situations. We discussed at the first lessons what each learner wanted to get out of their lessons and I said we would strive to help them to achieve this or at least put them on a path that they could take and continue after this course. My biggest motivator was to let them know that we worked together as a team and we were all there for each other, to support each other and help each other. I let them use their mobile phones and download the apps for jobseekers/mygov/ato etc – these are things that interested them and we brought technology into the classroom in every way possible (but in a useful way). I tried never to make them feel as though I was lecturing to them – just discussing and giving advice.
Bryony, well said. Meaningful, interesting and relevant learning that is structured around basic life principles of respect and honesty is imperative for disengaged learners to come forward and become positive contributors to our society.
A great space to be involved in. Kudos to you!!!
I teach VET in Business Administration, Travel and Tourism and have done since my own Gen Y and Z children were born. Participating in this training, I have reflected on my own practices and how they have had to change because of the students. Yes, I started with thinking that because I knew more than them that they “should” listen, but very quickly learned that walls went up, and that was prior to Gen Y. I realised that: Yes, I did know more than them in the vocational area but they knew more than me in other areas, such as technology (I didn’t even own a mobile phone when I started teaching). By working with them, instead of teaching at them, it was easy to see that we had a lot that we could teach each other and in that way we earned each other’s respect. We could then brainstorm ways that the technology, although it could be distracting, could also be used as a tool in the industry, be it for research, communication, or note taking. I still love the challenge of teaching and getting the information to the students to prepare them for their futures and the first steps really aren’t more than saying Hi, making eye contact, and using their names; common social etiquette. As you build a relationship with them, ask them to assist each other by getting them to use their Initialisms (I didn’t know that was the name for it before) in discussions to reinforce the information. Incidentally, we are the parents of these generations so we can’t blame them for the way we made them. Personally I am proud of the way they don’t just accept something because they are told it “should” be and always ask “why” it should be that way for them. In VET teaching, students are customers and customers always need to know “What’s in it for me (WIIFM)?” so why shouldn’t our students have information explained in a way that is relevant/relative to them? Finally, treat them as equals as they can really teach you some useful skills to teach others.
I am a TAFE teacher and mother of 4 gen Y children who have gen Y girlfriends, so I feel like I know the behaviour that Michael McQueen describes intimately. I am forever amused by the way in which they see the world and interactive with it. I feel that I must always get to the point quickly before they start to glaze over. When I am teaching first aid to plumbing apprentices I have found that asserting any kind of authority over them will lose them very quickly so I give them lots of freedom and engage them in a similar way to my own children, with lots of humour, warmth and affection. If they know that you are on their side you will start to earn their respect.
I agree Jackie its important to always show respect to the Gen y they understand authentic relationships
I think that there are a lot of similarities between the ideas of respect in the 2 groups – teachers and students. Just that these ideas are expressed in different ways – both want to be treated with respect. Both seek appropriate levels of engagement and communication. Students want to be engaged with their learning, including having some say in the direction that it takes, and teachers want their students to be engaged. While there is a divide, the similarities make me optimistic that we can build the respect/ communication bridge. I’m also a parent of young adults, and I am frequently in awe of their communication skills (across many media)
Kate, I agree with you that both Teachers and Students want respect and indeed respect can be expressed in many different ways, some more obvious than others. I do however agree that respect is a 2 way process and needs to be earned not bestowed by title or position. Respect is fostered through trust and honesty and attitude. Teachers can build a respectful environment by “starting a conversation” and “keeping the conversation going”. Collaboration and communication helps with the building of respect – letting everyone have a say and making sure you listen. I also let my students use whatever preferred media to communicate with me – if they like skype, MS Teams, Google Hangouts, Forums, Email or SMS I’m happy to support these forums – anything to get them talking.
As a teacher and mother of Gen Y students I find communicating with them ever so frustrating!! The differences in communication techniques are becoming wider and, I feel it is up to us as the older (dare I say wiser) generation to adapt and “keep up to date”. Therefore, I tend to use options such as online chats, texts rather than calls when checking up on students and encourage students to have a say in their learning by giving anonymous feedback that I actually talk about in class. I think students appreciate this and take some ownership in their education.
I agree with Joanne it can be frustrating. I too am understanding that I need to learn more about the best ways to adapt. I also have begun to use online forums
and will be using text messaging next term. I like the idea of anonymous feedback to let the students have their say. I found your points useful. Thanks
As a TAFE teacher also, I share the same opinions and have faced the same issues as many of you have listed below, one unique issue I’ve faced is that the modern student can access endless media sources for relevant content so for example I might be demonstrating a method of glazing a cake or making a chocolate decoration or discussing a policy change in the latest food safety laws, and the student will say “I,ve seen that on youtube already” the issue of respect comes in when I expect the learner to accept that I have a reason for showing or teaching them something, previous generations of students would a) be impressed with the knowledge and b) give respect automatically, the adaptation by me to accomodate the modern learner is making a personal connection and finding out there specific needs, wants and desires and bridging the gap between that and the required syllabus.
I can relate to this Ben. Often students can quickly search for an idea that can be incorrectly discussed and then they tell you that what your saying is not quite correct. It is frustrating.
As a father and a TAFE teacher of the Gen Y’ era, I think I can relate pretty well with them.
I follow the old school mantra of, Respect must be earned and not demanded.
In my lessons i try to show them what they need to do in a practical sense as well as theory based, as most of my cohort learn better that way.
I individually ask each learner (By Name) if the fully understand what is going on and make sure I get a definite reply by asking delving questions about the subject matter.
I ALWAYS say to them that I am a sponge for knowledge and just because I am older then them, If they know more than me on a particular topic, I will listen and learn from them.
Great point Mark, I have a colleague who never remembers/has trouble learning students names, the lack of personal connection is evident in the way the students relate to him as opposed to how they relate to other teachers
Hi Mark, Over many years of teaching first aid I have always tried to engage the students very early in the day by remembering their name. I used to pride myself on learning everyone’s name before lunch (it is only a one day course so you don’t have much time). It is incredible how students respond to you if they know you have taken the effort to do this simple thing. They feel respected and a little special and in that way they will reciprocate the respect.
It is interesting to say that it is an old school mantra Mark: “respect must be earned and not demanded” as I still hear teachers raising their voices at students and telling them that they will not pass if don’t attend classes (I teach in VET, not school). It may be an old mantra and yet I think that in the olden days, this was only thought of as a one way street rather and teachers demanded it but students were expected to earn it. Personally, I am happy that this has changed in our relationships with the students of today, I just wish more teachers would take it on board too.
In the classes of students I work with, I have had to adapt to the way in which the students communicate often in fits and starts while they engage with media. I have changed the way I teach to accommodate the changing needs of the students to smaller chunks of information interspersed with activities and often encourage the students to in effect co-facilitate the class sessions. Often students teach me and their peers about aspects of technology and often they demonstrate to the group to enhance all our skills. I look forward to classes each day as I believe that the learning is mutual and therefore respectful and collaborative.
Caroline, agreed. As teachers we too should embrace opportunities to learn from our students.
Giving the students an opportunity to feel valued is a great way to earn respect. Students can be very helpful when your technology is not working lol!!
When they acknowledge, listen intently and question experiences and situations that I have discussed
thank me at the end of class and acknowledge the support I have offered
I really like the idea of using the term preparing rather than planning. even as a vocational educator I am aware that some learners will have expectations of the outcome of their vocational qualification often to find themselves having to adapt to a different opportunity.
I always have lesson plans and an idea about where I want the session to go, however students often arrive with different expectations and I have learned to be more fluid with our goals for classes linked to the functionality of the students. In the beginning of this changing approach for me, it was a bit frustrating at times, but now it is more second nature. I am learning to communicate respect for students in different ways and listen more to what they want out of their qualification, the classes and me.
I feel respect can be gained by acknowledging the ‘small’ things. Perhaps a smile and a greeting to the learner whilst they are waiting in the corridor, or engaging with them in a conversation before class. I always get to know the learner names in the first instance, and this generally earns their respect from day one. For me, the first class is where the teacher/learner relationship forms and the respect commences. I like to have the learners involved as much as possible with the sharing of ideas and value adding to the class discussion with the learner experiences. In using these simple strategies in a classroom, learners feel they can be themselves and participate without judgement. I believe this contributes to mutual respect.
I agree Sonia. It is the little things that can earn respect. I teach a one day course so engaging students quickly is a must. I find getting them to do a practical exercise first up will break down barriers between each other and with myself. Learning their name and remembering it and giving some positive feedback always helps. Adding a bit of humour helps as well.
I agree Sonia. Your points are good reminders never to under estimate the worth of the ‘small things’ such as conversation and referring to a student by their name. Not all strategies need to be complex to work to build respect in the classroom.
Sonia I agree a simple smile and greeting goes a long way, acknowledging them and asking them how they are going ensures that the students are aware that you do care. I
Acknowledging students away from the classroom, even if they’re not your students enables the students to feel valued and respected.
As an ESOL teacher who has taught in seven countries to over 40 nationalities issues of how teachers relate to students and vice versa, and differing notions of respect have always been critical. Certainly students from some countries have an enormous amount of respect for teachers (just by virtue of the fact that they are teachers), but this comes with matching expectations of their knowledge (as in they expect the teachers to be able to answer all questions of the top of their head). Sometimes a lot of time is spent talking to students about these expectations and trying to come to a common understanding. I am curious as to how culture-dependent Michael’s observations are, although he did say at the beginning that they were global and universal.
Teaching in ESOL has long been about the student-centered classroom, learner autonomy, personalisation etc. Most ESOL teachers ask students to call them by their first name and get to know their students quite well as people. I have certainly used some of the tips other people have noted, including asking students to come up with their own classrooms rules, and enlisting their support in maintaining/enforcing them.
You raise some interesting points Andrew, my cohort of learners is also from a very diverse background and age bracket, some being international students and others domestic, and they difference in their learning styles also varies greatly, I think the take away from all of. This is that there really isn’t a one size fits all approach and we ourselves must lead the change in flexibility.
The biggest challenge I’ve faced is expecting students who have always learnt ‘by rote’ to be independently creative, so even though it seems counter indicative giving strict guidelines for creative projects usually yields greater results in my experience.
Before I started teaching at TAFE my old TAFE teacher and mentor, Ray, gave me the following advice – “Every now and then show them that you can do what you are teaching and expecting them to be able to do”. I have made a point ever sice then in my own teaching to do just that. Ray did not spell out why he suggested this but looking back and also by reflecting on what Michael McQueen said in his talk about earning respect I can see that this is one thing it achieves. Further more it also helps the students ‘see’ how a certain task is done. The vast majority of my students, and I believe people in general, learn best by seeing. I think the respect both ways is also a huge point that many sadly miss. Our students will not care about what we know until they know that we care (respect implied).
Join the discussion…
Agreed , investing in care for the students is so important, in some cases there is a pastoral role because of student vulnerability, not all students seem to welcome it though, I find it harder to build the relationships with those students. My challenge is to find a different way to show respect, perhaps it is just greeting warmly to start with! Baby steps with those students who don’t seem to want to be known.
Agree
I often use examples of situations and discuss case studies that I have been involved in. Show vulnerability and highlight areas that I have reflected and discuss what I have learnt
I agree 100% to this, Most TAFE learners are a very “Hands on” type of learners and by demonstrating what actually is going on it helps tremendously