As a student I go to school Monday through Friday and before I leave the house the last and most important thing my mother says to me is "be good". A quote that I'm sure many of you have heard. When she says this to me she means be nice, do your work, and respect your teachers. As respectful students shouldn't we, in return receive the same respect from our teachers? yes of course, should be the answer, but in this case it's not. Recently I've personally been disrespected and seen other students be disrespected by teachers for no apparent reason expect because they hold the authority. A class room environment is not the place for a student to feel violated, disrespected or bullied; especially not by the teacher. Why should a student have to take a teacher making fun of their weight or having their grades reduced because the teacher believes the student is not capable of such intelligence? In my opinion, a teacher should not just expect respect from a student, they should first establish their role as the professional teacher and show respect, then in return the student should feel obligated to return the favor.
I concur with your assertion. Teachers should demand respect while getting it. Which is why I try to cultivate a culture of respect in my room. Granted I will channel my inner self, Keena from the D, when a student gets out of line, but she rarely has to come out bc my students know I'm cool if they're cool. It's a shame if a teacher abuses his/her authority, but sadly it happens daily. What I've learned is if we keep students engaged, and they have fun with what is happening in class, you rarely have hurtful language and bullying by anybody.
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