Why don't kids respect teachers anymore?

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   jantamayaposted 10 years ago

   Why don't kids respect teachers anymore?

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   mbuggiehposted 10 years ago

   Sadly, respect and deference are things of declining value in our society.
   
   Some kids don't respect teachers because their parents and communities (social and familial networks) don't respect teachers---or education.
   
   That said, some students and parents (and communities) DO very much respect teachers.

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      jantamayaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I hope that you're right about the last sentence. If you're right, our media isn't doing a good job. We are informed only about the bad examples instead showing us the opposite - the good examples. Why isn't the media information balanced?  ????

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      mbuggiehposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yes---the media focuses on only the bad; never the good. Every day I get positive and respectful feedback from students (and when applicable) parents and community members.

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   dashingscorpioposted 10 years ago

   In my opinion it reflects back on the parents of today.
   As a "baby boomer" I grew up in an era where parents, teachers, and school administrators were all on the (same) team.
   Your parents were aware you had homework and they were told when you did not turn it in. Most parents went over the homework with their kids. Now days most parents could not tell you when report card day arrives.
   Parents routinely attended PTA meetings as well as parent/teacher conferences.
   
   Today most parents have very little to do with teachers or the school unless their child is in trouble or accusing someone at the school of mistreating them. In fact parents in most instances have legally stripped school officials of all power to discipline students other than the use of suspension and expulsion.
   We were also raised to address all adults with (Mr. or Ms.) In many ways this created an "automatic buffer of respect" from the child's point of view. Today most six year old kids call adults by their (first) name. There is no line drawn between children and adults in the respect department. Some parents have been known to yell at teachers or threaten them in front of their children. Once children realize teachers are (powerless) the respect level drops off.
   Last but not least whenever government elected officials discuss issues with schools and students lack of progress (teachers) are the easy target. No one is going to get elected by blaming the problem on the voters/parents. Teachers and school administrators need parents to work (with) them.

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      jantamayaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      You're right. Teachers are the easy target. Your last sentence makes it. When teachers, school admins, and parents would be one team again it might be a solution. In my case it was even too much of it, for my mom teachers were (sort of) gods. :-(

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      dashingscorpioposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      jantamaya, Your mom sounds like mine. Teachers could do no wrong! My mother told our adult neighbors if they ever saw me or my brothers up to no good they had permission to "correct us". Oh the nightmares of adults with switches chasing me!:-)

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   Larry Wallposted 10 years ago

   The lack of respect for teachers is the result of many factors.
   1. There is a mentality in this country that a grade of C (average) is unacceptable and parents will belittle teachers who do not change grades.
   
   2. Parents are not teaching children that the teacher is an authority figure and the school management, principal, school board, is doing nothing to promote that.
   
   3. Teachers use to talk about respect. Now the day is fill with teaching technology, that will be out of date in a few years, or having centers, using whiteboards, etc. instead of the teacher being allowed to teach.
   
   4. Students hear stories about teachers and their salaries and complain they are making too much  and leave as soon as the school bell ring. The average teacher works 180 days. There ae 260 work days (five days a week) in a year. Teachers get no paid vacation. They seldom get a full hour for lunch. They cannot just leave early to run an errand. If they are sick they have to find a replacement, write an alternate lesson plan and see that it is delivered. Simply stated, parents who are in their 30s do not remember what we, who are in our 60s learned in school and how respect was taught. Amazingly, those of us in our 60s are actually pretty good with computers.

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      mbuggiehposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I don't understand your claim that using current technology in the classroom precludes teaching. T
      
      Technology is integrated into lesson now as it was in the past.
      
      Do you have any idea how white boards or computers are used in classroom today?

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      Larry Wallposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      My wife is a retired teacher. There is so much emphasis on using the technology, that less time is available for teaching and explaining the basics of grammar, math and other subjects. Also, technology changes all the time. Schools are alwys lagging.

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      mbuggiehposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Technology is integrated into lessons. This is what you seem to fail to grasp.
      
      I strongly suggest you do some research on how technologies are actually used in the contemporary classroom before judging   them as obstacles to instruction.

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      jantamayaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Why teachers don't begin with the school management and address there the problem? This is the first and easiest step for teachers because they don't have much influence on parents. The principal and the management must stand behind teachers, I think

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      Larry Wallposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I know technology is integrated into the lesson--therein lies the problem. We are so concern with meshing the two, that we are not teaching the lesson. As a reporter I sat in school board meetings where constant changes made  learning the lower rung.

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   Instructor Leonposted 10 years ago

   Because society and parents fail.The community and parents fail to teach and show kids respect so that they can learn respect and manners to others.

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      jantamayaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      But how can we change the society? Our powerful media could bring weekly good news and good examples. They won't do it; however, first they would ask how much money they would be able to make with such 'good' news... :-|

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   Frienderalposted 10 years ago

   I believe the lack of respect stems from the parents allowing their children to be so coddled such that the parents would blame the teachers for the mistakes made by their children. The children thus do not see the teachers as a authoritative figure but someone who is to be blame for their bad grades or mistakes.
   
   Perhaps, by changing this mentality, we can change public opinion of teachers. I like to suggest that schools work to create more opportunities for parents to volunteer at their schools. Perhaps, through a short volunteering stint, parents can observe up close the challenges and the job scope of the teachers. And hopefully this may positively change the parents attitude of coddling their children.

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