There was a time acim teacher were the most respected people in the Black community. Not anymore. Although teachers help students by trying to educating them, far too many Black students show teachers no respect whatsoever. Students disobey teachers. Students curse at teachers. Some students have even assaulted teachers. Young people treat teachers as if teachers are the enemy.
Back in the days, parents wouldn’t have stood for their children disrespecting teachers. Now, it’s no big deal, especially since parents disrespect teachers-in front of the children. No wonder children have little respect for teachers.
If students don’t respect teachers, learning doesn’t occur. So, if your teen is disrespecting their teachers, you must step up and put a stop to this. Here’s what you can do to get your teen to respect teachers.
Talk to the Teacher(s)
Meet with the teachers whom your teen has been disrespecting. Find out exactly how your teen’s been disrespecting those teachers. Encourage the teachers to be specific. Ask the teachers what your teen can do to show more respect in the classroom. Again, encourage teachers to be specific. This lets you know what behaviors your teen needs to change. Ask the teachers how you can work together to change your teen’s behavior. Once you’ve determined how you want your teen to behave, communicate this to the teachers so they know what to look for.
Determine What Respect Will Look Like
Respect is broad and involves many different behaviors. In fact, if you created a list of respectful behaviors, you could probably fill an entire sheet of paper-back and front. Decide what you want your teen to do more of, rather than what to do less of. So, once you know exactly how your teen’s been disrespecting their teachers, determine what specific behaviors you want your teen to show toward their teachers. Then communicate this to your teen.
Start with an Easy Task
Pick on one or two specific behaviors that are easy to accomplish. For instance, you could have your teen say, ‘Yes, sir’ or ‘Yes, ma’am’. That’s easy to accomplish and easy to monitor. It’s also simple for your teen to understand. The more they can understand what’s expected of them and the more specific you can be, the more likely your teen is show the behavior you expect. And, a quick win builds everyone’s confidence-yours, your teen’s, and the teachers.
