Building Respect

Teach your child how to show respect to adults in the school

“My mom says you can’t do anything to me—we’ll sue.”

Sadly, that kind of talk is something that teachers hear every day. In fact, bad behavior from children as young as first grade is often the reason that good teachers quit teaching.

Respect begins at home. Here are some tips on ways you can teach your child to show respect for teachers and other adults at school:

• Watch what you say. If your child hears you saying bad things about a teacher, she’ll pick up your attitude. Tell your child that teachers deserve respect because they are in charge.
• Discuss any concerns about what’s going on in school with the teacher as one adult to another. Your child may be telling you things about the classroom that are exaggerated—or simply not true. To get the truth, make an appointment and visit with the teacher.
• Don’t undermine the teacher’s efforts at discipline. All children deserve a chance to learn in a peaceful classroom. If your child breaks the rules, support the school’s efforts to enforce them.
• Teach your child that everyone who works in a school should be treated with respect.

Reprinted with permission from the April 2007 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2007 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: “Bad Behavior,” Report to Parents, April 2005, (National Association of Elementary School Principals, 1-800-386-2377, www.naesp.org).