Teaching tips: How to develop a culture of mutual respect in the classroom

Mutual respect in the classroom requires that the teacher respect the students, the students respect the teacher, and the students respect each other. When children learn to respect each other for the uniqueness of each person, they begin to develop mutual respect. When teachers learn the respect for all cultures and lifestyles they can foster mutual respect in their classrooms. Students will naturally have mutual respect for a teacher who is knowledgeable about cultural diversity and respects each one of them for their cultural uniqueness. All teaching should have an emphasis on cultural diversity in order to foster mutual respect in the classroom.

1) Equality

All people are equal with each person having something unique to offer. Teachers should respect the uniqueness of each student and not try to be above students even though they may have more education. Students can be very bright and some can surpass their teachers in knowledge and ability. Teachers must recognize this and not feel undermined in any way by a superior student. Other students may have disabilities but no matter what the disability they each have something to give to the world. Teachers must recognize this also. Disruptive students also have something to give the world and their behavior may be a way of crying out for the help needed to bring their special something to the world.

2) Respect for Various Cultures

Schools today are respective of various cultures and a classroom can have a mixed culture of many types of backgrounds, lifestyles, and orientations.

* people from foreign countries - immigrants - legal and illegal

* different national backgrounds

* different types of disabilities

a. hearing disabled
b. deaf
c. blind
d. learning disabled
e. developmentally disabled
f. physically disabled

* different family lifestyles

a. single parent families

b. traditional two parent families that are married

c. two parents that are unmarried but are living together in the same home

d. two parents living in different homes or divorced parents

e. grandparent homes

* differences in sexual orientation

* socioeconomic differences

a. parents that are both working
b. one parent working with one stay at home mom or dad
c. parents who are both unemployed

* differences in lifestyle according to jobs and education

a. One parent may be a CEO of a large technical corporation; whereas another parent works in the

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