Each year, new kids enter high school. Expectations for performance grow higher with each passing grade, and with this, maturity is expected by staff. However, this ideal level of behavior is rarely achieved by the ever-evolving high school student. 

As these students enter adulthood, respect is taught in the classroom. This translates to every aspect of a person’s life- in the workplace, or within a family or relationship. 

It is not uncommon for students to hear from older figures in their lives how the standard of respect has decreased from their time of learning, and how nowadays students are much less caring in their approach to adults in their lives, and are significantly keener to shirking their given responsibilities.

We may track all this then back to the classrooms, where students are faced with their teachers’ authority alongside daily work. 

Unlike what many think, Mr. Milham- a science teacher at Wilsonville High School, recounts that the respect he has been given from the early years of his teaching career- eighteen years ago- has not changed. 

“How they (students) treat you is all about your dynamic with them. So, I would say in my case, I have a similar dynamic now as I’ve always had. So my general interactions with students are mostly the same. It’s generally positive and generally respectful.”

Teaching students how to balance work and respect towards authority is incredibly difficult. As a major part of school and the environment itself, tackling these lessons is a tedious task. 

Milham touches on this idea, “Part of our job is to help them understand what’s appropriate in a given setting and what’s not. As a teacher in the beginning of the year I feel like that’s a really important time for figuring out that dynamic.”

New teachers are learning this too. Mrs. Zimmerman, a history teacher who began two years ago is working to develop her image and demeanor to garner more respect as a young, female teacher. She has experimented with finding the best way to build strong relationships with her students.

“I think that my natural orientation to students and to peers in general is very chill, and I think that sometimes that has created a situation where I’m not setting up students with expectations and boundaries that they need to follow- almost because I’m not setting strong structures or rules.”

Students and teachers alike agree that respect is formed by the teacher-student relationship. How this is created initially though, is up for debate. 

Mr. Barkley, an older teacher at Wilsonville who has been working here the last twenty four years believes, “You should start with everyone you meet from a position of being respectful. Whether that’s the oldest, the youngest, anyone in the room, you should be respectful.” 

However, this stance of “given respect” is not often agreed with by students. The idea that we owe respect to anyone is tested greatly, especially as young adults find their place among others.

To most, students see respect as something earned. Respect is vulnerable when surrounded by your peers, and with it comes trust.

Oliver Goodwin, a freshman at Wilsonville, states, “I absolutely think respect is important to show your teachers, however it starts with showing your students respect. This is really just shown by listening to me, showing students support, and being kind in general.”

“It’s difficult to show respect toward teachers that are difficult to communicate with. Communication is key to dealing with anyone.”

August is a vital time for teachers to initiate their relationships with students, and outline their dynamic for the rest of the school year.

Milham states how he begins his introduction of his authority to students; “It’s sort of like teaching 101 right as you lay down your expectations or your guidelines and then you’re consistent about reinforcing those right from the get-go.”

“As long as you’re consistent, kids figure out pretty fast that they’re students and they generally honor that. And, as you build relationships it’s easy to address things and fix things if you have a good dynamic.”

Zimmerman also has found strategies that fit her teaching style and personal teaching values. “I think fun is really important to learning. I also think that students who want to be in class learn better when there’s some element of fun, so I value that a lot.”

“I’ve found a lot of success with not standing just in front, but kind of interweaving, and checking in with the students. What I’ve liked to do recently is allow students to have more say in how they complete things. Whether they want to tie art into it, present a group project, or just write an essay on their own.”

Everyone wants to feel respected. Students and teachers alike. Without this mutual feeling, classrooms become hostile and significantly less productive. “It’s not worth crawling out of bed at five o’clock every morning to get here unless we’re going to get something done. To me, that is respect.” States Barkley.

Respect is a broad idea. In the classroom, it is described as an understanding of others’ time, clear communication, allowing people the freedom and trust to express their personality through their work, and obeying necessary guidelines. Understanding this and reflecting it upon our peers, students, and teachers can help us foster an even more loving and fruitful environment.