Children's Lack of Respect for Teachers

Parents should instill the importance of showing respect for teachers and others in their children from an early age.

It’s not uncommon for children to have a lack of respect for teachers. Keep in mind that this doesn’t only happen at school, and that it’s very important for parents to teach children to respect others in general.

It’s important that children learn to respect all people since childhood, regardless of who they are or what position they have within the community. As a result, when they reach adolescence, they’ll know how to treat others politely, including teachers.

Children should also learn to respect their parents. Don’t let them respond rudely. In addition, make them learn to apologize when they behave inappropriately. It’s essential that they know that their negative acts have consequences.

Main problems teachers face

The main problems teachers face today are the lack of discipline, excess students and shortage of materials and resources. Additionally, one of the circumstances that most affects them is lack of respect in the classroom. 

Generally, parents should instill good values in their children from a young age. These should be reflected in their behavior at school and with their teacher.

For this situation to improve, it’s essential to recognize teachers’ important work. It’s also necessary to provide schools with materials and technological resources. Being a teacher requires a lot of responsibility and using it properly.

3 factors that worsen lack of respect for teachers

Overprotecting your children in front of teachers

Often, you see parents overprotecting their children. These parents are very permissive and let their kids do whatever they want. This situation, along with teachers’ lack of resources, makes it very difficult for students to respect them.

Excessive permissiveness

Currently, education and teaching methods are moving away from authoritarianism and allowing for better relationships among teachers and students. This allows teachers to be more accessible for their students.

The problem arises when teachers’ roles are distorted and they attempt to put them at the same level as their students.

The example of the parents

In many cases, when parents don’t agree with teachers’ academic decisions, they take away the teachers’ credibility. Parents might even get aggressive and angry. If parents don’t respect the teacher, their children won’t either.

How to teach children to respect their teachers

• When children talk badly about a teacher, avoid harshly judging them. Objectively, you can mention that some teachers are more skilled than others.
• If your children don’t get along with one of their teachers, you can use this as a learning opportunity. Explain that they need to learn to live with people they don’t get along with, or who think differently.
• Teach your children not to talk back to their teacher in public, since the teacher is the authority in the classroom. It’s better to clarify in private, even if they feel the teacher did something unfair.
• It’s also very important to watch how you talk about your bosses and coworkers. You may be disrespecting them. Therefore, you might be telling your children one thing and doing the opposite.

How can parents raise respectful children?

One way to instill good values is to show them at home. Help guide your children to learn respect as a basic right that all people deserve. These are the main things to take into account:

Set an example

You’re the greatest role model for your children. Additionally, they learn from what you do. If you respect and tolerate others, they’ll learn to do that too.

Learn to express yourself

It’s very important to talk about different points of view inside your home. This way, your children will learn to express themselves clearly. At the same time, they’ll respect other people’s opinions when they’re different from their own.

Be assertive

Teach your children the difference between respecting others and being walked all over. Therefore, it’s very important to teach them to be assertive.

Be educated

You should promote kindness, good education and treating others with respect. These behaviors will help teach your kids to show respect towards others and learn to coexist.

Children should know that not everyone they meet will be just like them. However, they should learn to respect and be considerate of others, even if they don’t always get along.

Respect is the most important thing you can teach your children.