How to Promote Respect for Classmates from School
Promoting respect for classmates from school is, in reality, promoting good values among children. These virtues will accompany children during the various stages of their development and even, until their adulthood.
That’s why it’s so important that little ones cultivate respect among people in all areas of their life. When they’re with family, with friends, with grandparents and cousins, and even with strangers.
In addition, we must extend this respect to everything around us, whether animate or inanimate. This way, we’ll teach the little ones about the need to take care of their surroundings, the environment, objects, and all kinds of creatures.
In other words, respect is a very important value that needs to be instilled and cultivated from the moment a baby is born. And preschool has a lot to contribute in this regard.
Learn how to promote respect for classmates from school
Today we’re going to focus on respect for classmates within the school environment. To do this, we’ll listen to the advice offered by the educational psychologist Borja Quicios, as they’re important keys for cultivating this important value.
Let’s remember that, beyond the school environment, respect must be professed in any relationship, whether between children or with the adults in charge. All interaction between people must be represented by this value.
Exercising respect means accepting and putting into practice the rules of coexistence between people. Therefore, in addition to those established by each society, those of the educational center and those of the child’s family environment are also accepted.
When there’s respect, we know that there’s no room for contempt for others for any reason. Nor your physique, nor your race, nor your condition, nor your beliefs justify the absence of this value.
Next, we’ll share some keys to implement in the children’s school environment in order to promote this virtue.
1. Respect everything that makes up the school
The first thing to instill in children is respect for their school, in terms of the institution. Besides teachers, peers, and professionals, infants must show care for the material and facilities. In short, everything that makes up the center.
2. Recognize the strengths of everyone
As for teachers, it’s also important that, in addition to respecting each student, they also know how to reward their achievements. This way, teachers should never look down on the children and will serve as an example for all the students in the school.
Therefore, recognition must be given in all directions. That is, from parents to children, from teachers to parents, from teachers to students, from parents to teachers. And, of course, among the classmates themselves.
Finally, we mustn’t forget about the personnel who work in the center, such as janitors, cooks, maintenance personnel, security guards, transport staff, etc. Everyone deserves proper recognition for their work and effort.
3. Avoid destructive criticism and teasing
Criticism, if it’s constructive, can be valuable in order to achieve growth, either from a person or from the school. In this sense, everyone who’s part of an educational institution should have a voice.
However, sometimes negative and destructive criticism appears, such as teasing and value judgments without much support. Instead of building others up, they seek to do harm and don’t contribute anything useful.
The best thing is to do is educate the children so that they know that these kinds of comments aren’t good for the correct behavior of the school environment. Above all, they can be very damaging among students, as not all have the same abilities to accept criticism. And in severe cases, they could trigger episodes of bullying, abuse, and suffering.
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4. Promote integration and assertive communication
Communicating correctly with children is key throughout all stages of their development.
As adults and teachers, we must make an empathic effort to keep up with minors and understand how their immature brain works, depending on the moment and stage that they’re in.
If we communicate well with little ones, we’ll promote maximum integration that will help them better understand the rules and norms of coexistence within the school.
Promoting respect from childhood is a fundamental task
To all these keys we can add many more, such as respecting the rules of any game, valuing effort and collective work, and exercising tolerance.
By promoting respect for classmates from school, we instill very important values in our children, which will be essential for their social performance throughout life.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Albert, L., (2019). Educando en el respeto: Hacia una pedagogía viva y activa. Almería: Círculo Rojo.