Thursday, September 10, 2009

Disposition 1

How do you define respect?
The treatment of others that is based in the understanding that each person is a whole person with their own thoughts, emotions, background, etc that result in their actions.

How does it look in the classroom?
It appears in kind interaction. There are no quick, reactive responses to statements. Students and teachers are responsible for paying attention to their initial reactions in order to learn about themselves. My kind of respect requires calmness and common compassion for each person, and is seen in student-teacher relations as two equals with open minds coming together to learn and grow, not as one talking down to the other.

What is the impact of respect or lack of respect in classrooms?
When there is a lack of respect, feelings are hurt and students do not feel free to create and share openly, limiting their growth. When there is respect in a classroom, each person feels as though they are unique and valued, inspiring them to achieve their own best; to pursue their own interests while supporting others in their endeavors. Respect comes from love, which creates communities (not without issues, of course.)

How is respect best established in a classroom environment?
Each person learns best in a different way. To get the point across to everyone, base rules need to be established, with discussion. The students need to identify what is hurtful to them. When they come up with the rules they are imagining situations and putting themselves in others positions, and they'll be more likely to follow. Some students may require time to think to themselves. They need to understand why the rules are there, beyond "to keep a good classroom".

-Emmalee Johnson

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