As an educator, respect can be one of the most difficult things to teach. It is not a concrete idea or strategy.

It is abstract and can take many forms. While it may be difficult to teach, it is one of the most important skills to impart on our students, and is something we must also demonstrate toward our students. As a teacher, I respect my students by educating the whole child. I believe that the social and emotional growth of a child is just as important as their academic success. John Dewey (1897) states that the moral education centers upon this conception of the school as a mode of social life, that the best and deepest moral training is precisely that which one gets through having to enter into proper relations with others in a unity of work and thought(p. 80). This idea supports my belief that education should be a social and academic institution. Looking back at the history of education, Thomas Jefferson stressed the importance of teaching qualities such as morals, understanding of obligations to neighbors and country, knowledge of rights, faithfulness, and social relations (Jefferson, 1818), proving that at the very point of conception, education should be more than just academic knowledge. It should educate the whole child. A quote from Laurence Stern has always guided my thoughts about the importance of respect. It states, respect for ourselves guides our morals, and respect for others guides our manners. By helping my students respect themselves I hope they will gain a strong moral compass to help them navigate the world and respect for others so that they conduct themselves with etiquette when interacting within it. While respect may not seem to link immediately to education, someone who respects themselves, holds themselves to a high academic standard. This is what I try and convey to my students. A selfrespecting student should take pride in the work they do, put their best foot forward, and take responsibility for their learning. Our own self-respect provides the strong morals needed to keep ourselves focused, and to conduct ourselves with appropriate behavior in an educational setting. These skills will help provide the skills necessary for an academically successful life.

I believe it is important to build children up and to encourage them in all that they do and I eagerly practice this in my own teaching. This begins to give them the confidence to respect themselves. While this may mean unnecessary praise, it does not mean lowering standards. Holding children to a high standard gives them a chance to prove to themselves that they are capable of more than they may have thought. Instilling this confidence, and giving praise helps to establish that self -respect and pride for their own abilities. In my classroom, I use a respectful box, in which I write names of children who are being respectful. This may mean they are following directions, focusing on their assignment, or completing daily routines without reminders. These children are demonstrating respect for themselves, by taking their education seriously and by trying their best. Respect for others plays a huge role in education. It is imperative for students and teachers to get along and to learn to work together to help each other succeed. Students must respect the rules and requests of the teachers and teachers must treat each student with dignity and respect. Having a cooperative learning environment will allow students and teachers to work together toward a higher education. Much of respecting teachers and peers comes in the form of manners. Being polite, following directions, and reading social cues allows for amicable interactions within a classroom. To instill respect for others in my classroom, I first and foremost treat my students with respect. To do this, I try and take the time to get to know my students personally. I also require the class to uphold a set of rules about listening to others while they are speaking, keeping our hands and feet to ourselves, and following the golden rule. By requiring that these ideals are met and upheld it helps students to respect their peers and to create an environment in which the students feel safe and heard. Lastly, I encourage students to help their peers or teachers just out of the goodness of their heart, as I believe the highest form of respect is someone who goes out of their way for another.

Ultimately, it is my goal to have happy students. Students who enjoy coming to school, and learning in a respectful environment. According to Noddings (2003) great thinkers have associated happiness with such qualities as rich intellectual life, rewarding human relationships, love of home and place, sound character, good parenting, spirituality, and a job that one loves (p. 3). By learning to work in a respectful way with themselves and others, students will be happy and have gained all the tools they need to be successful in their future endeavors.

References Dewey, J. (1897). My pedagogic creed. School Journal, 54, 77-80. Jefferson, T. (1818). Report of the commissioners for the University of Virginia. Available: www.libertynet.org/edcivic/jefferva.html Noddings, N. (2003). Happiness and education. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press. Laurence Sterne. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved January 31, 2014, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/laurencest165818.html