Sometimes students seem unaware that their teacher is a human being with feelings, thoughts, and concerns that go beyond the curriculum. High school students are so wrapped up in their friends’ lives and social media that teachers don’t seem to exist unless they’re confronted by one. Teachers are to be ignored or tolerated at best. In the mindset of many teenagers, teachers are barely human and do not deserve their respect. So how can teachers gain more respect? Pick and choose a few of the following suggestions to show that you deserve the utmost respect. Drum roll please:

7. On the first day of school, stand by the door and shake hands with each student in the main room. Greet students by name and a handshake as they enter the room. Squeeze out a smile, too. How will you know the names of the students? Over the summer, look at the photos in your file folder and memorize their names and faces. They will be surprised that you took the time and energy to find out who they were even before they walked into the classroom. They may even consider you a good witch or wizard with special talents that will be revealed to you as the school year progresses.

6. Let your students know that you support them emotionally. Students and teachers are nervous on the first day of school and wonder what the year will be like. Will it be a good year or a bad year? Will they make new friends? Will they achieve goals? On that day of first impressions, I like to present to you a poem called “The First Day of School.” It is an opportunity to relax, laugh a little and get rid of the anxiety of the students.

5. Discuss the class rules, of course, but with an added twist. Create this rule of your own that is golden: Do not tease in the classroom.. It’s just not allowed, as in never. This also alerts you to follow up immediately when it happens. Walk quickly over to the student and whisper something in their ear like “Do you really want three days of detention?” or something else they really don’t want to do. Students need to know that their classroom is a safe haven.

Four. Encourage your students to laugh. Students love to laugh. Laughter has been described as an “instant vacation”. However, it is even more powerful than that. Laughter in the classroom creates instant rapport. Transform the classroom into a Learning Center as students love teachers who make them laugh. Sometimes I would say to my class, “Listen, don’t go to La-La Land. This new concept is very important. You’ll probably see it in your next quiz.” Then I would say something silly. The students who were listening would laugh, and the students who were out for lunch would wonder what was so funny.

3. Let your passions show in your lessons and hobbies. It’s a personal challenge to stay excited about what you teach if you’ve already been teaching for a long time. You must take in-service courses and constantly update the curriculum. In a world filled with YouTube, videos, cell phones, and instant self-gratification, students want to be entertained. You can say “That’s not my job. I’m a teacher.” However, the best teachers always have a trick or two up their sleeves to engage their students’ interests. They sprinkle excitement and surprises into their lessons with the wave of a wand or pointer. They prepare dynamic lessons and share their own personal interests from time to time.

2. You clarify what is important to learn and what is not. For years, brain researchers have known that we learn best when we associate new information with old information. If you’re studying a new language, it’s best to learn a word with its opposite, like the words “black” and “white.” If you can’t think of one, the other word might remind you of the correct word, you. In the classroom, I used the word “connection” to encourage my students to make connections. For example, you would say: “To remember the correct spelling and use of stationery and stationery, it is important to remember that we use stationery to write letters. Mention the teams and events you support.

1. Always remember: Teachers do not die. They just miss their class. In terms of cherished memories, teachers time and time again live in retirement. They no longer roam the classroom, but have saved numerous shiny end-of-the-school-year letters. They have saved memories of students enjoying the playful poetry and literary magic of Shel Silverstein or Harry Potter. They returned to their previous classroom at Open House Night to thank a teacher for being there to support them in their early education. Such teachers know without a doubt that they made a difference in the lives of their students… Click on the page to discover Joe’s best memory of teaching in his thirty-three year career.