For several teachers, respect is a huge thing. They value respect in the classroom and expect the same from their students. Yet for several of them, such as Mrs. Brittany Williams, a math teacher that has been teaching in Room 214 for five years, respect has been a big issue. 

Several students are constantly on their phones in the classroom, even when she is teaching a lesson. Cell phones have become a huge distraction, which has forced many teachers to resort to other strategies to minimize the number of distractions in the classroom.

Several students might think that teachers are mean or cruel, just because they are handed homework. Yet homework is just a normal part of school and is acknowledged to be a part of a student’s learning and comprehension when they walk through the front doors. Mrs. Williams has tried to make things more enjoyable for students by changing classroom management ideas in order to open them up to a better learning experience, for example, cell phone pockets.

“…I now have an expectation that students come into class and everyone has a number, which is where they have to put their phone in the ‘phone zone,’” Mrs.Williams said, mentioning that she also used this system to take attendance. 

Mrs. Williams uses this system to better retain the students’ attention, instead of just letting them stare at their phone screens the whole class period. 

PE teacher Mike Bunton, who teaches advanced weight training and Driver’s ED, shares his great respect for others and how he expects it back in the classroom. 

“I like to be respectful, and I’m very open with that, telling kids you know, if you ever want to be treated with respect, you have to give respect back,” Mr. Bunton said. 

According to Mrs. Williams, almost every teacher could share a story about a time in their teaching career when they had a disrespectful class or student, which makes the issue all the more concerning. Yet when asked about what could be a possible cause for the problem, her response matched that of Pre-AP English teacher Teresa Odle.

“I would say the only one thing I can determine is that it just depends on the student’s home environment,” Mrs. Odle said, which was similar to Mrs. Williams’ response when she too noted that students are used to getting what they want at home, and expect the same when they go to school.

Both of them went on to conclude that the most likely reason for disrespect in the classroom is the student’s environment outside the classroom, and how they become used to the way they act as well as others. When asked about how the level of respect in her classroom is, Mrs. Williams concluded her thoughts on the issue. 

“I just think that respect is something that is earned. It’s something that we kind of respect, but it should be earned,” Mrs. Williams said.