Respect or Disrespect... Why?
A student raises their hand but sighs loudly while waiting.
Disrespect. Raising a hand is respectful, but sighing shows impatience and can be disrespectful.
You are excited and know the answer but weren’t called on.
Keep your hand raised and wait to be called on.
Blurting out answers
Raise your hand, wait patiently and listen to others.
What happens to learning when students talk during lessons?
Learning is interrupted, and students miss important information.
“You’re being respectful if you’re quiet.”
Agreed.
A student listens quietly but doesn’t follow the directions after.
Disrespectful. Respect includes both listening and following directions.
Your group is off-task and joking around.
Politely remind them to focus or redirect the group.
Talking during instructions
Stop talking and listen. Show active listening (eyes on speaker, body still).
How does disrespect affect the teacher?
It makes it harder to teach and can feel frustrating or discouraging.
“It’s okay to talk if you finish your work early.”
Disagree.
A student reminds their friend to stop talking—but uses an annoyed tone.
Disrespect. The action is helpful, but the tone is disrespectful.
You feel frustrated because the work is hard.
Take a breath, stay calm, and ask for help.
Ignoring directions
Start the task. Follow directions the first time and stay on task.
How can one student’s behavior impact the whole class?
It can distract others and slow down learning for everyone.
“Respect only matters when the teacher is watching.”
Disagree.
A student follows directions but complains the whole time.
Disrespect. They are complying, but attitude matters in showing respect.
A classmate is distracting you during instruction.
Ignore them or refocus on the teacher (and address it later if needed).
Arguing with the teacher
Use a calm voice and respectful say, “Can I ask a question about that?” when the time is appropriate.
Why is listening important even if you already understand?
You may miss new information, and it shows respect to the speaker.
“Helping a friend during instruction is respectful.”
Depends. It can be disrespectful if it interrupts teaching; better to ask for permission and wait for the right time.
A student disagrees with the teacher and talks back to them.
Disrespectful. Talking back to a teacher is a disrespectful.
You think the teacher made a mistake.
Wait for the right time and respectfully raise your concern.
Distracting others repeatedly
Focus on your own behavior. Help create a focused environment for others too.
Explain how respect helps BOTH students and teachers succeed.
It creates a positive, focused environment where teaching and learning can happen.
“Following directions shows respect more than words do.”
Agree. Actions often show respect more clearly than words alone.