Acknowledge It: How To Teach Respect In the Classroom Part 3

In this three-part podcast, Lauren Conner and I, break down how to teach respect in the classroom. Over the three parts, we will define respect, talk about how to model respect, and what it means to acknowledge respect. This episode goes in-depth about how to acknowledge respect.

As we mentioned in Part 1, respect is honoring people, rules, and things. It also means treating someone or something with kindness, admiration, and reverence. 

In a classroom setting, students have all kinds of ways they can show respect. Some of the ways to show respect are following the rules and doing their work, and using polite language with the teacher and each other. This means there are ample opportunities for educators to acknowledge respect.

What Does It Mean To Acknowledge Respect?

[1:30] Acknowledging respect goes along with modeling it. When you see your students being respectful, don’t hesitate to point it out. This fulfills one of their basic needs: to be seen. 

Everyone likes to have their hard work and good effort be acknowledged. It makes us feel good. When we feel good about our work and our effort, we want to do more of it. This works with students as well. You will see more of what you acknowledge.

“What’s acknowledged is repeated.”

Different Kinds of Acknowledgement

[2:30] You can acknowledge people in different ways. Verbal acknowledgement is pretty easy and can be done right on the spot. A sincere “thank you” goes a long way to helping someone feel recognized. 

In a classroom setting, you can give acknowledgement with rewards. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Free time in class is a reward. Some teachers like to have a prize box that students can pick through.   

Acknowledgements can be spontaneous, where students are not expecting them. Or they can be a positive motivational tool. You can use rewards in your classroom that students know they will receive when they meet certain expectations. 

The important thing is to know your students. Some students will not appreciate being acknowledged publicly; it’s embarrassing to them. Whereas, other students thrive on being acknowledged in front of others. Either way, you can acknowledge your students in a way that helps them feel seen and drives them to continue to be respectful. 

Words Matter

[4:00] In our instant gratification world, some educators may feel pressure to constantly be rewarding their students with candy or trinkets. That is not what we are advocating. 

Words matter and are longer lasting. When students look back at their time in school, they will not remember the piece of candy you gave them, but they will remember that time you took them aside and told them how much you appreciated them. 

There are never too many polite words. You can thank your students for turning in their work, for studying really hard for a test, paying attention in class, or handling their chromebook nicely. When you get started with teaching respect in the class, you may have to acknowledge what seems like the tiniest effort. The goal is that those tiny acknowledgements will translate into better respect over time. 

A sticky note is another way to acknowledge respect with words and can have a significant impact on some students. Lauren came up with this positive behavior intervention when she was dealing with a particulary difficult student. Be genuine and your students will aspire to be more respectful because they experience personal benefit from it.

Words also matter when students use them. Sometimes when students act out, they will come back with an apology. Acknowledge their apology, thank them, and move on. Don’t rehash the event or lecture them about how to do better next time. That might feel good in the moment, but it doesn’t help.

When You See Growth

[8:45] As we said before, it can feel like we are grasping for the tiniest positive nugget to acknowledge. For one student, it might be quite the achievement to get one piece of homework turned in on time. For another student, completing a five-page essay would be an accomplishment. You want to acknowledge growth no matter how small. 

Students really thrive on positive reinforcement. In the world, they look for it in their social media feeds and with their friends. It’s a natural human tendency. As educators, we can offer them another way of receiving acknowledgement. 

This concludes our three-part podcast on teaching respect in the classroom. We hope it has been helpful to you. We would love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out with your stories. 

Check out this podcast episode where Stephanie Feagin shares how her classroom has “Affirmation Day.”

Get access to the free video series “3 Tips To Teach Respect In Your Classroom”