Respect is foundational for schools.
It’s something I’ve heard my colleagues and senior leaders around me talk about freqently.
Although…as I think about it…I’ve heard more colleagues mentioning how rude an individual pupil was in their lesson. Or how rude a member of senior management was when they asked for something.
Is it respectful to complain about pupils or colleagues without an intention to do anything to resolve it?
I don’t think it is.
I see it as a lack of respect – which is corrosive, destructive, and undermining of collaboration.
Giving respect costs nothing.
Many different teams run a school.
This week the maintenance team in our school came to the office I share to put up a set of shelves.
As they left their tools next to my desk, one of them asked when I would be out of the office. I mentioned I’d be out the rest of the afternoon, and offered to clear the desks to make it easier for them to put up the shelves. So before I left, I moved all the paper and books onto my desk, and cleared the space by moving two tables across.
After teaching the rest of the day, on my return I was greeted with a new set of shelves. I was so excited I took a video of them and sent it to my colleague (Yes these are the things in which teachers can find joy.)
When I saw one of the site team I thanked him for the shelves. He said I made a real difference moving things out of the way – and that I didn’t need to do it.
Over the years in my school, I’ve had conversations with colleagues in the site team who say that teachers: ‘look down on us’, ‘think they’re better than us’, don’t appreciate what we do during the holidays’.
I’ve had similar conversations with catering, and administration staff too.
Perhaps my sister (a Paediatric Occupational Therapist of over ten years) is right when she says:
“Secondary school teachers are walking egos”
We cannot expect our pupils to be respectful if we are unwilling to model it.
I’ve seen staff:
- correct a pupil’s uniform when their top buttons are undone,
- ask a pupil to clear their plate away in the canteen when our staff room is a mess, and
- walk by pieces of litter very near bins.
But it’s not only about this basic level. It’s also about how we interact with the other adults that allow our school to run. It’s easy to say that ‘it starts from the top’ but that doesn’t mean my individual action has no impact.
Pupils observe how I interact with the site team, catering staff, and those amazing colleagues on reception. And they will behave accordingly.
Here are three actions to create respect in your school.
None are about addressing pupils directly. Instead they create the environment in which pupils behaviour emerges. It’s context rather than content.
Which means fewer immediate returns, but more long-term satisfaction.
And as I’ve written previously in other posts here and here – “Take what’s useful, leave the rest, and see if any provoke your own ideas.”
1_Thank a member of catering/ site/ administration teams.
Make it specific and authentic. Not strategic or transactional.
2_Do the washing up in the staff room sink
Or fill/ empty the dishwasher.
3_Give a colleague a compliment
We know how powerful praise is for pupils…we’re no different. Make it genuine and clear.
So…Which one of these simple ideas are you taking on?
Photo by Vlad Hilitanu on Unsplash
James D'Souza 