R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Melissa Pantoja, Staff Reporter
October 4, 2011
Filed under Opinion

We all have those teachers that explain the current assignment with a sort of excitement in their voice, trying to make the lecture more entertaining for their students. However, we may not all have that one kid in our class who is the one with the major attitude.

Being in my junior year at Jurupa Valley High School, I’ve seen so much disrespect from students towards the teachers. I mean, really? These ADULTS are here to teach you guys and help you start the rest of your lives by supplying you with valuable information.

Mr. Josh Erickson, who teaches AP English 11 said, “I feel that it’s kind of disconcerting when students disrespect teachers because we enter this profession to help kids.”

Of course, I know that not everyone is disrespectful. In my opinion, the ones that are rude are just plain immature. It is pointless to raise your voice or make snarky remarks towards teachers or any other staff member.

Sure, the kid is going to think they are right and that the teachers don’t understand, but in reality, it’s these rude teenagers that don’t understand.

Mr. Pat Monaco has been teaching chemistry and physics for 37 years and he said he has never had a student be disrespectful to him one-on-one. He also said that sometimes students are rude in group settings. Other than that, Monaco said, “Sometimes I think [disrespectful students] are just not organized in their thoughts.”

Junior, Shana Diaz, said she thinks that the students that disrespect teachers are students who were “never taught to properly respect those holding authority over them.”

I know that some students have bad home environments or family situations, and that may cause them to act out violently in verbal or physical matters, but regardless of where you come from or what is going on in your life, you still need to have some level of respect.

Diaz thought that being disrespectful is a “rude habit that does nothing but lower the respect that others have for you.”

Respect comes in a balanced input/output relationship. So you basically have your own “bank of respect.” If you offer a minimum level of respect, then that is what you will receive in return. But when you give out more respect, you earn more respect!