All I Need Is a Little Respect by Erin

All I Need Is a Little Respect by Erin - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

After spending years in school, many students lose their enthusiasm for learning. I was not immune to the educational lull. As I went through high school, I found myself resenting having to spend time in school. Often, I felt that the classes I was required to take were pointless. All I wanted to do was go home and read a book in peace. Even before I had completed my freshman year of high school, I had a determinedly pessimistic look on education. However, there was one science teacher who made education interesting again. This teacher maintained a relaxed classroom, did not have a lot of rules, and did not cater to students who did not pay attention in class.

One of the reasons my opinion of education improved in this teacher’s classes was that she had a relaxed attitude. Students were free to ask questions or voice opinions. Instead of lectures, most of our lessons were like conversations. Discussions made topics more interesting and got students who did not pay attention involved. Lessons were more interesting and lively, and thus easier to remember. Her relaxed attitude made her more approachable and encouraging to be around than many teachers. She respected her students enough to converse with them, and thus had few rules in her classes.

Rules in this science teacher’s classroom tended to be relaxed and easy to follow. Students could have phones, computers, and music players as long as they were not being disruptive. For me, this helped me greatly in the class. I concentrate much better while listening to music. Classes where I was not allowed to play music were always frustrating for me, but she was always understanding about this. The only rule was respect. She considered students old enough to behave themselves, and let us go to the bathroom when we needed to. No longer did I have to worry about forgetting which bathroom rule applied to the classroom. By respecting students enough to let them act freely, this teacher made the classroom about learning instead of rules. Students were free to do what was needed to help themselves concentrate so long as they did not interrupt others. This teacher allowed students to choose how they spent class time, and that meant they had to deal with the grades they got in the class, too.

This science teacher made sure that students knew passing or failing was their own decision. She had no intentions of going out of her way to help students who did not pay attention and ask for help. If a student was struggling and asked for help, she would give it. However, if students were doing poorly and not trying to fix it, she let them figure it out themselves. She would not slow the pace of the class to accommodate those who were deliberately ignoring her. In many other classes teachers would use class time to help students catch up when they failed to complete assignments on time. This had always been frustrating since I often did my work on time. Completing my work on time and then wasting class time waiting for others to finish was a great detriment to my education. By holding students accountable for their own grades, this teacher kept the class moving and a faster pace. This allowed students who were paying attention to stay engaged and interested.

My attitude towards education has been improved by a teacher who respected her students as people. Education is not something that any student inherently dislikes. Children begin their lives asking questions and learning about the world around them. When entering structured education, it is easy for students to become bored or frustrated. This can lead students to become frustrated. All it takes is a good teacher with respect for their students to alter a student’s perspective for the better.