“Respect” an essential human value

Ten Tips for Character Building in School

Character building through value of “Respect”

Educator designs a person’s personality. Our character is a reflection of our thinking process. Educator nurtures our character. He shows us right approach to lead a successful life and to develop oneself as an integrated human being. Indian mythological story insists that our learning starts at our mother womb. Our learning starts from day 1st of our life journey. Gradually, it starts taking proper shape. Our learning grows from abstract point i.e. when a child starts responding on mother’s call; to when we share our own life perspectives with our parent. Our family is our 1st school where the foundation of learning is established. Generally, 2nd phase of learning begins formally at school campus. We get ample of opportunities, where we learn life skills. Our nature and traits are begun to grow as a unique individual. We are unique individual. We have instinct of learning. Human values “respect” promote the principle of “live and let live”. We are rational thinkers who believe in sense of equality, mutual respect and a sense of deep understanding of one and all living with us in our vicinity.

Handling 21st Century Kids a Challenging Task

We are wise educator. We handle 21st century Android apps enabled generation. Kids love to spend more time on Electronic gadgets. They are least motivated to talk with their peers, parent and elder members of family at the same time parents also spends much time on Electronic Gadgets. Intentionally or unintentionally parents are busy with Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social platform. This creates a void between parent and kids. They are sharing same room, same food and same bed but using different electronic gadgets at the same time. Family members are present under a roof but minds are busy consciously or unconsciously in virtual world.

Non-ending but Interesting Story of Elder Family Members:- A drastic paradigm shift

Gone are the days when we used to hear different stories from our parents and elder members. Those stories usually used to consist of values and life skills, moreover included with real life experience. It was not merely act of telling various stories. It used to involve emotion and passion. Nowadays we see 3D enabled movie, moral stories, and rhymes but some where I find emotion and passion are missing which had and of course which have an essential roles in our life in shaping us integrated personalities. We observe that kids are more vocal but lack in life values. We need to awake on right time. We need to instill values. It is possible when parent, elder members of society, teacher and school work closely to develop life values among student. It does not build up in a day, week or month. We need to nurture our kids.

We are unique individuals. We have instinct of learning. Positive effort to inculcate life skills and essential values are the ways to nurture human values.

Show Respect-Receive Respect:- “Respect” is one of the most essential human values in our life.

“Respect” is one of the most essential human values in our life. When we nurture our kids to respect self and respect others, we prepare them to sensitize the greatest virtue. It integrates other life values. The day child feels the importance of mother, father, siblings, elder members in and other society members in his life, that day child starts giving proper respect. Our task is to awake them, make them sensible towards other’s  dignity. When a child starts following parents instruction, using good manners with others, using polite and appropriate language in the circle, and if s/he receives same values from others then only s/he imbibes it.  When a child shows respect to his teacher and receives the same from the teacher, s/he imbibes it. We need to create a culture to respect one another in the family; if s/he feels it, surely s/he learns it. Educator shares and discusses with value of “respect” in our life. A wise educator enables his learners to be rational thinker.

 Family first school of life

When we feel the importance someone and something in our life, we start respecting someone and something. If a child feels that my mother is my life. She loves me and always stands for my welfare. The child starts taking each and every thing seriously which comes from his mother. If a child feels importance of a pet animal at home, s/he starts respecting that pet animal. To respect something and someone is to associate with that person or thing. When we know the worth of other things or other person, it motives us to respect so that someone and something will not be disturbed by our curse of actions. Rohit is a brilliant child and belongs to an affluent business family. He studies in 2nd class. His mother always motivates him to talk politely with workers at home. He wishes “good morning” to his school driver on daily basis. His mother respects his grandfather and grandmother. She speaks politely with each other. Rohit developed this great virtue to respect other from his parents because his parent not only talks much about respecting one another but he observes and feels it at home.

Although Rohit belongs to a rich business family but his parent always discusses the benefits of respecting one another in family and society but they make Rohit a sensible child. One day Rohit visited to his friend Ramiz house. He was playing video game on his father’s smart phone. His father has to make a call to his friend. He asked Ramiz to return the phone but Ramiz wanted to achieve highest point in the game. He did not obey his father and became rigid to give mobile only after completing the game. When Ramiz father tried to take the mobile from him, he ran away from home with phone. Rohit did not feel good to see this event and shared with his mother.

Parent the first and foremost teacher

Parent plays crucial role in instilling values in his child. He creates a learning environment at home. 21st century kids are very smart. They learn well when they observe it and feel it in his surroundings. They not only weigh our words but also consider our action. If parent’s words match with action, they follow it unquestionably. If they find a gap between parent’s word and parent’s action, they seldom consider it.

Teachers make difference- Game changer

School is second crucial place for learning. A child spends so much time in the school. It is observed on various occasions that child loves his class teacher and teacher so much. They are ideals in children’s life. Children keenly observe teachers’ statements and their behaviors at school. It is observed that student of Kindergarten to Upper Primary Level (03-12 years) seriously follow their class teacher and the teacher. This is right age circle to inculcate right attitude towards learning value of “respecting” one another. It is a manner which helps us to be recognized as an individual in our society.  Learning begins in the school assembly. Good school assembly inculcates good manner among students through role play, essay, speech, and enacting short act. Students learn well because it consists of students’ activities and ensure direct participation of students, by the students and for the students.

Dynamic class teacher brings magical change

Class teacher plays pivotal role in school in developing good values. Class teacher shares rules, regulation, anecdotes, real story, own life experience with students with a motive to develop good human values it among students. Class teacher shares various illustration and example on various occasions. Generally students hear their teacher emphatically and try to incorporate in their regular behaviour. If a class teacher inculcate habit of respecting each other in the classroom, respecting other stationary items, respecting classroom items(computer, projector, chalk, duster) , respecting dignity of other students, the students learn it very well. Good class teacher reminds his/her students on regular basis for their good or bad behaviour. S/he sets a good example in the class if some student has done something extraordinary work, teacher motivates him and reprimand as well as discourages for bad acts of student; sometimes individually, other times in a group. Class teacher sets a benchmark of expected behaviour during the school hours. S/he involves students to frame some of basic rules, encourages to execute in real life cases and also timely evaluate assess acts of students time to time. A good teacher handles these smart kids very smartly. S/he ensures that students show good manner with peers, teacher, moreover their behaviour with supportive staffs of school (Peon, Helper, driver, office clerk, demonstrator). Ms. Puspa is a keen observer. She is class teacher of 7th class. She generally talks with parent and asks parent to share student’s behaviour at home. She integrates her own observation with parent’s given feedback and plans accordingly to inculcate human values in students. She hears her students emphatically and guides them to do best.

Ms Puspa quoted once, “I use elicitation technique to inculcate values in our students. I select a contextual story and share it with student. I ask student to find out different values. I usually ask my student, “how s/he will implement in his/her life, what can be hurdles, what can be benefits” etc to make him/her sensible.” Ms. Puspa shared her observation that since this activity ensures students’ involvement, students participate properly, reply rationally and follow it in day to day life. A good teacher is very specific and precise in what s/he expects from students. S/he implements values very firmly but keeps an open eye approach for further evaluation. Teacher facilitates learning and inculcates values among students. Teacher can make a big difference. We should firmly establish a sense of self respect to inculcate good manner to show respect for others.

How do we evaluate the inculcation of human value “Respect?”

When an individual:-

Shows respect in family circle {senior, junior and other family members}

  • Kind behaviour
  • Listen carefully
  • Polite way of talking
  • Show modest behaviour with peer and friends
  • Offer help in time of need
  • Offer water and food

”If you have some respect for people as they are, you can be more effective in helping them to become better than they are.” –John W. Gardner

Shows respect to belongings

  • Use different gadgets properly
  • Avoid destroying homely items
  • Consume/use different items rationally
  • Keep them in right place after use

Shows respect to his/her teacher, peers, friend, and school property———)

  • Reaching bus stop on time (Time Respect)
  • Saying courteous words with driver, teachers, and peers
  • Avoid commenting and criticizing on other weakness (physical, psychological, academically)
  • Polite way of talking with peers, friends and teachers
  • Offer helping hand to peers and friends
  • Help juniors
  • Listen teacher carefully
  • Reply teacher properly
  • Caring for school property
  • Caring for school garden (plant, flower)

Final words: Reflection on Bill Bradley and Ralph Waldo Emerson

Child keenly observes us. It is worth enough to discuss Bill Bradley (American former professional basketball player and politician) statement that ““Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it. No destructive lies. No ridiculous fears. No debilitating anger.” If educators establish this culture at school premises, no doubt at all we will inculcate the value of ‘live and let live’ in learners’ community. We are educators. We make a big difference. Ralph Waldo Emerson once quoted, “”To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children, to earn the approbation of honest critics; to appreciate beauty; to give of one’s self, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived–that is to have succeeded.”

Rajeev Ranjan

Indian Educationist

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