How to be a Respected Leader: Kingston’s Journal #13

There ain’t no hand outs in the world, it must be earned.

I’ve noticed a significant change in the attitude of my students as the school year has gone by. The shaky kneed me from May when I stood in front of my first class seems ages ago.

Many mistakes were made, from the pace of my class being too fast to me unable to control my classes. Not that I have perfected this skill now. I still struggle with my weaker students in my baby class. And on a side note, I’ve learned that I don’t have the personality to work with kids younger then 12-23.

With my teenage students, I’ve noticed that they tend to respect me a lot more now then in the beginning of the year. Not just the M3 class that I’ve been griping so much about last term, but the M2 class as well. Perhaps its the effort I put in combined with a proportional amount of the carrot and stick. The average student tends to be much more attentive in class.

Most recently, my students helped me in putting together my poster for a winter fair event my school is hosting. It was heart warming to see the seriousness in which they wanted to assist me. I suppose with teens and older, respect is not given by a title (say a teacher), it must be earned.