Authenticity

First of all, to be 'Authentic' is to be genuine, to be yourself. It is not doing what it takes to fit into a crowd that is different from your beliefs, attitudes, characteristics or morals.

Some people may ask, "How do you know where to draw the line for limits of being authentic?" I say that there is no line. It depends on who you are engaging with, their reactions towards you and your level of comfort with the situation. More and more teachers are becoming less authentic in today's schools. They try to connect with their students on more of a friendship level, instead of a level of authority and one of knowledge. Students can tell when teachers are not authentic by how they talk and joke. Students already have their friends, or are at least not looking to be friends with someone many years older than themselves. Do not get me wrong that students do still look for guidance from a teacher or professor, but that is because they look up to them and see them at a different level. Also, if a teacher is not interested in their topic, then they are not an authentic teacher. They need to appreciate their own knowledge and have fun with it in order to pass it on to their students.

Students respect an authentic teacher much more than one that is not authentic. "Fake" teachers are ones that students will try to take advantage of. Whether it is just asking to go out in the hall, to the bathroom, or even cheating on a test, they will push the limits of the teacher to see how much they can get away with. A teacher needs to assert themselves as the power in the class and gain the trust of the students in order to be authentic. The previous two blogs on respect and compassion go into being an authentic teacher. Without these qualities, or without the true feelings towards students, the kids will label the teacher as "fake" and push the limits of them.

Being authentic and just being yourself is what the kids expect. They do not expect you to be like them, but they want you to be there for them if they need you. This trust is gained by being no one other than yourself.

Compassion

To be compassionate means to be sympathetic to ones needs and have a desire to understand and improve the conditions of one's life. So what does it look like to be compassionate in a classroom and is it necessary?

I believe that is critical for students to receive compassion from their educators, at least to a certain limit. Too much compassion will take away from the students learning because they will be able to slack off. Too little compassion and it the classroom will become a military boot camp and the students will not enjoy the learning experience. For a teacher to show compassion, they must be aware of how their teaching is affecting their individual students, not just the class as a whole. However, the teacher still needs to be able to challenge the students to the full level of their abilities.

The first teacher that comes to mind when I think of compassion is Lombo. He was a high school teacher of mine. I had missed a few days of class due to illness and he took time out of his busy schedule to bring me up to speed. He was very aware of how fast I was learning the material and sympathetic and understanding about the parts I had questions on. He would give me difficult problems to try and guide me through them without giving me the answer. This pushed me to think more and grasp the concept even better. In a few days I had made up more the same amount of material that the class had done the past week.

It was great to have a teacher treat me the way he did. I learned the material faster than I would have in class normally because of the devotion and compassion he showed me when he worked on a one-to-one basis.

If more teachers were aware of where each student was in their class, then they would be able to help that student more or less, whether to push them more or not. This would drastically improve the knowledge of each student and quite possibly their motivation to learn. When someone cares about what someone is doing, inside or outside of school, their strive and motivation to continue that work and do a good job excels. Lombo gave me this opportunity and I am very thankful for him doing so.

Respect

Respect can be defined as “a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities or achievements.” It is important for teachers to demonstrate respect towards their students and compliment and encourage them on a job well done. 

Teachers can build respect with their students by following through with the schedule they have prepared, helping students out as a class and individually, connecting with students at a personal level, and so on. Teachers can also gain the respect of students by listening to their different view and not criticizing them in a negative manner. There is also a way to criticize (maybe ‘object’ is a better word) a students work or thought, but to do it in an academic matter. A well supported case makes way for a healthy debate, which I find very beneficial to students. 

During my senior year in high school we would have Socratic Seminars and/or debates about current issues in the United States. Some examples include illegal immigration, health care, abortion, death penalty, War on Terrorism, etc. I clearly put out my view on an issue and some other students agreed with me and provided more factual evidence. However, the teacher then voiced his opinion because the students had not taken a counter argument. While he tried to prove his point, he was still very respectful of my views. He never said I was wrong, but rather had me listen to his facts so I would see the other side of the argument as well. This kind of teaching is one that demonstrates respect to students. 

It is difficult for me to think of any time a teacher disrespected me. The only thought that comes to mind is when I was in marching band my junior year. The director called me out and yelled at me for not paying attention to him out on the field. I repeated everything he had said the minute before, but he made me go run two laps on the track for mouthing off to him. I never thought I crossed the line with my argument, but for him to make me run laps... really? He had called me out for something I did not do and disrespected me in front of 160 other classmates.  

More respect in the classroom can have many beneficial qualities. I notice that students are more likely to work in a constructive manner and ask questions that are yearn for deeper understanding. They will recognize the knowledge of the teacher and his or her dedication to their profession. Disrespect in the classroom can lead to a lack of productivity, arguments, and other negative qualities. 

Respect should be one of the first things established in a classroom. Respect from teacher to student, student to teacher, and student to student are all essential to a quality learning experience. People need to admire the effort that others have put into work and profession but still take as much from them and learn from it.