I will never forget that pivotal afternoon in the third grade. I had always thought of myself as a good student, but, suddenly and without warning, I was labeled a rebel. All it took was a few words to my friend during “sustained silent reading” time, and I fell off the deep end. My “stop light” card had been turned to yellow, and there was no turning back. As a little girl craving approval, I was devastated I had potentially lost the respect of one of the people I respected the most: my teacher. Unfortunately, many students don’t have the same level of respect for those who work the hardest to educate them.
Though bratty students have existed since the beginning of the institution of school itself, the recent decline of respect among students for teachers is dramatic. Students are increasingly disrespectful to teachers and more likely to disobey their instruction. This summer I had the opportunity to experience this first hand. As an intern of children’s ministry at a large church in my hometown, I was in charge of developing lesson plans and teaching several classes of large groups of children, usually those of elementary age, from various daycares. At first,  I expected some trouble because of my age and appearance. I did not necessarily look old enough to be a teacher, so I was fully prepared for the children to take my authority less seriously; however, some of my fellow instructors were much older than me, elderly even, and most of the children still showed a significant lack of respect for anything we had to say or ask them to do. Only a handful replied to questions in respectful tones and followed instruction the first time.
Students aren’t the only ones to blame, though. Working as an assistant in the administrative office my senior year of high school allowed me to be in contact with a lot of angry parents. Most came complaining a teacher had treated their children wrong, and the teacher had to be mistaken if they believed their children were misbehaving. In some cases, even after a parent/teacher conference, parents continued to complain and demand their children be assigned a new instructor because they were being treated unfairly.
On top of the decline in respect from students and teachers, there seems to be a lack of respect for teachers in the professional world. Especially in Mississippi, with a starting salary of just $28,200 dollars, few educated scholars are persuaded to teach America’s youth.
Most college students pursue different, higher paying options, such as engineering or medical-related occupations while viewing education as a cop out. However, being a student who recently changed from a chemical engineering major to elementary education, I find the pursuit of teaching a noble one and worthy of respect. Though the courses may not be as strenuous as that of chemical engineers, I know I’ll be doing something I love and will be instilling values and educating future generations.
It is disheartening to know our nation’s best and brightest look down on the profession of teaching because without teachers, they would not have the opportunity to further their education and get the prestigious careers they desire to provide for their families. In fact, if they were really concerned about their future and their families, wouldn’t they want their most intelligent peers teaching their own children?
Someone has to take on the duties of teaching America’s youth. Though it may not be the most prestigious or glorious occupation, I find it honorable, and teachers deserve the utmost respect.
Rebecca Kellum is a freshman majoring in elementary education. She can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.