A need for more respect

Oftentimes, I have heard fellow students throwing harsh and derogatory remarks at the back of the teachers who would not surrender to their immediate desires to make things “easier”. Forgetting that they are within the walls of education while failing to recognize that teachers are humans too, whose nature is subject to mistakes like we all are, teachers are targeted as the subject of criticism for the very individuals the teachers hope to educate. Having studied in the University for years now, I see that this sentiment seems to be faring well, especially in the general courses, where students perceive the course as less important than their major courses; this however, seems to affect the way the students perceive teachers who are handling the course, mistaking that these teachers are less of teachers, whatever that means.

But essentially, teachers are teachers standing at the forefront of education with the holistic mission to educate the students regardless of what subject they teach. Thus, they deserve our respect. Yet, it is unfortunate because this trend seems to be changing in society in general, getting more unpopular as teachers are being portrayed as the ones who are merely giving grades, and the student’s mere purpose of staying and bearing the lectures is to get a high grade. The focus has turned from learning to earning grades, from graduating as an educated and knowledgeable individual to graduating as a highly paid employee: in other words, having no genuine heart for learning. Such dispositions, as strengthened by the thinning of the line of respect between the teacher and the student, hangs by the giving-receiving grade relationship, where there is no room for mutual respect built on the sharing of knowledge and having rich discussions on relevant topics.

Some will argue that there are teachers in the University who are better off doing something else aside from teaching. I agree to that, but that should not be the justification for disrespectful acts or remarks to them because to say so would mean that only the qualified and competent teachers are worthy of respect, and the respect in turn is earned by qualifications. Again, the mechanical way of looking at things is evident in such thought.

However, this is not to say students must shut their mouth about the things the teacher speaks of, or affirm everything without proper questioning and judgment; teachers are fallible as students are, so their words are open to mistakes. Yet, the way we address them for their mistakes, for example, should come from our good intention and heart, as genuine students who care for the integrity of education. We students should always bear in mind that the teachers were once in our position too, and have gone through what we already have experienced. They are more experienced than we are, and to hold the idea that students are always wiser and smarter in making the right choices more than their teachers seems to be hubristic.

When many stakeholders of the University claim to pursue holistic learning, we students should realize that there is no room for education once we set a particular bias against the teacher, and the most effective way to learn is to accept that the teacher is trustworthy and deserves respect. Because no matter how brilliant a teacher may be, students can dismiss the teachings by mere vice of dislike. Once that respect starts to crumble, education system starts to show its crack, just like the strength of the army that will be shaken once the lower ranks lose the respect and stop listening to the higher ranks anymore.

Didactic, rigid and even boring this may sound, because I do not often hear that students should respect the teachers. But we must remember that we are Lasallians for God and for country, and before we identify ourselves as Lasallians with special mission to teach minds, to inspire hearts, and to transform the lives of others, we should not forget that we are humans capable of suppressing the desire to speak ill of those who teach us.

In a society that convinces us to be good only to those who are good to us, and bad to those deserving ones, anaesthetizing our bothered conscience from discerning right from wrong, we should – as critical thinkers – examine our behaviors and attitudes towards those who spend their lives to teach us.

In the end, one can freely dismiss whatever is stated here by the argument of suggesting that students instead become pets of the teachers, instead of free, independent, and capable students, even if such pets of teachers have no room in the 21st century. But, we should not forget that we become more capable as we are fed by the teachings of the teachers, going through the rigorous work tasked by teachers, and to think otherwise that we are absolutely free and independent beings to the extent that we can ignore the value of the teachers is to ultimately be just ungrateful.