Authenticity

Authenticity in the classroom is a hard subject to decide upon.  While a teacher should always try to be as honest as possible with students, sometimes it is necessary to hold back information if that information isn't something a student should learn yet, or if that information would be harmful to a student.  However, a teacher should also use caution when trying to be authentic when voicing his or her own opinion.  Opinions can give students positive feedback or give them a different view on a certain topic.  Blatantly stating one's own opinion about a sensitive topic may cause problems, especially with younger students who don't understand all of the complications of the world yet.  However, a teacher must sometimes voice their own opinions, or their bond with their students will be weakened.

Compassion

One of my favorite teachers, Mrs. McNew, was definitely the most compassionate teacher I've ever had.  She was my first grade teacher and she was always kind and caring.  I link my passion for reading to her abilities as a teacher to encourage learning while still having fun at the same time.  She taught me, more than any teachers before her, how important it is to be kind to everyone, and not to judge.  Many of my other teachers obviously encouraged good behavior and compassion, but rarely did they actually act as compassionate as they suggested we do.  Mrs. mcNew never raised her voice, and as surprising as this may seem, she never had any issues with kids acting out or causing trouble.  The truth is that all the students in her class respected her because of how kind she was.  Much like the respect versus fear topic, kids respond much better to a kind teacher than to one who uses bullying or superiority to teach.  I hope that one day I will be able to mimic some of Mrs. McNew's compassion in my teaching as well.

Respect

                           Respect is important in the classroom because it creates feelings of equality and a positive learning environment.  When both the teacher respects the students and vice versa, as well as students respecting each other, it is much less likely that there will be feelings of being singled-out.  It also ensures that students will feel more comfortable when their teacher treats them as equals.  

            Respect is always better than fear as a tactic for teachers, as fear forces the students to follow the rules, while respect encourages good behavior.  Fear can also incite negative feelings toward the teacher, while respect usually results in the students also respecting the teacher.  Some teachers believe that using fear can inspire respect.  Although it may result in a better-behaved classroom, teachers who use fear will never form relationships with their students.  Teachers that are respected the most by students are the ones sought out by students who have issues that need to be resolved.