Why Schools Should Strive to Build a Culture of Respect

Respect is important for building a healthy and effective classroom environment, but its significance goes beyond interactions between students and teachers. For many teachers, respect—or the lack of respect—directly influences their wellbeing and job satisfaction. Recent research highlights that respect can affect teachers’ professional lives and can impact everything from their daily experiences to their long-term career decisions.

A  2022 study by Monash University showed a lack of respect and appreciation is a major reason teachers identify as a reason for leaving the profession, even though they may feel a sense of belonging in the school and enjoy teaching itself. This lack of respect has been described in several ways, including poor recognition for work, disrespect from students and parents, and negative media coverage of the profession, particularly by politicians.

Issues such as heavy workloads, exhaustion, and burnout also contribute to a decrease in job satisfaction and increase in teacher turnover. Many teachers have reported that while they feel generally respected by their students, they do not feel appreciated by parents or politicians. This gap can contribute to feelings of underappreciation and stress.

To address these issues and improve teacher wellbeing, schools can adopt several practical strategies:

Focus on Building a Culture of Mutual Respect: Encourage open communication and a culture of mutual respect. This may involve modelling and communicating clear expectations for respectful behaviour from students, parents, and staff or finding ways to gather feedback from staff such as asking for their input to build on school projects.

Find Ways to Recognise and Value Teachers’ Knowledge: Acknowledge the professional training and expertise of your teachers. Regular recognition of their hard work and achievements can build on their sense of value and satisfaction. This may involve celebrating innovative ideas and practices in staff meetings or sending out an email to highlight the strengths of your teachers.

Create Supportive Work Environments: According to a study on Self-Efficacy, Job Satisfaction and Teacher Wellbeing, positive working conditions significantly influence job satisfaction and teacher wellbeing. To support this, schools can create environments where teachers feel supported and valued, and where their professional growth is encouraged. Get to know the different challenges your teachers are facing and make a collaborative effort to overcome those challenges.

Promoting mutual respect and supportive work environments, can help to increase job-satisfaction and decrease teacher burnout, leading to a more fulfilling and sustainable career for teachers.

Free Classroom Resources