One of the best ways to teach a class is to earn the respect of your students. In the past, teachers were generally treated with more respect than today. For example, in most schools when a teacher entered the classroom, the children would stand up as a mark of respect. The teacher was known as. Mr. or Mrs. So-and-So, and their first name was always a closely guarded secret of world proportions.
Today, the classroom atmosphere is very different. Instead of the more distant but respectful relationship described above, the trend is towards a more friendly, intimate classroom atmosphere. Teacher is no longer a rather severe figure, but someone cool, hip, and sometimes even trendy.
But where is respect in the equation? And has this new approach been successful? Looking at the growing rates of classroom violence, the need in some inner city schools for closed circuit TV to make sure that the kids haven't brought drugs and flick-knives to school along with their peanut butter sandwiches and pencil boxes, the answer is probably "no." The kids who go to the kind of schools where they still stand up for teacher and even occasionally still call him "sir" are most likely to come out with a better education and with less incidents of classroom violence.
While the distant, more respectful relationship with the teacher may not be as much fun as sitting with "Mr. Cool," creating a respectful atmosphere builds boundaries. Boundaries are necessary for discipline, and despite the more laissez faire attitude in today's world there's no getting past the fact that discipline is a very important part of both parenting and education.