Respect...

I introduced a new system one day at school... I called it the 'Tick'... it was a big hit...

"Okay class..." I said to the crowd...

"Okay class. We have a new system, if you are talking when I am talking, if you are misbehaving when you should not be...

I will ASK you to stop.

if you continue talking when I am talking, if you continue misbehaving when you should not be...

I will TELL you to stop.

if this does not work...
if you ignore me...

Then your name goes on the board"

(Silence)

The class just starred. One child to the other in a whisper of a breath...

"your name goes on the board!"

I move closer to the children and lower my voice, to the point they must be listening or they will miss it... they are hooked... they want to know whats next.

"Your name on the board means 2 minutes at break time... your time will be my time, your time will be my time... "

The children mumble amongst themselves...

I interrupt...

"But that's not all! If you continue, after all I have said, to talk, to misbehave... to not give me your very best! Then you get a tick next to your name... a tick... tick... tick... TICK!

For every tick you get by your name, another 2 minutes of your time is mine..."

I started the lesson, one child must have ignored, the warnings I gave and lesson I taught...

I kept him in, for his whole break... but that was it...

after that, never again...

My Children gave respect, because I respected them...



... and they were 6 years old...