Honor. Respect. Responsibility.
Honor. Respect. Responsibility.
I read a book last summer that recommended, "It's not the right rules that make a classroom a great place for students to be; it is the right relationships and expectations" (Maynard and Weinstein). One of the key ideas of this book was that we can't expect rules alone to remedy behavior concerns. Without a positive expectation for behavior, there is no clear goal for them to work toward.
As I read I realized that my students needed a clear expectations, and I set out to redefine our rules into three clear expectations for behavior. I compiled our school policies and procedures, along with common concerns teachers had expressed and spent time refining three major expectations for our students -- honor, respect, and responsibility. The staff adopted the expectations this last school year, we created posters, and we set out to reinforce school-wide expectations from TK through high school.
Honor God
Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" (ESV). As Christians, God tells us that whatever we do should be done for the Lord. Our first school expectation was created from the heart of this principle, Honor God.
As a Christian school our highest aim is to honor God in everything we do. From the way we work with excellence to the way we speak, we want to bring glory to God and honor Him. We asked the students to consider these questions,
- Does the way I live honor God? Do I watch and listen to things that honor Him? Do I have conversations that honor God?
- Does the way I act in school and chapel honoring to God? Do I listen when the Bible is read? Do I worship God with my whole heart when we sing? Do I do my very best?
Respect Yourself, Others, and Property
Respect Yourself
1 Corinthians 6:20 says, "For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (ESV). Our lives have been purchased through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Therefore we are commanded to glorify God in our physical body, and we can't glorify God in our physical body if we are disrespecting ourselves.
As a Christian school one of our greatest desires is to instill the identity of Christ in our students. That they would know their value and importance to God and the world around them. We remind them that self-respect is not self-worship where your needs are more important than others. But it is having a confidence and knowing that you should not be mistreated, abused, or made to feel less important than others. We ask the questions,
- Does the way you're talking about yourself show respect?
- Does the way you are studying show respect? Does cheating show self-respect?
- Does the way you're covering for someone who's been unkind to you show respect and bring glory to God?
Respect Others
Romans 12:10 says, "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." (ESV). This verse tells us to work hard at showing love to each other. We are told that we should actually try to "outdo" each other in showing love.
As a Christian school our desire is to raise a generation of young people who are so secure in who they are in Christ that they easily celebrate the strengths of others. Our goal is to help our students speak with kindness and affection toward each other. Questions we ask are,
- Does the way you said that show others that you care about them?
- Do your words encourage others or discourage them?
- Do your actions show that you are including or excluding others?
Respect Property
Genesis 1:31 says, "And God saw everything he had made, and behold, it was very good." (ESV). The Bible clearly says the world God created was deemed "good" by Him. And as Christians it is our duty to take care of the world. But the world is not just limited to the environment, it includes the things we interact with everyday.
As a Christian school we are training our students to be good caretakers of God's world. Through a healthy care for the environment, but also through care for school and personal property. As we show respect for the things God has given us, we glorify Him. Some questions we like to ask students and ourselves are,
- Am I treating the school property with respect? Am I treating my own property or others' property with respect?
- Do I care for my school supplies in a way that is respectful? Do I care for my desk and chairs with respect?
- Do I respect the environment through picking up my trash and/or other ways?
Take Responsibility
Proverbs 28:13 says, "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." (ESV). The Bible clearly tells us to admit when we are wrong. We will all make mistakes, and the important thing is to learn from them.
As a Christian school our goal should not be perfect robot students. Our goal should be growing and maturing students. One of the greatest ways we can help our students grow is through taking responsibility for our own actions. Some questions we ask,
- What was your part in the incident? What can you own?
- What is your part to clean or take care of?
Partner Together
We likely agree on most of the items above, but in order to have these expectations be impactful we need both school and parents to work together. What if a parent wants their child to have self-respect, but the school said their report of bullying was invalid? Or what if the school gave consequences to a student because they threatened another student, but the parent is refusing to hold the child accountable?
For these expectations to be effective, parents and school personnel need to come together. We need to support one another and believe the best about each other. Our goal is the same -- spiritual, educational, social, and physical growth and development for our students. And together, with common expectations, our work is more effective.