In my daily work at school, teaching values plays a central role for me. Of course, children and young people need to learn skills that will enable them to successfully pursue a career through training or university studies. However, I don't see myself in my job as merely a teacher of skills; I am convinced that it is my job to teach values.
I give the value of "respect" a particularly high priority within the set of values I teach. I demand respect from my students in their dealings with me and in our daily interactions with one another. At the same time, I live this value by showing each and every one of them unconditional respect, regardless of their behavior in the situation. Demanding this value again and again and making it clear to young people that it is non-negotiable requires strength and effort. The young people I work with are often taught little of the fundamental social skills at home: politeness, appreciation, and respect. The fact that you treat not only your teacher, classmates, or best friend, but also your perceived "enemy" with respect is new to many of them.
At a time when the values of our society are under threat like never before, it is important to represent and convey them proactively, energetically, and unwaveringly. Respect for one's fellow human beings, regardless of their skin color, whom they love, which god they worship, and what opinions they hold, is a core tenet of our society that is currently being attacked and questioned from within and without. I want to turn my students into knights who are ready to fight for this value and defend our idea of coexistence in the coming years and decades.
Until then, I'll continue to have grueling arguments with young people and get on their nerves with my talk of respect. When, at the end of the school year, those with whom I've had the biggest conflicts come to me and say, "Thank you, Mr. R. Thank you for putting up with us, for discussing and arguing with us, for supporting and defending us, no matter how difficult we were," then I know it was worth it.
