A lot has been said and written about a recent incident in which a coach called an SRO and a student was roughed up. Perhaps more does not need to be said, but here is my take.
Respect cannot really be demanded. Fear can masquerade as respect, but it is different.
Respect must be earned. The first step in earning respect is giving respect. For a teacher to be respected, his or her students must feel respected and valued. In nearly every instance of conflict, the best course is usually to de-escalate the situation and agree to handle it later when cooler heads will hopefully prevail.
As I watched the full video released, it was evident that there was no reason for that student to feel respected and valued by either the coach or the SRO. I saw no significant attempt by either the coach or the SRO to de-escalate the situation. Both need further training and/or reassignment.
John Odom