Chapter 2: Respect, Liking, Trust, and Fairness

"If you're looking for respect...Be careful what you say. Don't make jkes until you know people well enough" (19).

Students are looking to be respected from a very young age. Even in middle school, they feel like little adults. As a teacher, it's not okay to be condescending or act like you know everything because you don't.
I remember situations where I've made jokes about someone that I didn't know well enough to judge their reaction and who didn't know me well enough to judge my intentions; this can make for a very sticky situation. I remember teachers who thought they were hilarious, but for me they completely missed the mark. Just like in any situation where you're meeting new people, you need to get to know the person before making assumptions and unintentionally insulting them. Not everyone has the same morals, ethics, standards or sense of humor that you do.

Chapter 1: Knowing Students Well

The concept that stuck out the most for from the first chapter was when the students collectively said, “...don’t try too hard to be our friend” (4). The author discusses how to get to know your students without invading their privacy.
I remember teachers trying really hard to be friendly with us as students, and I know the whole time we were just thinking that they were silly for trying. They could never be our friend; they’re not supposed to be our friend; they’re supposed to be the teacher. On the flip side, I remember a couple teachers who I wished would have tried harder to get to know me.