Respect is connected to everything. Your feelings. Your choices. Your body image. Your relationships. Your safety. Your rights. And your future. Sure, getting respect isn't always easy. Sometimes you have to work extremely hard for what you want. But that's the secret we all need to learn: Respect is always within reach because true respect starts on the inside.
Its also important to remember the Golden Rule of respect is “Treat others the way you would like to be treated.” Think of that everyday, using it in every interaction that you have, with both the people you know and those you don’t.

Regular Classroom Activities for the Month

Respect Groups. Have students work in small groups to brainstorm responses to the question, What does respect mean to me?

Search Magazines for Respect. Have students look through magazines for pictures that show people respecting others differences or pictures of different kinds of people working or playing together.

Setting Goals for Respect. Students will set three respect goals for the year. “I will respect myself by _____, “I will respect others by _____, and “I will respect our school by _____. Also have them set three other respect goals of their choosing.

Respect in News. Students will get into small discussion groups and talk about current events where people are being respectful and disrespectful.

List of Respectful Behavior. Have students list changes they can make in their daily lives to be more respectful.

Online Classroom Activities for the Month

List Synonyms. Have students make a list of synonyms for the word respect. Examples would be esteem and honor.

Movies with Respect. List movies where respect, including self-respect is the theme.

Respectful People. Students will make a list of people who they feel are respectful and why. It can be famous people, friends, family, teachers or coaches.

Disrespect. What kinds of things or actions could be considered disrespectful? Students will write down responses such as rudeness and insults.

Respect Questions. Have students answer the following questions: 1)I treat other people the way I want to be treated. 2)I am considerate of other people. 3)I treat people with courtesy, dignity and civility. 4)I accept personal differences. 5)I work to solve problems without violence. 6)I never intentionally ridicule, embarrass, or hurt others. Have them determine ways they could improve these scenarios.

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