- Astiba Kebong’o argues that teachers earn lasting respect through competence, consistency, fairness and professional conduct.
- Professional credibility grows when teachers prepare adequately, keep their word and demonstrate genuine care for learners.
- The author says authority built on trust and example is ultimately more effective than fear or intimidation.
Teaching is one of those professions where people watch you even when you may not realise it.
A learner notices whether a teacher arrives on time, whether lessons are prepared, how assignments are handled and how the teacher responds when things go wrong. Colleagues also observe how one conducts oneself in the staffroom, handles responsibilities and relates to others.
This is understandable. Education is not transmitted through textbooks and lesson plans alone. Teachers are also role models, and learners often learn as much from what they see as from what they are told.
For this reason, being appointed a teacher is only the beginning. Professional respect has to be earned. Being a seasoned educator is not a walk in the park, particularly when it comes to earning the respect of learners, colleagues and the wider school community.
But what does it mean for a teacher to be taken seriously?
It does not mean becoming the most feared teacher in school. Nor does it mean shouting at learners, imposing harsh punishments or maintaining an unfriendly face throughout the day. Fear may produce silence, but it does not necessarily produce respect.
A respected teacher commands confidence through competence, fairness, consistency and care.
Professionalism begins with everyday conduct
The Teachers Service Commission Code of Conduct and Ethics provides a useful professional benchmark. It expects teachers to observe official working hours, be punctual, meet deadlines, perform duties efficiently and competently, exercise diligence and conduct themselves in ways that inspire public confidence.
These are not merely administrative requirements. They are qualities that shape how a teacher is perceived.
Preparation is one of the clearest signs of professionalism.
A teacher who enters a classroom without knowing what learners are expected to achieve risks wasting valuable instructional time. Preparation gives the teacher direction and confidence. It also allows the teacher to anticipate difficulties and choose appropriate activities.
This is particularly important as education increasingly places emphasis on learner participation, inquiry, collaboration and the development of competencies. The teacher is no longer simply a transmitter of information but an organiser and facilitator of learning.
Punctuality matters too.
Repeated lateness communicates a message, whether intended or not. When a teacher consistently arrives late for lessons, meetings or assigned duties, learners and colleagues may begin to question the teacher’s sense of responsibility.
Time is part of the learning process. A teacher who respects it demonstrates that the work of learners matters.
A teacher must also be a person whose word can be trusted.
Empty threats and promises eventually weaken authority. If a teacher repeatedly warns learners about consequences but never follows through, the learners quickly discover the gap between words and action.
Consistency is therefore more powerful than threats. When rules are reasonable and applied fairly, learners know where they stand.
Credibility cannot be demanded
Professional boundaries are equally important.
A good teacher can be warm, approachable and caring without becoming inappropriately familiar with learners. Young people need adults who can listen to them, understand their challenges and offer guidance while still maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
Research on teacher credibility supports this balance. A major meta-analysis covering 51 studies and 14,378 participants found meaningful associations between teacher credibility and outcomes, identifying competence, trustworthiness and caring as important dimensions.
This is a useful reminder that caring does not weaken authority. In fact, genuine care can strengthen it.
Emotional discipline is another mark of a mature teacher.
Schools can be demanding environments. Learners may test boundaries, colleagues may disagree and administrative pressures may pile up. Yet a teacher who responds to every difficulty with anger risks losing credibility.
Being calm does not mean being weak. Sometimes the teacher who lowers their voice, listens carefully and responds thoughtfully demonstrates greater authority than the one who shouts.
Learners should be corrected, but correction should not become humiliation.
Feedback also matters.
A teacher who continually gives assignments without checking or returning them eventually sends the message that learners’ efforts do not matter.
Marking and meaningful feedback are part of teaching. They help learners identify their strengths and weaknesses while allowing the teacher to determine whether learning is taking place.
Professionalism beyond the classroom
Professionalism must extend beyond the classroom.
A teacher does not need to participate in every rumour, argument or staffroom controversy. Professional colleagues know when to speak, when to listen and when to remain silent.
The teaching profession carries public expectations. The TSC Code requires teachers’ public and private conduct to uphold the dignity and integrity of the teaching service and requires official duties to be performed in a manner that inspires public confidence.
That responsibility should not disappear when a teacher leaves the classroom.
Perhaps most importantly, teachers must continue learning.
Curriculum reforms, assessment approaches, technology and learner needs continue to change. A teacher who stops learning risks becoming disconnected from the very learners they are expected to guide.
Professional development should therefore not be viewed merely as a requirement for appraisal or promotion. It should be part of the teacher’s identity.
There is also a lesson in how teachers treat one another.
A teacher who demands respect from learners but consistently disrespects colleagues sends a contradictory message. Professionalism is not something to display only when the headteacher is watching. It should be reflected in everyday conduct.
Ultimately, respect cannot be demanded into existence.
A teacher may say, “You must respect me because I am your teacher,” but lasting respect is built through daily conduct.
Learners notice the teacher who comes prepared, keeps promises, treats people fairly, admits mistakes, listens, gives useful feedback and remains dependable. They also notice the teacher who says one thing and does another.
Every teacher should therefore occasionally ask a simple but uncomfortable question:
If my learners copied what they see me doing every day, what kind of people would they become?
The question goes beyond classroom management. It touches the heart of education.
We cannot effectively teach responsibility while being irresponsible with our own duties. We cannot demand honesty while our own words cannot be trusted. We cannot teach respect while treating others without dignity.
The serious teacher is therefore not necessarily the strictest, loudest or most feared person in school.
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It is the teacher who is competent enough to inspire confidence, consistent enough to be trusted, disciplined enough to be dependable and caring enough to make learners feel valued.
That is the kind of authority that does not have to be demanded.
It is earned.
And once earned, it becomes one of the teacher’s most powerful tools for effective teaching and learning.
By Astiba Kebong’o
Email: jackiekebongo@gmail.com
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