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We Asked Teachers: Which behavior do you want students to learn the most?

Corrinna PoleSeptember 20, 2019

Students and teacher

Some of the best things we can learn happen beyond textbooks and lesson plans. We asked teachers, if they could encourage only one behavior among their students this year, what would it be?

It’s no surprise that teachers had a lot to say. From the more than 100 educators who weighed in, these are the answers that kept coming up. 

Top 3 student behaviors teachers want their kids to learn

1. Kindness and empathy 

Topping the list with 39 mentions was kindness and empathy. Teachers want to help their students grow up to be kind, caring, and positive. From small actions like using their manners to showing them how forgiveness is better than retaliation — and even learning that working together produces great results! 

2. Growth, perseverance, YET! 

For 16 teachers, the most important quality to teach is resilience, perseverance, and a growth mindset. They want their kids to know that it’s okay to fail as long as they try, the word “YET” has power, and that the mistakes they make along the way help them to learn. 

3. Respect, accountability, responsibility 

Respect came in third place. Along this theme, teachers want students to learn how to be more accepting and tolerant of others. Where there’s respect for their classmates, teachers, and family, there’s space to be open to other’s ideas. Having respect for themselves leads to accountability. 

Extra positive behaviors teachers want students to learn … 

Several teachers want their students to love and believe in themselves, be open to ideas from others, listen, focus, and develop integrity and independence. Other teachers want to encourage positivity, honesty, courage, and generosity in their students. Here are some other awesome, inspiring, and sometimes funny answers we loved. 

What do you think? What behavior matters most to you? Share your answer with us on Twitter.

Student Engagement