I often face an uphill task when interacting casually with superiors (teachers, lecturers, tutors and teaching assistants). I believe that we should always respect and maintain a teacher-student relationship with them. However, it appears that the boundaries of such a relationship are getting blurred.
I noticed that my peers tend to treat teachers as friends. During my secondary school time, I have friends who treat teachers as close friends. They went out for meals together outside school, visited the teachers’ homes during festive seasons and discussed personal matters with the teachers. I find it hard to be like my other friends. First, I am not that sociable and second, they are my teachers.
Also, in university, there are students who playfully tease their teaching assistants. I feel that they are being disrespectful towards their teaching assistants. I feel awkward whenever I see my friends interacting so well with their teachers while I am keeping my distance.
I agree that there is nothing wrong with being friendly with teachers. If the teachers are fine with interacting more intimately with students outside classrooms, that is fine as well, as long as students and teachers know what they are doing. However, how does one maintain a student-teacher relationship in this case? Or am I too rigid in my thinking?
I noticed that my peers tend to treat teachers as friends. During my secondary school time, I have friends who treat teachers as close friends. They went out for meals together outside school, visited the teachers’ homes during festive seasons and discussed personal matters with the teachers. I find it hard to be like my other friends. First, I am not that sociable and second, they are my teachers.
Also, in university, there are students who playfully tease their teaching assistants. I feel that they are being disrespectful towards their teaching assistants. I feel awkward whenever I see my friends interacting so well with their teachers while I am keeping my distance.
I agree that there is nothing wrong with being friendly with teachers. If the teachers are fine with interacting more intimately with students outside classrooms, that is fine as well, as long as students and teachers know what they are doing. However, how does one maintain a student-teacher relationship in this case? Or am I too rigid in my thinking?
