Teachers make mistakes. We do! We misread students, we make assumptions about students, we speak in angry or frustrated tones, we use hurtful words, and we can make wrong decisions that impact our students. Unfortunately, teachers don’t like to admit they make mistakes: they brush it off as if it’s no big deal, they believe admitting wrong is a sign of weakness, and they think don’t want students to see them as weak. To be honest, teachers often deceive themselves, justifying their mistakes by blaming student behavior, parent neglect, poor sleep, overwork, or administrative expectations. Our quick-to-defend reactions often pit us against students and parents. Students and parents begin to see us an unapproachable, harsh, proudful, and biased toward their situation or position.

We want our students to respect authority, for their attitude toward earthly authority impacts their attitude toward God’s authority. We have a huge responsibility, and the consequences of doing it poorly are great. So, how can we teachers be accessible, humble, yet have the final say in decisions in our classroom or school? One way we communicate our desire to lead well but honestly is through an appeal process.

This article won’t take the time to unpack examples of men and women making appeals to authority in Scripture, but here are a few people and passages that could be studied for further understanding of how to appeal to authority: Exodus 32, the story of Esther and Daniel, Acts 21,and  Matthew 26:39.

Here is how an appeal works: when a student believes a teacher made a mistake, said something incorrectly, or made a wrong decision that directly impacts him, he has an open-ended invitation to appeal to the teacher. The appeal could be as simple as the teacher marked an answer wrong when the student had the right answer or as complex as the teacher said a disparaging comment about the student in class that wasn’t accurate. An appeal might be needed when a teacher issues a discipline slip, but the student believes it should not have been given. The appeal process invites the student to approach a teacher making sure he follows these three parts of an appeal: time, attitude, and information. All three elements must be present for the appeal to be done properly.

Appeals must be done at the right time. Arguing in front of other students is not the right time. Making an appeal with only ten seconds before the next class is not the right time. Asking for a quick meeting time that works for the teacher is an appropriate way to appeal at the right time. Teachers should not pressure the student to share the issue at the time of making an appointment. To do so would be to sabotage the student’s attempt to appeal at the right time.

Appeals must be done with the right attitude. Respect is necessary. A student’s tone of voice reveals the attitude of his heart in the same way that our “teacher tones” says much about our hearts, too. An appeal should not be done over a text, email, or messaging app. The right appeal is always an in-person appeal that provides both parties to see each other. Ultimately, the appeal should be approached with a humility that desires understanding but not with pride that demands agreement.

Appeals must be done with new information. Students should appeal when they have new information to share that could better inform the teacher. New information is not the same as opinion. Examples of new information would be evidence of a right answer that was marked wrong, information that brings light on why homework wasn’t done, a conversation the teacher didn’t hear that led to the wrong person getting in trouble, an explanation as to why the student was talking to a classmate when the teacher expected everyone to be listening in class, etc.

Teachers are not obligated to change their decision just because a student appeals, but a teacher should consider the new information with evaluation: did I make a mistake that needs to be corrected; did I say something incorrectly that needs an apology; did I make an assumption that was wrong; did I hurt a student by saying something unkindly, sarcastically, or inappropriately; and did I misjudge a student’s actions before getting all the information? When teachers mess up, they should fess up. Asking forgiveness does not jeopardize a teacher’s authority.

We teachers know that students have a love-hate relationship with authority; and if we are honest, we do, too. Submitting to authority isn’t easy, and we are better leaders when we realize we can be “appealing authorities” in students’ lives when we invite our students to appeal based on the three required parts of a proper appeal: time, attitude, and information. Admitting we make mistakes is not a sign of weak authority. Humility invites grace to do amazing things in the hearts of students and teachers. May we desire to set the right example in our classroom policies and in our response to students who appeal to us.