Why Do Adults Respect Teachers Less Than Students?

Teenagers get a bad reputation. They’re often described as rude, ungrateful, or disrespectful (especially online). But that hasn’t been my experience at all.

In fact, it’s been quite the opposite!

On my student-facing platform, Miss Estruch Biology, my teenage audience (mostly 16–24-year-olds) are some of the most polite, grateful, and encouraging people I’ve ever interacted with. Meanwhile, on my teacher-facing page, Miss Estruch Teach & Tell, the tone can be…a little different.

It seems that students respect their teachers, but many adults don’t.

The Surprising Divide Between Two Audiences

When I post on my student platforms, the response is overwhelmingly positive. Teenagers thank me, call me “the best teacher ever,” and share how my videos helped them boost their confidence or improve their grades. It’s genuinely heartwarming.

Of course, not every adult is negative. Many parents, professionals, and education enthusiasts send wonderful, supportive messages. But overall, the contrast between my student audience and my adult audience is impossible to ignore.

Here’s what really surprised me:

Even when my student-facing content reaches non-followers — people who aren’t in my usual audience — I rarely receive hate. The only real exceptions come from the occasional inappropriate comment, usually from adult males rather than students.

But the moment my teacher-focused content hits non-followers, the tone shifts dramatically. Suddenly, I get comments calling me pathetic, lazy, or worse — things like, “What year is it that you don’t know that?” These aren’t thoughtful critiques. They’re personal attacks.

And the striking part?

These negative comments almost never come from teachers. Teachers understand the workload, the stress, and the context. The negativity tends to come from adults who haven’t been inside a classroom in years.

Why Does This Happen?

I’ve thought a lot about why students — who supposedly “don’t respect authority” — are often more respectful than adults online.

Here are a few possibilities:

1. Media Narratives About “Lazy Teachers”

For decades, the media has pushed the same tired story: teachers have it easy. We work 9 to 3, get long holidays, and have a solid pension, so why would we ever complain?

It’s a caricature, but it sticks.

When people internalize that narrative, they start to see teachers as overpaid, underworked, and undeserving of sympathy. So when they see a teacher sharing workload hacks or self-care tips online, their reaction isn’t appreciation, it’s resentment.

2. The “Everyone Went to School” Effect

Everyone’s been a student at some point. And that experience can give adults a false sense of expertise: “I went to school for 12 years, so I know what good teaching looks like.” But being in a classroom and running one are two completely different experiences. This false familiarity can make some adults feel entitled to judge teachers harshly, even though they wouldn’t dream of critiquing, say, a doctor or engineer in the same way.

3. Students See the Value Every Day

Students, on the other hand, are in the middle of it. They feel the difference a teacher makes every single day, when an explanation clicks, when their confidence grows, when they finally understand a tricky concept. Gratitude is fresh for them, because the impact is immediate.

4. Social Media Amplifies the Divide

Algorithms push content far beyond your core audience. That’s why even people who don’t follow me might see my videos. But there’s a clear trend: the further content travels from a teaching audience, the more likely it is to attract negativity. And again, it’s rarely from young people.

A Wider Reflection on Respect

I know my platforms attract a certain type of student — motivated, curious, and polite — but even when my content reaches beyond them, the difference in tone between teenagers and adults is still clear.

And I’m not the only one who’s noticed this. The Teach Sleep Repeat podcast with Haydn and Dylan did a fantastic episode exploring public perceptions of teachers and how respect for the profession has eroded over time. (Highly recommend giving that one a listen if this topic resonates with you.)

So where does that leave us?

For me, it’s a reminder not to buy into the stereotype that young people are disrespectful or ungrateful. My lived experience says otherwise. Teenagers are often respectful, curious, and kind. Some adults are too, but not all.

And that raises an important question:

When, and why, does that respect for teachers change?

And perhaps more importantly: how do we rebuild it?

Final Thoughts

This isn’t about complaining, it’s about reflecting. About noticing the patterns in how different generations view teaching and what that means for our profession moving forward.

If you’ve noticed something similar in your own experience, I’d love to hear from you. Come join the conversation over on Instagram @missestruch.teach.and.tell  and share your thoughts.

🎧 Listen to the full episode: Why Do Adults Respect Teachers Less Than Students?

Available on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , and YouTube.