Each week we will be sharing a tip from our school psychologist, Mrs. Rollins.

This week we are talking about – What is a Warm Demander?

This is a phrase that was coined in 1975 by Judith Kleinfeld as she studied effective teaching strategies for Eskimo and Native American students in Alaskan schools. She described these teachers as having high expectations paired with care for the student and belief that they could achieve the standard set for them in class.

Further studies done on warm demanders show that they insist on two things: respect of teachers and students in the class and completing academic tasks necessary for successful futures. Their attitude towards their students can seem harsh because of high demand, is actually one of unconditional positive regard. This looks like genuine care for the student in spite of what they do or say and the belief that they can succeed. Teachers show this attitude in three ways:

1. Deliberately Build Relationships – students have said in many studies that they want their teachers to show that they are liked and that the teacher finds them interesting. If you give a get-to-know you survey, make sure you use that information. See my psych tip on relationship building for compliance for more info on this.

2. Learn About Student Cultures – understand your student in their context. This can range from understanding a student’s learning style or specific needs for learning to realizing how their behavior might be a reflection of family culture or background. Be willing to examine your own culture and biases that affect how you teach and then adjust what you are doing.

3. Communicate Expectation of Success – success is not the absence of mistakes but the willingness to persist until you get it. When we give up, we lose the opportunity to succeed. Make sure the tone of belief is firm and follow through with consequences when a demand is not met. If a student believes they can keep getting away with not completing a task, then they will not believe in their ability to succeed.

While this is helpful for teachers, parents can also adopt this attitude of high expectations for their kids, supporting the belief that they can do it with positive regard and a strong relationship.

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