demand compliance

There is one suitable percentage of students following a direction given in your classroom: 100 Percent. If you don’t achieve this, you make your authority subject to interpretation, situation, and motivation. Students have cause to ask themselves: “Did she mean that? For everyone? Do I feel like going along with her today? The danger of moving on without compliance risks allowing a toxic culture to develop. It causes students to see non-compliance as an option, to contemplate a choice between compliance with the teacher or not to.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when demanding compliance from your students:

-Explain to students why you’re doing what you are doing and how it’s designed to help them.

-When asking students for a request make sure that your eye contact is direct with the student. Maintaining eye contact with students demonstrates your level of control by showing that you stand by what you said, and that you are not shy or afraid.

-Use a warm and positive tone to promote a culture of compliance that is both positive, and invisible (a matter of habit). People are usually motivated by the positive far more than the negative.

When you are clear, consistent, firm, and at the same time positive, enthusiastic, caring, and thoughtful, you start to send the message to students that having high expectations is part of caring for and respecting someone. This is a very powerful message.

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