Building Character and Trust
Technique 45: Warm/Strict
What is Warm/Strict?
Warm/Strict is a strategy that is often confused and misunderstood. Often times, teachers, parents, and students believe that warm and strict are two opposite terms, therefore they cannot be used together at the same time. However, that is not the case. Being warm, through kind words, body language, and being a caring mentor is especially important while a teacher is being strict with his/her students by not wavering on a decision. This shows the students that the teacher has high expectations for them and although s/he will not make exceptions to the rules already in place, s/he will still love them and want what is best for them. This technique in particular is especially applicable to all grade levels, since there will be a strictness in the workplace after students have completed their education. It is essential for them to begin understanding how to handle an environment that is strict in rules and policies at an early age so that when they are older, it will not come as a surprise to them. It is the teacher’s responsibility to show them kindness and care while still standing firm, so they can be prepared for the future.
Warm/Strict is a strategy that is often confused and misunderstood. Often times, teachers, parents, and students believe that warm and strict are two opposite terms, therefore they cannot be used together at the same time. However, that is not the case. Being warm, through kind words, body language, and being a caring mentor is especially important while a teacher is being strict with his/her students by not wavering on a decision. This shows the students that the teacher has high expectations for them and although s/he will not make exceptions to the rules already in place, s/he will still love them and want what is best for them. This technique in particular is especially applicable to all grade levels, since there will be a strictness in the workplace after students have completed their education. It is essential for them to begin understanding how to handle an environment that is strict in rules and policies at an early age so that when they are older, it will not come as a surprise to them. It is the teacher’s responsibility to show them kindness and care while still standing firm, so they can be prepared for the future.
Why Does This Work?
Lemov’s Warm/Strict technique is a prime example of authoritative teaching, which combines high involvement and warmth with high demands and inflexibility. According to Diana Baumrind, a developmental psychologist known for her research on parenting styles, this is the best method to use in comparison with other styles such as authoritarian, permissive, and neglecting parenting styles. In the classroom, if a teacher were to be more authoritarian, which is low amounts of warmth but high demands, students would be more likely to have low social competence and be mismotivated, which could result in not doing their classwork at all. With permissive teaching or parenting, students will receive very few demands but have high levels of involvement and warmth. This can lead to them taking high risks and not setting high goals for themselves, a problem that will increase as they get older and leave school. Neglecting teachers or parents have students that don’t trust authoritative teachers because neglecting parenting/teaching is the exact opposite of the definition of authoritative in that there are very low demands and low levels of warmth. These definitions are why Baumrind argues that authoritative teaching/parenting is the best direction to go. Authoritative teaching, along with authoritative parenting, results in the best outcomes, highest self-esteems, and most independent students. These factors are highly beneficial upon entering the world outside of receiving an education and can lead to the most successful workers.
Lemov’s Warm/Strict technique is a prime example of authoritative teaching, which combines high involvement and warmth with high demands and inflexibility. According to Diana Baumrind, a developmental psychologist known for her research on parenting styles, this is the best method to use in comparison with other styles such as authoritarian, permissive, and neglecting parenting styles. In the classroom, if a teacher were to be more authoritarian, which is low amounts of warmth but high demands, students would be more likely to have low social competence and be mismotivated, which could result in not doing their classwork at all. With permissive teaching or parenting, students will receive very few demands but have high levels of involvement and warmth. This can lead to them taking high risks and not setting high goals for themselves, a problem that will increase as they get older and leave school. Neglecting teachers or parents have students that don’t trust authoritative teachers because neglecting parenting/teaching is the exact opposite of the definition of authoritative in that there are very low demands and low levels of warmth. These definitions are why Baumrind argues that authoritative teaching/parenting is the best direction to go. Authoritative teaching, along with authoritative parenting, results in the best outcomes, highest self-esteems, and most independent students. These factors are highly beneficial upon entering the world outside of receiving an education and can lead to the most successful workers.
Specific Classroom Examples:
In the classroom, there are four different methods that would be advantageous of a teacher to use while displaying this warm/strict, or authoritative, teaching strategy. First, the teacher must explain to the students why s/he is doing what s/he is doing, and then s/he should verbally distinguish the difference between the behavior and the person doing the behavior, s/he should use warm, nonverbal behavior towards the child while explaining how what the child is doing is incorrect. Lastly, the teacher should demonstrate that consequences are temporary. An example of how this might go in the classroom setting would be if a fifth grade student, Tommy, kept throwing balls of paper at another student who was across the classroom. After warning him to stop once or twice, depending on the teaching style and what the students are accustomed to, I, being Tommy’s teacher, may tell him to go pull a slip because what he is doing, his behavior, is disruptive and against the rules of the classroom.
Before pulling the slip, I would tell him to stop throwing the paper balls because it is distracting the class from learning, which causes me to stop periodically and regain their attention. These distractions are cutting into the class’s learning time and not giving every student a chance to learn to his/her best ability. On his way back from pulling a slip, I would tell him that we can start over again with a clean slate and try to focus on the schoolwork this time rather than getting a friend’s attention from the opposite side of the room. If they begin to do individual classwork, or Tommy looks as though he as about to act out again, I could walk over, even if I am still teaching, and just tap his shoulder or his desk to let him know that I am paying attention to him and that he needs to rein his attention in on his work. This follows all of the steps listed in the Warm/Strict technique and gives an example for other students as well to see that I am forgiving, but stern in my teaching and disciplining.
Click here to see an example of a teacher using positive words and explanation to keep her students on track. Although this may seem as more positive reinforcement than Warm/Strict, one can tell that she is still using methods from this example so her students understand why they are being praised, or told "no," depending on the situation.
In the classroom, there are four different methods that would be advantageous of a teacher to use while displaying this warm/strict, or authoritative, teaching strategy. First, the teacher must explain to the students why s/he is doing what s/he is doing, and then s/he should verbally distinguish the difference between the behavior and the person doing the behavior, s/he should use warm, nonverbal behavior towards the child while explaining how what the child is doing is incorrect. Lastly, the teacher should demonstrate that consequences are temporary. An example of how this might go in the classroom setting would be if a fifth grade student, Tommy, kept throwing balls of paper at another student who was across the classroom. After warning him to stop once or twice, depending on the teaching style and what the students are accustomed to, I, being Tommy’s teacher, may tell him to go pull a slip because what he is doing, his behavior, is disruptive and against the rules of the classroom.
Before pulling the slip, I would tell him to stop throwing the paper balls because it is distracting the class from learning, which causes me to stop periodically and regain their attention. These distractions are cutting into the class’s learning time and not giving every student a chance to learn to his/her best ability. On his way back from pulling a slip, I would tell him that we can start over again with a clean slate and try to focus on the schoolwork this time rather than getting a friend’s attention from the opposite side of the room. If they begin to do individual classwork, or Tommy looks as though he as about to act out again, I could walk over, even if I am still teaching, and just tap his shoulder or his desk to let him know that I am paying attention to him and that he needs to rein his attention in on his work. This follows all of the steps listed in the Warm/Strict technique and gives an example for other students as well to see that I am forgiving, but stern in my teaching and disciplining.
Click here to see an example of a teacher using positive words and explanation to keep her students on track. Although this may seem as more positive reinforcement than Warm/Strict, one can tell that she is still using methods from this example so her students understand why they are being praised, or told "no," depending on the situation.