What is a Warm Demander?
Educators hold their students to high standards, convince them of their own brilliance, and help them to reach their potential in a disciplined and structured environment.
Why is this important?
An educator who is both warm and demanding helps create an atmosphere of safety and co-design with learners, allowing their brains to engage while keeping expectations high.
Looking back on my early teaching days I could probably describe my teaching stance as “organised bouncer”: I was efficient and wholly focused on behaviour management. I felt like if my lessons were well structured and engaging, the traits I felt were most important for good classroom practice, then student behaviour would fall into place. Though I think I was pretty friendly and approachable (I don’t think students hated me!), as a young female working mostly in boys schools made me nervous about dropping my guard, heaven forbid I should become too familiar.
