TEACHING STYLE

Why it works: Displaying warmth toward students can give them a model for positive behavior (Bandura, 1977a) and help them to learn empathy (Penner, 2002). These interactions can also lead to positive relationships between adolescents and teachers, which can help adolescents to feel like they have someone to talk to about important issues and go to for emotional support (Scales, Benson, & Mannes, 2006). This is important not only for the adolescents’ general well-being, but also because individuals are most likely to internalize moral values from people who are respectful and emotionally-supportive (Powers, 1982). In addition, knowing that teacher believes in them can make adolescents more confident in their own abilities (Meece, Herman, & McCombs, 2003).

How to apply it:

Greet students when they arrive.
Convey to students that you have high expectations for them and that you believe in their abilities to meet those expectations.
Tell students that you are available to talk if they need help with anything. If possible, set a time when you are always available (such as five minutes before lunch).
When students come to you, listen and respond authentically.
Create brief moments to check in with students to see how they’re doing; ask about successes and struggles; if possible, schedule positive interactions with students each day “banked time” (Pianta & Hamre, 2001).
Draw attention to students’ strengths and successes, remind them of past successes, and explain why you think they will succeed again.
Pay special attention to struggling students; check in with them regularly, and connect them with resources when possible.
Pay attention to students’ behavior. If they are acting abnormally—for example, a typically chatty student is being very quiet—pull them aside and ask how they are doing.
When a student has transgressed, ask for their side of the story/reason for doing it before reprimanding them.
When students are upset, give them time to cool off before returning to their schoolwork.

INDUCTION

What it is: Induction involves placing a special emphasis on the reasons that motivate behavior, on how those reasons relate to moral principles, and on how an individual’s actions influence others (Hoffman & Saltzstein, 1967).

Outcomes: Adolescents whose parents use induction are more likely to believe that being moral is an important part of who they are (Patrick & Gibbs, 2012) and display higher levels of empathy (Hoffman, 1983).

Why it works: This strategy helps adolescents to feel respected (Damon, 1988), understand the implications of their behavior for others, and incorporate values into their personal standards for behavior (Schulman & Mekler, 1985).

How to apply it:

Make classroom rules clear and explicit. Be sure to explain the reasons for those rules and to relate them to moral values. For example, you might present one rule as, “Raise your hand when you want to talk. Otherwise, if everyone talked at once, then we wouldn’t be able to hear everyone’s contribution. Waiting for your turn to talk is an important way to show respect toward your classmates.” In addition, phrase rules positively. For example, say, “Keep your area clean” rather than, “Don’t leave your area messy.”
Emphasize how students’ behaviors influence others.
Encourage students to consider the motives for their own and for other people’s behavior.

What it is: Teachers should strive to show students that they genuinely care about their development—not just in academics, but as a person.

Outcomes: Although there has not been much research on the influence of teacher warmth on adolescents, findings on parent-adolescent relationships indicates that having a warm and responsive caretaker leads to higher levels of moral reasoning (Bush, Walsh, & Rothman, 1981; McDevitt, Lennon, & Kopriva, 1991; Palmer & Hollin, 1996; Speicher, 1992) and makes individuals more likely to view morality as an important aspect of who they are (Hardy et al., 2008). Similarly, teacher warmth is associated with empathy in young children (Kienbaum, 2001). In addition, cultivating stronger student-teacher relationships reduces discipline behavior and enhances students’ sense of attachment to school (Pianta & Hamre, 2001).

Updated 2015

WARMTH AND RESPONSIVENESS