How To Command Respect From Students

Have you ever noticed that some teachers don’t have to work as hard at classroom management?

Certain teachers can walk into a classroom, and almost magically, the students become calmer, more mature, and more receptive in their presence.

These teachers may use the same classroom management plan as everybody else, but somehow, year after year, their students are always better behaved.

What are they doing differently?

The answer to that question is this week’s topic. By virtue of how they communicate with students, both verbally and non-verbally, some teachers are able to command an almost effortless respect.

Lessons From The Dog Whisperer

Have you ever watched the television show “The Dog Whisperer?” When Cesar Milan enters a house to work with an unruly dog, the dog knows within seconds who is in charge. You can see it in the dog’s eyes and body language.

It’s amazing to watch.

Cesar is able to command respect from a dog he has never met before just by the way he walks into a room. Forgive me for comparing dogs to students, but in this one regard, the comparison is accurate.

Students, too, know whether you’re in charge or not as soon as you enter the classroom. The way you present yourself in front of them has a profound effect on their behavior and the ease in which you are able to manage your classroom.

10 Ways To Command Respect

To command respect from students, you don’t have to be born with a royal bloodline or have the bearing of a drill sergeant. And you don’t have to have any magical powers.

Follow the guidelines below, however, and it will appear that you do.

1. Use confident body language. Keep your head up, shoulders back, and look directly at students when speaking with them. Confident behavior earns immediate respect.

2. Slow down. Rushing around creates negative, excitable energy and makes you appear as if you’re not in control. Work on moving efficiently and gracefully.

3. Be decisive. Don’t argue with students, appear wishy-washy, or let them dictate your response to misbehavior. Make decisions quickly and then move on.

4. Pause before speaking. Always wait until every student is attentive and looking at you before giving instructions. This shifts control to you and adds more importance to whatever you say.

5. Do exactly what you say you will do, especially when it comes to your classroom management plan. Your students will respect this above all else.

6. Practice brevity. Talk less and your words will mean more.

7. Keep your cool. When you overreact, yell, or lose emotional control, you provide a poor model for your students. And they’ll lose respect for you because of it.

8. Listen. Let your students speak and wait until they finish before responding. If you don’t respect them and what they have to contribute to your classroom… they won’t respect you.

9. Be prepared. Your students won’t respect a leader who is unorganized, has poor time management, or is not in complete control of the classroom.

10. Radiate confidence. Like dogs, children can sense fear a mile away and will prey upon it if given the opportunity. If you’re feeling unsure of yourself, practice confident body language until you begin to feel it on the inside.

Students quickly clue in to behavior that appears weak and not worthy of following. A teacher who doesn’t command respect will always have a more difficult time with classroom management.

On the other hand, most students are craving for a leader, for someone to look up to. So when a teacher comes into their life that displays the qualities they respect, they bend over backwards trying to please her/him.

Practice the ten points listed above and be cognizant of the image you’re projecting to your students, and you’ll notice a big difference in how they respond to you.

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