Warm Demander

Professional teacher training in the United States has evolved a great deal since the first schools devoted to pedagogy were founded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The English-speaking teachers of the world before that time were overwhelmingly male and likely to be clergy, local magistrates, or both. Aside from basic literacy, the primary pre-qualifications centered on the candidate’s moral character, even for educators serving in local government. Imagine! For this reason, among many others, early American education bore an unmistakably Christian identity.

Teachers’ personal character, much like many other moral indicators in today’s post-Christian society, is now regarded as subjective by modern training programs (if one’s moral character is even considered at all). A teacher’s philosophy, morality, and fundamental motivations are often downplayed. Without a shared set of core values and objectives, schools and their faculties can come to resemble Israel in the days of the judges; every teacher doing what is right in his or her own eyes. God help us!

Though heavily influenced by intersectionality and constructivism (i.e. truth is created by each individual, rather than being uncovered through inquiry), up-and-coming teachers are still taught a certain code of conduct, for the sake of effectiveness if not holiness. Many of these ideals are borrowed, often unwittingly, from the Christian worldview.

For example, Judith Kleinfeld, an educational psychologist at the University of Alaska, coined the term warm demander in a 1975 publication for The School Review. Kleinfeld, and a multitude of others, have categorized teachers according to two criteria: relational investment in students and expectations for learning. The coordination of these two measures places every teacher in one of four quadrants (this short article explains this in more detail). The warm demander pairs high expectations with a high level of relational investment. These teachers hold students accountable for academic effort and growth while remaining gentle, approachable, and supportive. Students thrive when teachers do both. Indeed, research has clearly shown that students want their teachers to conduct their classrooms in this way.

What’s more, scripture reveals that God perfectly upholds both of these ideals throughout redemptive history. Beginning with Genesis 2:15 (i.e., before the fall), God has set clear expectations for his people. After man sinned, God progressively revealed how we could still relate to him by faith. The New Testament is abundantly clear that God still holds high expectations for how his people live (e.g. Matthew 22:34-40; Romans 12:9-21). Yet we are also encouraged to approach the throne of grace without fear because Christ our high priest identifies with us (Hebrews 4:14-16). In short, the qualities of a warm demander, found in the most effective teachers, are reflections of God’s own loving character.

These are the goalposts for teachers at Enlightium Academy. As our faculty members seek to honor Christ as warm demanders in the virtual classroom, I also encourage parents to prayerfully consider how the same principles could apply to their support for learning at home.

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Since 2003, Enlightium faculty and staff have served partner schools, online, and homeschool K-12 students. With parental support, excellent instruction, and a personalized approach to learning, Enlightium equips students with the academic, spiritual, physical, social, and emotional skills they need to succeed in life. For any other questions about Enlightium, please call (509) 319-2288 or visit EnlightiumAcademy.com.