Authority Statements
Authority statements are used to call on your authority to ask students to do something. Or when there is something you want to tell the students you disapprove of something they do. Tell the student the behavior for which you disapprove and give a rationale for it. Make sure the student is aware you disapprove of what the student did not the student themselves. An I statement might be more appropriate.
Suggestions:
An authority statement should:
- Focus on what the student should do.
- Be specific, short, and to the point.
- State it in a positive way. Specifically say what the student is to do.
- Tell the students what to do rather than what not to do. If you want the student to stop a behavior, say, "Stop", rather than "Don't do ...(what ever)."
- Use a firm tone of voice.
- Speak so the person realizes you expect it to happen.
- Avoid a critical tone or inflection.
- Use an assertive stance both verbal and nonverbal.
- Be consistent, sound like a broken record, and follow through.
- Please is polite. Make sure when you say it you do not sound like you are pleading.
- If you give a rationale be specific, and positive.
- If you choose to negotiate, you will decrease your authority, which is appropriate at times, but not always.
Examples:
- In five minutes we will clean up and then we will go outside.
- Walk.
- Stay on the sidewalk, walk, and stop at the end of the block.
- Feet on the floor.
- Hold the puppy gently.
- Talk to Jim. Tell him what you want.
- Stop.
- Walk on the sidewalk.
- Sit down. (mentally count to five and if he/she didn't, repeat ) Sit down. (May want to start moving toward the person, mentally count to three and if he/she isn't sitting, repeat ) Sit down. (Stop half way to the student and if s/he isn't sitting, repeat.) and wait until s/he is sitting or keep repeating (broken record).
- Use words. (As opposed to - don't hit, bite, kick.)
- Please put the blocks away now. (I see you left the blocks out.)
- I cannot allow you to hurt her. (I see you hit Angela.) What were you trying to tell her? (Rather than why did you hit her?)
- Tell Emily how that felt when she hit you.
- Tell me what else you could have done to get what you wanted.
You may also use a Hobson's choice. A Hobson's choice is really no choice at all.
The story goes that Hobson owned a livery stable and had a system of numbering his horses from good to bad with the number one horse, being the best, having the number one and the number two horse, being the second best, having the number two and so on.
Everyone that came in to rent a horse asked him for his best horse. So he would give them the number one horse. Well it didn't take long before his good horses were becoming not so good. So he decided on a different plan.
After a customer left with the number one horse he would go to the stalls and move all the horses up a stall. Putting the number two horse into the first stall and so forth. Then when the number one horse returned he would move it to the last numbered stall.
When the next customer would arrive and ask for his best horse he would answer, You can have my number one horse. Since the horses were being rotated the customers were not being given a choice. Hence the term Hobson choice.
Examples:
- You can do it now, or you can do it at recess.
- Shake hands, or kiss and make-up.