Requests work better than orders, even when we’re asking or ordering ourselves is the title of an article about the results of a new study.

I think the study is actually a bit strange, but it’s a good reminder of what most teachers know — asking students to do something (“John, can you please sit down?”) works a lot better than ordering them (“Sit down!”).

I was feeling a bit under the weather yesterday, and it was hard for me to remember that. I think it’s a universal fact that ninth-graders can sense weakness, and quickly move in for the “kill” 🙂