As I’ve written, I always try to explain to students why I want them to do things in class (and not just them to do it) — whether they’re assignments, certain behaviors, or tasks. I don’t always succeed in remembering to do so, but most of the time I do. I think it helps a lot in creating a positive classroom culture.

Recent studies have shown that the idea of “explanation over declaration” also has a positive effect on cognitive development — often telling young people what to do without giving the reasons actually hurts their capacity to learn.

Read more about it at Newsweek.