Teachers do not want to sound bossy because they will lose the respect of the students. Students find unsympathetic and poorly communicating teachers to be the least desirable teachers, and students who do not like the teacher are less likely to behave in the classroom. Mutual respect can create a positive learning environment. Students still need to understand that teachers are the authority and controls the direction of the class and determines the grades that people receive. It does not mean someone who bosses students around, but rather someone who leads students.
Teachers can make themselves sound less authoritarian by creating an objective set of rules that students must consistently follow. Under this method, the teacher does not order the students around but simply enforces the rules. The teacher can even negotiate with the students over some of the rules so the students feel they chose them. In addition, the rules allow teachers to make quick decisions. Teachers have specific rules to follow and can defer to these rules, instead of coming up with individualized responses to student actions on the fly, which can slow down class momentum and come across as unfair to the students. The most effective form of rule creation is telling the students what the teacher considers to be classroom ideals.
Teachers should consistently apply rules and should not let small infractions of rules slide. For example, a teacher might let a student finish reading a page of a newspaper after the class begins. This may cause the student to read the newspaper for longer periods each class. Therefore, teachers should immediately address behavior before it gets out of hand.
Teachers must create an environment that is effective and conducive to learning. Simple things, such as the arrangement of the class, can influence how much work gets done, including the arrangement of desks and the placement of each student in a class. Poorly arranged desks can trap students when they move throughout the classroom to go to the bathroom or walk up to the teacher's desk. A student might place her backpack on the ground, blocking another student's way and requiring that student to find an alternative route. In addition, placing talkative students next to each other can increase the chances that they will disrupt the class.