I have high expectations of myself with regards to how I teach and how I lead my life. Similarly, I have high expectations for the people I work with, be it a co-teacher or a partner on a project Unfortunately, having these high expectations could sometimes lead to disappointment because they do not achieve the expectations I have set in my mind or perhaps the expectations I had for them were set too high.
A teacher’s beliefs about students’ chances of success in school influence the teacher’s actions with students, which in turn influence students’ achievement (Marzano 162). Since these high expectations play an important role in education, it is important to have them for all your students. The reason why I bolded "all" is because a common mistake a novice teacher can make is to just focus on students who already do well in school and/or cause little problems in class. When teachers label a student as "bad" or "lazy" they tend to ignore them and have very low expectations in what they can accomplish. The Pygmalion (Rosenthal) effect states that people will perform the way you expect them to. So, if you expect little from a weak student, he will most probably do little. Truth be told, these are the students who really need your attention and by projecting high expectation from them as well, you can motivate them to achieve more and lead them to a brighter academic future.
So what are some ways we can get our students to achieve these high expectations?
1. Create a environment conducive to learning in the classroom. Teachers must make sure it is filled with positiveness, respect, and support (Hermes). When students feel comfortable they are more willing to work harder and try to achieve their teacher's expectations.
2. Increase the input you give to students because it shows that you expect more from them
3. Ask lots of questions and expect the student output to be high. Help those who may need help by asking the question in another way. Don't give up on the student! Answer using positive feedback and constructive criticism. Never make them feel ashamed of what they have to say.
4. Always encourage to go a little further. Students will need your support when faced with tasks you expect them to do but that they are unsure of. By guiding them, they can accomplish more things.
5. Look for students strengths and use them to accomplish tasks that they may not be comfortable with.
6. Engage students in a challenging, fast paced curriculum produces academic and social outcomes.Activities that encourage critical thinking, problem solving and decision making. Through project based learning your students will want to set their expectations high because they will be a part of the group and they will be producing work that they have a say in and reflect the group as a whole.
When it comes to goal setting in the classroom, the most important thing is for the teacher to ensure that these goals are realistic and achievable. If the goals are unattainable, the students will lose interest and perhaps feel that they do not have the skills to do so. The students should be aware of the barriers that they will face and that you are there to guide them through the task. The point of doing any project is not to please the teacher but to have the students feel proud of what they have accomplished.
Pride in ones work is another facet that the teachers should instill into their students. The quality of work you put in shows how conscientious you are (Muchnick). One thing that I can't stand is when students hand in assignments that are either ripped, with poor handwriting or done with little effort put in. I always try to explain to my students that the work they hand in is a reflection of themselves. If that doesn't work, I tell them that I will take a picture of their work and send it to their parents...that usually does the trick :) The teacher should lead by example. Have pride in yourself, the way you dress, the way you teach, the way you interact with your students and they will follow suit.
References
Hermes, Andes "High Expectations in the Classroom" retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_7935069_high-expectations-classroom.html
Marzano, Robert J. (2007) The Art and Science of teaching: A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction. Alexandria, VA :ASCD
http://www.netplaces.com/study-skills/teachers-are-people-too/take-pride-in-your-work.htm
Comments on project
The project was well done and no big problems occurred. During the VC last Tuesday, we delegated the various parts we wanted to cover and I created a Glogster site that we all collaborated on. I think the next time I do a project and have a choice between Glogster and Pictochart I'd choose the latter because with Glogster you are limited to one page while Pictochart allows you to create multiple pages. Our project is short (compared to the ones who used Pictochart) but I think its concise and covers the areas we had to cover. I also created a Google Doc that we could share ideas on (although it wasn't used much). Everybody contributed equally to the project. I guess the only real problem was with Richard because he is presently living in China and his access to the internet is very sketchy so it made it a little difficult to keep in touch. Overaall, I think the group did well.
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