When you walk through the halls of almost any secondary school, you will observe students engaged in a variety of activities as you peek into classrooms. In some, students are allowed to sleep or to chat with their friends because they have finished their classwork for the day, while in others you will find active students rushing to finish their assignments before the class ends.
What creates this difference in classroom activity? Why do some students become self-disciplined learners early in their school careers, while others never achieve more than just enough to get by? Why is one classroom a place where students have nothing better to do than rest (and be disruptive), while in others students have so much to do that they have to hurry to get it all done before the class is over?
The chief difference in these classes is not in the students nor is it in the subject matter. Instead, one of the biggest differences between teachers whose students perform well and those whose students perform poorly lies in the expectations that teachers have for their students. In many classrooms students do not reach their academic or behavioral potential because their teachers are satisfied with poor performance.
When teachers begin with the basic belief that their students are capable of doing meaningful work of high quality, they set the stage for a productive classroom environment. This is the first step in an important cycle of belief and behavior that permeates successful classrooms, promoting self-disciplined behavior in the students fortunate enough to be in those classes. Here’s how this cycle works.
Teachers Believe Their Students Are Capable of the Successful Mastery of the Material They Plan to Teach
Common sense indicates that if teachers don’t believe students are going to do well on an assignment, then they are just not going to deliver the kinds of well-structured lessons that students need to learn. These teachers are also not going to provide the supportive learning environment that will help motivate students to succeed.
Teachers Communicate Their Expectations to Students
We communicate our expectations for success to our students through a number of ways. The most important one is, of course, providing them with challenging work to do. When students have enough meaningful, accomplishable, and challenging work, then they are going to achieve at a higher performance level than those students whose teachers do not communicate their expectations for success.
Our Expectations Indicate to Our Students That We Are Confident in Their Ability to Do Well
When we show our students that we have confidence in their ability to do the work we have planned for them, then we send a clear message to them that they are capable learners. Many students are crippled by a lack of confidence in their ability to do well in school. Some give up early and turn into at-risk students. Far too many others struggle on half-heartedly, never really learning or achieving very much. Still others, though, have teachers who convince them that they are good students who are capable of worthwhile efforts. These students are successful.
If Students Are Confident of Their Ability to Succeed, They Try Harder
Once students perceive that we regard them as capable and are willing to help them do their work, then they will soon assimilate this belief for themselves. Research and common sense both show that students who believe they can achieve at high performance levels will find it easier to keep on trying until they become successful.
When Students Start Achieving at Higher Levels, the Success Cycle Created by Expectations Begins Again Because Teachers Continue to Expect Students to Be Capable Learners Once More
Although it is easier to teach students who are ready for a challenge, the cycle of successful high expectations for both academic and behavioral success must begin with the teacher. When we give students the opportunities to succeed that will motivate them to try even harder, we are creating the kind of positive classroom climate that will help them all continue to move towards being self-directed learners.
