Great Expectations

From the desk of Leigh Ann . . .

I watched a master teacher at work on the soccer field the other day.  As a great debate ensued over the fairness of game rules, she quietly walked over to mediate.  She asked the children to explain what was going on and quickly realized that not everyone on the field knew the expectations for this game.  She had all the students gather together and asked them to explain the rules for this evolving contest.  The teacher purposefully recapped the rules and asked if everyone agreed.  When a consensus was reached, she put the ball into play and the kids happily played for the rest of the period.  Once the expectations were clear – the outcome was successful.

This set my mind reeling.  There are so many expectations that fall under the umbrella of education.  Politicians, administrators, and parents all have great expectations for our students, but the expectations that affect student learning the most come from us – the teachers on the front lines.  We have to set clear goals for our students to succeed.  They watch our every move and depend on us to set the stage for success.  If we are unclear in communicating appropriate behavior or learning outcomes, our students are left in a bit of a haze.  If we want our great expectations to be filled, we need to communicate them clearly.

Expectations for Behavior – Clear discussions about appropriate behavior should be ongoing.

• Set up a responsible behavior plan with your class.  Discuss why it is important and establish that no one has the right to interfere with anyone else’s learning or feelings of safety.
• Remind students of behavior expectations often.  As you transition from one part of your learning day to the next it is important to review.  “What are the expectations when we are in the hall?  We walk quietly because we respect the learning of others.”  “What are the expectations on the playground?  We play safely and use kind words and actions.”
• Recognize that students need guidance and modeling.  Practice the behavior you expect before engaging in a task.  Have a student model the appropriate silent reading behavior before the children move into their silent reading spots.  Demonstrate what it looks like to be a respectful audience member before going to an assembly.  If we expect students to sit quietly and actively listen during a program, we should model those behaviors.  (That means put up the cell phone and be an active listener too.)
• Revisit expectations with students who need support.  Research shows that teachers’ beliefs about students affect their behavior.  Let students know you believe they can make responsible behavior choices and you are going to help support their efforts.
• Reinforce your expectations with appropriate consequences.  When expectations are met, recognize the positive results and discuss why they were successful.  When the desired outcome is not met, discuss why.  When needed, have an appropriate consequence in place that matches the action.  If a student small group activity fails because the group argues over who will be the recorder or group leader, role play and practice what appropriate dialog would look like.  If the team cannot solve the problem, then they lose the privilege of choosing team roles and you will chose for them.
• Remember that students cannot read our minds.  Make expectations clear.  “We are working silently right now, so that our friends can think clearly about their writing.”

Expectations for Learning – Make directions clear and model desired outcomes.

• Communicate clear and specific directions for each learning opportunity.  Never assume that students understand with the first explanation.
• Create an environment where questions are welcome, growth is nurtured, and differentiation is the norm.  Expectations will be different depending on each student’s developmental needs.  Students need to know that we learn in unique ways.  We all have areas of strength and areas where we need to grow.
• Model exemplary outcomes.  Show students what you hope they will achieve.  Read a quality piece of student writing to show children the expected goal.  Show examples of past projects and discuss why they met the criteria for success.
• Utilize open-ended rubrics.  These allow teachers to set up structure while still allowing for creativity.  A rubric defines in writing the criteria for an assignment and lets students know the desired outcomes upfront.  Rubrics are great tools for students to understand guidelines and for teachers to provide assessment.  Check out:  www.rubrics4teachers.com  for some examples.
• Interact with students during the process.  Let them know what is working and where they need to re-think and re-work.  Perseverance and process are as important as creating a successful product.
• Remember our students are not mind readers.  Don’t expect students to automatically know what a quality piece of writing looks like or know how to explain their work when solving a math problem.  We have to show them over and over again – and our methods will evolve along with their skills.

Teachers are expected to captivate and cultivate the young minds of our students.  Each young mind comes to us with different needs, outlooks, and aspirations.  Each student is unique, but all look to us to clearly define the expectations for a successful learning day.  We must actively and clearly share our behavior expectations and learning expectations to achieve the desired outcomes.  If this becomes the norm in our classrooms, then hopefully we can awaken the desire in our students to cultivate their own high expectations.

Let’s make the expectation the reality!