{"id":5144,"date":"2023-04-01T01:36:07","date_gmt":"2023-04-01T01:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/?p=5144"},"modified":"2024-06-27T15:00:23","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T15:00:23","slug":"high-expectations-for-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/high-expectations-for-students\/","title":{"rendered":"13 Ways to Set High Expectations in the Classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\u27a1\ufe0f Infographic: What are High Expectations?<\/summary>\n
\"high<\/figure>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n
\u27a1\ufe0f Definition of High Expectations<\/summary>\n

High Expectations Definition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Having high expectations means believing students should always strive to achieve their best. Raising expectations is not about being strict or a micro-manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s quite the opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By raising your expectations, students will work hard whether you\u2019re watching them or not. The goal is to create a classroom culture<\/a> of hard work and self-belief.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Below are all 13 examples of how you can set your expectations high in the classroom – with explanations!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Teach about Growth Mindsets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"visualization<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Students need to believe that reward comes from effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too often, we fall into a slump of believing that success or failure is outside of our control. We blame other things, like that our tools were broken or our teacher doesn\u2019t like us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, we should be reinforcing to our students on a daily basis that they are capable of success if they put the effort in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concept of \u2018growth mindsets<\/a>\u2019 comes from Carol Dweck, who after years of research concluded:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe found that students\u2019 mindsets\u2014how they perceive their abilities\u2014played a key role in their motivation and achievement, and we found that if we changed students\u2019 mindsets, we could boost their achievement. More precisely, students who believed their intelligence could be developed (a growth mindset) outperformed those who believed their intelligence was fixed (a fixed mindset<\/a>).\u201d (Dweck, 2015, p. 1)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I believe that the growth mindset does need to be coupled with appropriate teacher scaffolding. Teachers should also show students that there is a reasonable path to success so students always know what their next steps are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To teach your students about growth mindsets, I recommend you start by showing them the video I\u2019ve embedded above. It\u2019s short, motivating and educational all at once. Then, have a discussion with your class about the growth mindsets concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Focus on Effort, not Excellence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"visualization<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We all see overenthusiastic fathers running up and down the side line yelling at their sons every Saturday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I often wonder if those fathers will ever be satisfied unless their son is an Olympic gold medallist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High expectations aren\u2019t about insisting someone is the best at anything. They are entirely about insisting someone tries their best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if a student fails or does an objectively mediocre job, their effort may have been an enormous personal achievement for that child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So separate excellence from effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not saying reward mediocrity. But I am saying reward effort. If a child has genuinely tried their absolute hardest, let them know you\u2019re proud of them for digging deep and trying hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Ask Students to Try Again<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"visualization<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When a student comes to you with completed work that is below what you expect of them, don\u2019t accept it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had a teacher when I was in school who had the highest expectations for neatness in bookwork. Hi idea was something like this: attention to how you present your work reveals how much you care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He used to literally rip pages out of books and send students back to their desk if their work was intentionally messy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember one student once scribbled out a paragraph because he made a mistake. Mr Humphreys was mad. Not because the student made a mistake. But because he intentionally scribbled all over it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The point is this:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a student has been careless or put in less effort than you\u2019d expect of them, take a stand and insist that they only present their best work to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the school year, your students will learn what is passable and what isn\u2019t. And they will set their standards based on the standards you let pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Express Unconditional Positive Regard<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"visualization<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Carl Rogers invented the term \u2018unconditional positive regard<\/a>\u2019. It means that we should show our students that we see them as valuable and capable at all times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can be hard sometimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a student is breaking rules<\/a> or playing up for the day, try to separate their actions out from their identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can say things like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n