Not too long ago my niece got into a disagreement with one of her friends. Her parents were talking to her about her behavior, and she apologized but it wasn’t sincere. Just before the conversation ended, her mom says, “I’m going to tell your aunt.” She burst out into tears, and asked them to not tell me. She said that she just didn’t want to disappoint me. She loves me and always wants to make me proud of her. Children have a unique ability to determine what expectations you have for them, and rise to that level of expectation. If you don’t expect much…They don’t give you much. If they know you love them, and you have high expectations for them…They will give you the world (or at least the very best that they have to give). They see what’s in your eyes, and they feel what’s in your heart. If what you display externally conflicts what you really feel internally, they’ll always know. They have a tendency to respond to what you feel inside. Children have a true gift of discernment. They also know if the expectations you have for them are different from their classmates. I’ve always learned that you have to see a thing in your mind before you can actually see it manifest. It’s very similar to a business or school having a vision statement. You have to dream the end result you want to see, and then begin to work in that direction. What type of vision do you see for your students? Where do your expectations lie for their growth and success? What does that picture look like for the student with the most challenging behavior?
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AuthorJuantonia Hill is the Math Instructional Coach for Southfield Public Schools. This blog represents the latest headline story inside of the monthly edition of Teacher Talk. Archives
March 2015
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