By: Susan Hansen and Andrea Greene
In 2016 Andrea and I and Carolyn Pierce presented a session on the Power of Expectations at our school district's professional learning conference. As part of that presentation, Andrea tried to synthesize her own experiences as a teacher who sees greatness in every child, with the acronym RELATIONSHIPS. For years we have been wanting to expand on these thoughts as a way to demystify what it means to truly have high expectations and believe students into becoming their true selves. Here is a beginning. Joing us at our monthly Recharge Your Teacher Soul event to contribute to this conversation.
What we fundamentally believe about human nature determines how we treat each other. All the world’s spiritual teachings tell us that humans are created in God’s image, that they are “mines, rich in gems of inestimable values”, that there is gold buried in all of us. When a teacher steps into a classroom with this belief firmly held, it is easy to be asset minded. And it recharges the teacher’s soul! Looking for hidden gems is so much more exciting than spending all day filling empty buckets with a teaspoon, if that’s our conception of students.Our beliefs determine our expectations and our expectations drive our actions. Great teachers see greatness in every child and are able to communicate that belief in words and deeds to their students. Studies that show how teacher belief impacts student performance are not new. But making asset thinking the norm is still a challenge. How do we build the capacity in every teacher to see richness in every child? One way is through specific praise. Instead of calling a teacher great we can name what that teacher is doing. We don’t need myths, we need mentors.
Here is a list of look-fors when it comes to learning from asset-minded teachers:
If you believe yourself to be a teacher that sees greatness in every student, how would you answer these questions? Share your thoughts in the comments.
In 2016 Andrea and I and Carolyn Pierce presented a session on the Power of Expectations at our school district's professional learning conference. As part of that presentation, Andrea tried to synthesize her own experiences as a teacher who sees greatness in every child, with the acronym RELATIONSHIPS. For years we have been wanting to expand on these thoughts as a way to demystify what it means to truly have high expectations and believe students into becoming their true selves. Here is a beginning. Joing us at our monthly Recharge Your Teacher Soul event to contribute to this conversation.
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Here is a list of look-fors when it comes to learning from asset-minded teachers:
- How does this teacher show respect to students in words and actions, even before meeting them?
- How does he communicate success criteria to every student and shows, in words and actions, that he not only expects everyone to achieve it but will help them do it?
- How does she interact with students who are hard to like?
- How does the teacher take time to help a child through an issue?
- In what small ways does the teacher invest in cultivating connections?
- Does the teacher show favoritism?
- Does he or she work to make children feel appreciated and “famous”? How?
- What systems and structures are in place for children to become independent? How is the goal of independence communicated to the students?
- Do you ever hear the teacher speak negatively about a child or their family?
- How does the teacher show and expect integrity in words and deeds?
- What is the nature of the relationship with parents? Are they partners? What does she do to gain the parents’ trust and confidence?
- How are students’ stories received and shared with the whole class?
If you believe yourself to be a teacher that sees greatness in every student, how would you answer these questions? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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