Many students do poorly because they believe they’re incapable.
They’re just not good at school.
And it shows in their lack of enthusiasm toward learning. This in turn causes more failure, which further reinforces this belief.
It’s a never-ending cycle.
Tragically, most teachers make it worse by over-helping, repeating themselves, and dumbing down the material. They may talk about high expectations, but deep down don’t believe many of their students can reach them.
Without realizing it, their behavior all but screams: “You can’t do it!” It’s a message students receive loud and clear.
This isn’t a new phenomenon. In the 1920s, psychologist and teacher Prescott Lecky conducted extensive research into academic success and self-image.
After thousands of experiments with children, he concluded that poor grades in school are nearly always related to a student’s self-concept (i.e. belief in their intelligence or learning ability).
His conclusions have been repeated many times over, most notably by researcher Robert Rosenthal. Now called the Rosenthal effect, it proves that the expectations of the teacher have a dramatic affect on the performance of students.
In other words, if you want to make a profound impact on your students and their academic achievement, you must believe they’re capable of excellence.
I wrote about this in my first book, Dream Class. I feel stronger about the power of this effect, and a teacher’s ability to tap into it, now than I did back then.
In order to make wholesale change in your students, in order to take them from rock bottom to shocking heights, you have to believe in your heart that they can get there. You have to know that they’ve been the product of the low expectations of others.
—Whether from parents, media, community, or other teachers.
They are not who they think they are, and you’re going to prove it to them. And how will you do that? Here are some ideas:
After a lesson, be reluctant to help.
Say often, “You don’t need me.” “You can do this.” “I believe in you.”
Stop coddling.
Extend independent work time.
Teach the whole class instead of individuals.
Have a sink or swim mentality. (They’ll swim if you let them.)
Raise standards and assume they can handle it.
Relentlessly push for more and more each day.
Don’t micromanage.
Be clear and detailed, then shift responsibility.
Accept no excuses.
Most of all, though, you have to believe. Some teachers will never get there. They feel their students are victims who need saving, “justice,” or creature comfort in order to learn.
This is a lie from the pit of Hades.
Unless a student has an intellectual disability, there is no reason for them not to succeed in school. Yes, they have mountains to climb. Some have trauma and tough home lives. Yes, yes, and yes. Agreed.
Although we’re always kind and understanding, and do whatever we can to help remove barriers, the worst thing you can do to them is lower the bar—for any reason.
Education is the way out, over, and through. I don’t mean via college, per se. I mean the ability to read, write, and communicate well, and the confidence to know they can learn anything, is a superpower they can take with them anywhere.
This is but one article. Many related topics, including the ideas above, have been covered extensively on this website and in our books. I encourage you to dig deeper. Use the Search bar at top. Peruse the archive at bottom right.
But just know this about making a difference as a teacher: It begins with you and how you see your students.
If you can make the switch from believing they’re at the mercy of circumstance to smart, capable people who have the power to succeed just as they are, despite it all, their lives will be transformed in nine months.
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On point. Informative article
Sounds like I need a copy of Dream Class.
Absolutely agree 100%. However, when the majority of teachers in lower grades dumb down or coddle, parents are used to seeing inflated grades that are not a true representation of the child’s strength and weaknesses. Then when they do get that teacher that pushes, has high expectations, and promotes a growth mindset attitude, the resistance from students and parents is pretty intense. I’m fighting this now. This is why an admin that has high expectations for all, students and teachers, is so important. Kids will perform to the challenge if they are expected to at an early age.
I firmly believe this. I have taught for years in a very poor district, and have had my successes. This year, I am finally getting success, after last year online, we were well below rock bottom.
I teach middle school, I get them up and going… only to see them fall into that damn pit when they go on to high school. So discouraging. In a small community – you know who makes it.
Excellent advice. I push my students every single day, telling them “I don’t expect perfection but I DO expect excellence”. It is telling, and a little sad, that for many of these 9th graders it’s the first time a teacher has ever said that to them.
I am continually amazed at how my not accepting excuses and demanding their best efforts pays off in the end.
Yes! Yes! Yes! You explained this so clearly. I have learned this from being a SCM reading for many years now and has had a great impact on me. I needed to read this again in the way you explained it today. Thank you for your work and I love the Facebook videos you’ve been doing. Very helpful.
I agree that expectations need to be high. I also think we need to recognize that we have to teach children, using direct, explicit instruction. We are not ‘facilitators’, they are not going to ‘discover’ the information or knowledge by themselves if we simply surround them with high quality resources. They need us to teach the skills, give them accurate and timely feedback, and, as you say, maintain high expectations for all.
Actually “discovery” (I would rather call it inquiry or phenomenon-based) learning has been shown by research to be highly effective in all subject areas. Students need to believe that they can make sense of the world around them. Lessons need to guide students through the process starting at the level where they are and challenge them to transfer their knowledge to new situations. Facilitating at some point in a lesson cycle is exactly what teachers should be doing.
I do this and I’ve seen results. Positive advances in students who didn’t think they could succeed. I observe them dig in to challenging assignments in my classroom, when I give clear directions, step back and watch. I have an IEP meeting coming up for one of these students in middle school. I expect I’ll be asked what accomodations I recommend. Do I dare suggest that said student, in MHO does not need coddling, only the confidence that comes from more than one teacher saying, “You can be successful”? How do we approach this topic with our SPED directors?
I have often wondered if sometimes (not always) IEPs can be an unfortunate crutch. Some students never experience a challenge
nor the joy of overcoming the challenge.
Have you thought of putting the ball in their court? Express how intelligent the student is, focus on his strengths. Praise his competency. Then ask if they believe he is an intelligent person with potential, or just a problem to pass? Then listen. Let them talk themselves to the answer. Let the parents hear their beliefs. They heard your message of hope. Watch how the parents react. Be that student’s advocate. Become the parent’s cheerleaders. Watch that shift the atmosphere. But this will only be effective if you do truly believe this student is capable. If you aren’t sure, just let it run it’s course. It really won’t help to give half-baked hope.
The positive attitude from the teacher rubs on to the learners. Most of your articles that I have read speak of the ways I conduct my classes and I am getting there. I have always believed in my learners even the so called ‘worst learners’. I taught in a special school and my class was a high support one. No one believed that they can, I made a difference and my class started to function because I believed that they can. Your articles are so informative and encouraging, I always look forward to read them, thank you so much.
Exactly, you stated this perfectly. Just wish admin would stop lowering the bar for many of our students.
I was blessed with quite a few exceptional teachers. They shaped who I am today. One teacher, Mr. Rice, lived this blog post each and every day. I was used to getting A’s without studying, but I couldn’t crack a C with study in his class. It was AP biology. When it came time to take AP test, our class all ranked above the 80 percentile. I would have aced the AP biology test except that I misread the clock and never even answered the last question. I did the same on the Praxis a few years later. Never once did I believe I was just naturally smarter than my peers. I knew that had it not been for exceptional teachers that placed the bar at what most considered an impossibly high level, I would have scored on par with my my peers. Me. Rice drew out our abilities. He stretched us. He demanded the impossible. And I suspect that is why he is in an elite class of teacher where ALL of his students become exceptional adults.
As always…On Point!