Set the Bar High

It is a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it!—W. Somerset Maugham

This simple platitude seems obvious and lacks the profundity of more abstruse observations, but therein lies its puissance. We as teachers have the obligation and responsibility to expect the best from each of our students, as well as from ourselves. When we refuse to accept anything but the best, we set our expectations high. In the end, after all objections and deliberations have been exhausted, individuals will rise to the level that is expected of them.

Minimal expectations are abound in education, and provide the framework for achievement. For example, at the national level, teachers are expected to leave no child behind. At the state level, students are expected to pass their exit-level exams to graduate. At the local level, teachers are expected to be proficient in their subject area. In the classroom, students are expected to come to class with a pencil. These minimal expectations establish the rudiments of accountability in the profession, but the real difference is made when these expectations are raised beyond what legislation and funding or budgeting mandate. It happens at the most personal level, in the classroom, when we as educators expect more than what is required, when we expect more than what even the students believe they are capable of doing.

For student learning, teachers must set high, almost idealistic expectations for students. Most students by nature are very adept at doing precisely what they need to do to meet a teacher’s standards. Setting the ceiling too low can cause students to become complacent and unmotivated. Thomas Fuller expressed it well: “Good is not good, where better is expected.” Expectations are everything. A good teacher has high expectations for the student, but the great teacher arouses the student’s own expectations. The daily, personal interactions between teacher and student provide one of the most significant opportunities to positively influence the life of a child, but the channels of learning cannot be opened without first establishing relationships and trust. Relationships cannot be built without mutual respect. Mutual respect comes from establishing and maintaining clear expectations for teacher and student alike. On the surface, students expect teachers to show up for class regularly, dress appropriately, know their subject, and admit their mistakes. Teachers expect students to make it to class on time with their materials, participate in their own learning, follow rules, and do their homework. But students also expect their teacher to love kids, to be kind, have a sense of humor, to be fair, to care, and provide them with a safe learning environment. Teachers expect their students to develop a passion for learning, to develop critical thinking skills, to acquire problem solving abilities, to exhibit group concern, and to be tenacious and persistent in the face of adversity. Excellence is expected.

Although high expectations give us all something to continually strive for, experience tells us that we must also be realistic in the possibility of falling short of them. Some goals have uncertain outcomes, while others have more predictable outcomes. So, what can we as teachers expect for ourselves? We can expect a dedication to continual excellence, to constant self-improvement, to life-long learning, and to a life of purpose and meaning. We can expect to work many thankless hours. Expect change. Expect intense highs and joys. Expect disappointing lows. Expect frustration. Expect fire drills in the middle of a test. Expect school pride. Expect to behave yourself in public. Expect to have the heart of a servant. Expect new educational standards and legislation. Expect success. Expect to cry tears of joy. Expect to cry tears of sorrow. Expect to laugh. Expect to laugh a lot. Expect to acknowledge your mistakes and limitations. Expect technology to continue to advance rapidly. Expect to make the required relationships with each student to open the channels of learning. Expect to make a fool of yourself. Expect your passion to rub off on students. Expect high blood pressure. Expect to teach outside your comfort zone. Expect a masterpiece. Expect high-drama. Expect in-services. Expect to learn every day. Expect the best from each and every student. Expect the best from yourself. Expect that not everyone will learn it the first time, or the second time, or the third time. Expect to be moved by the spirit of a pep rally. Expect to memorize 120 new names each year. Expect to know your pharmacist well. Expect to buy red pens in bulk. Expect to have a chalk line across the back of your pants or overhead marker stain down the side of your wrist. Expect many of the students to drive a newer car than you. Expect part of your salary to go for supplies for your class. Expect students to look up to you. Expect miracles. Expect that you will positively influence each of your students. Expect your students never to forget you. Expect to get tired and weary. Expect to persevere. Expect that some days will be better than others. Expect a better day tomorrow.

Ultimately, the success of public education lies in the success of the students it prepares, which lies in the hands of the teachers who prepare them. Maintaining high standards in the classroom each and everyday can be a difficult and demanding task, but we can derive our energy in the belief of the magnitude and importance of our vocations. We can find strength in the hope for tomorrow. As Thoreau so eloquently stated, “we must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aid, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn.” Our expectations, then, become both a source of our languor and a source of our vitality.