Teacher and Student Expectation
Teachers are part entertainers, part intellectuals, part soothsayers. Many teachers believe that they can predict how students will achieve and behave just by fleeting first impressions on the first day of school.
What causes teacher to form such a rapid opinion? Numerous aspects like, height, weight, gender, race, ethnicity, first name, last name, attractiveness, dialect, first language, class, and parent occupation, all contribute to teacher expectations.
If then indeed, first impressions are lasting impressions, how do teachers express their expectations? By the climate they create in the classroom, by the feedback they give to the students, by the way they teach, and by the responses they elicit.
This kind of self-fulfilling prophecy can be a two-way street. Students form expectations of teachers. Students want teachers who give them a chance. Students want teachers who don’t judge them without merit. Students want teachers who are patience, knowledgeable, organized, and fair.
To test yourself on what kind of a teacher you are, ask yourself this question:
Who were my favorites students and why?
To test yourself on what kind of a student you are, ask yourself this question:
Who was my favorite teacher and why?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Jeanne, I listen carefully to what you say and will heed it your advice; I know you're a well-seasoned teacher! The quote you posted last spoke volumes to me.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that I had considered the weight of first impressions in the classroom, though I will from now on. Especially with high school students; they notice everything and forget nothing. First impressions are very important.
Teachers are indeed soothsayers; thank you for saying it.
What wonderful questions for both students and teachers!
ReplyDeleteActually, questioning one's first impressions is something everyone should do. It is too easy to dismiss someone because of personal biases, whether they be conscious or subconscious.