Great Expectations

The importance of teacher expectations cannot be overstated in the educational landscape. A teacher's expectations have a profound impact on students, influencing their academic performance, self-esteem, and overall development. When teachers hold high expectations for their students, it signals a belief in their potential and an implicit encouragement for them to strive for excellence. This positive reinforcement can inspire students to set ambitious goals, work diligently, and persevere in the face of challenges.

On the contrary, low expectations may inadvertently limit students' aspirations and hinder their motivation. Research consistently highlights the Pygmalion effect (Rosenthal & Jacobson, 1968), also known as the self-fulfilling prophecy, where students' performance is influenced by the expectations teachers have for them (Pickle, 2019). Therefore, fostering a classroom environment where teachers maintain positive and realistic expectations creates a foundation for student success, contributing significantly to academic achievement and personal growth and mentors can play an essential role in reminding their mentees of the power of teacher expectations.

Also, mentors can guide their mentees in recognizing the significance of teacher expectations. Research in the field of education highlights the power of teacher beliefs and their potential to shape students' educational journeys (Jussim & Harber, 2005). The significance of reminding mentees of the impact of teacher expectations is underscored by the broader understanding of the role expectations play in education. Aside from the landmark work of Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968), Jussim and Harber's (2005) work emphasizes that teacher expectations can become self-fulfilling prophecies, influencing students' attitudes, behavior, and performance.

Though the "Pygmalion effect" is a theoretical constant (Rosenthal & Jacobson, 1968), there are multiple factors that influence higher student achievement. Student motivation, enthusiasm and achievement can be influence by more than teacher expectation. It is not always the case that "you get what you expect.” (Chang, 2011).  Maslow (1943) tells us that before anything can happen with regard to learning, we must address a child’s hierarchy of needs. If their needs are not being met, it does matter what expectations we place on them. An example would be that no student can think about math if they are hungry. There is a saying, “You have to Maslow before you Bloom.” The reference to Bloom (1956) is to the Taxonomy that as educator we so familiar. Maslow (1943) is about basic needs and Bloom (1956) classifies the cognitive domain of learning into varying levels according to complexity and richness.    

Understanding Maslow, Bloom, along with Rosenthal and Jacobsen’s Pygmalion Effect, mentors can be better ready to support their mentee. By creating awareness and promoting the cultivation of positive teacher expectations, mentors enable their mentees to be more intentional and equitable educators.

Until next time...