“Be kind. Be patient. Be supportive.”

We talk a lot about expectations in education. We signal both the need for high expectations and the danger of low expectations. But nearly always, the buzz is around teachers’ expectations for kids, not kids’ expectations for teachers. Yesterday, I decided to explore the topic a bit, starting with my #MyRoomMessage.

But the more I reread my own words and the more I thought about the idea of reciprocity with expectations, the more I found myself wondering, “What do kids expect from us?” So, I decided to ask them. At the end of each period, I asked the kids to share on a sticky note what they expected from teachers.

Of course, answers varied, but three common ideas emerged as I read through the sticky notes. Students expect us to be kind, patient, and supportive. And while I imagine these are considered given, the kids led me to believe they may not be as “given” as we think. And this gives me pause. These are not unreasonable expectations. As a parent, learner, human, I, too, share these expectations for the person at the front of the room, and while I do not believe any teachers would willfully be otherwise, I do know that these three essential elements are not always in play. But, I blame the game here more than the player. I point my finger at a system so focused on the business that they’ve seem to have forgotten about the customers–the humans in the room. Kids. Kids want to learn. I believe this. But to learn is to trust, and kids aren’t going to trust someone who can’t meet their basic needs: kindness, patience, and support.

In the system, if kids are not meeting our expectations we pour abundant resources into addressing the shortfall. But it seems, then, we should do the same for the shortfall of the system when it fails to meet the expectations of the kids, and this leads me to believe that perhaps the path is meeting kids’ expectations rather than always and only responding when they don’t meet ours. We’ve worn out the latter. Maybe it’s time we focus on the former if we really want to change education. Maybe instead of worrying about teaching kids to listen, we need to learn to listen to learn.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…completing and submitting a draft.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.