Lower expectations from teachers only seeds low expectations for students, higher expectations give already high achieving students an overall competitive advantage. Our education system seems so unfair, doesn’t it? But… it supposed to be free and equal to all, clearly there continues to be a dividing gap in our schooling system for many reasons, it is never an easy discussion of topic. Especially because it may feel like we are pointing fingers, its someone’s fault, right? As the emergent teacher it is hard to grasp the concept that I hold the power to make a difference in young people’s lives and changing this divide through my own expectations. My actions can determine the outcomes of this continual educational gap for our young tamariki.
Wealth and poverty have continued to grow within New Zealand among those that have and those that have not. This gap between schools within New Zealand have continued to grow as well, each run as a separate entity. If schools were fair, why do students continue to travel distances to attend schools not within their neighborhoods. And those schools with lower deciles hard to overcome stigma that is associated with being a lower decile? Schools are dependent on local board of trustees and the school body within to run day to day school life. This is known as the law of school choice. Schools have the right to choose governance and laws for students to abide by in order to benefit them as a whole. In a social market the Government encourages uniformed standards that offer all students and equal chance to schooling. The culture of the school is important in order to lift students achievements and access to basic needs to ensure students come to school ready to learn. Professional development must be implemented among educators in order to benefit our children and to further encourage learning, though there continues to be a divide in our schools within those that achieve and those that do not (Gordon, 2003). So what are schools doing right and what are schools doing so wrong?
Interestingly today in class we read an article that grouped Asians with Pakeha, and stereotyped Asians as being the highest achievers in Mathematics, sounds about right? For one I am a first-generation Kiwi born Khmer person so Asian in short terms, I hate Maths and dropped it in Year 12 after it was no longer compulsory. This effect of pigeon holing is another reason why we fail, pigeon hole students to do subjects that us Asians are supposedly good at? Because of my skin colour? I have seen on Practicum at a higher decile school student are navigated to go to overseas universities or local universities where at lower decile schools’ students are pathway into trades or to courses with a mere 5% if that going to University? Not to say trades is less of a job that going to University as my husband is a builder so not disrespect but we are pigeonholing students and giving them or not giving access to certain jobs and services before they even start their adult life.
“We’re just teaching them for ‘Achieved’. They are not capable of ‘Excellence” (Turner, Rubie-Davies, Webber & NZ J Educ Stud, 2015). This statement enrages me but all too often this is shared among many educators and it is wrong, we are all capable of reaching for the stars. I have read we are all born creative geniuses and beautiful minds, but our education will be the unmaking or concurring of this brilliance (Anand, J & Anand, 2015). Maybe next time when we are in the classroom we should ask ourselves what are we doing to change the gap or are we continuing to widen the gap between our haves and have not’s.
Take a page out of the relentless principle, we as teachers can make all the difference in a students life! “I don’t want my teachers to teach out of obligation, you don’t need to be here. Go somewhere else!”
– The Relentless Principle.
Reference
Anand, D. J. S., & Anand, P. M. S. (2015). Genius: Our Lost Priority! Studying the Imperatives of Education. Language in India, 15(5), 407–416. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=102787162&site=eds-live
Gordon, L. (2003). School Choice and the Social Market in New Zealand: education reform in an era of increasing inequality. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 13(1), 17. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=11674627&site=eds-live
Turner, H., Rubie-Davies, C.M. & Webber, M. NZ J Educ Stud (2015) 50: 55. https://doi-org.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/10.1007/s40841-015-0004-1
Diary of the beginner teacher... 
High and Low Expectation Teaching
The issue you raise of teacher expectations can have a tremendous impact on students. As you pointed out, student ethnicity can be a factor in shaping teacher expectations. This bias is frequently contested by teachers-
Some teachers denied ethnicity was a factor in their expectations and stated they did not notice the ethnicity of their students. (Turner, Rubie-Davies & Webber, 2015)
In light of this potential bias, it seems pertinent to question what impact teacher’s expectations can have on their teaching and students?
Rubie-Davies(2014) cites a link between prior achievement and expectation which can affect-
… how the teacher groups the students, what learning experiences are provided for the students, how likely the teacher believes it is that the students will achieve the learning outcomes planned, whether or not the teacher feels she/he will be able to effectively teach these students, and what type of behaviour management plan is to be instituted.(p.16)
While on practicum, I heard negative comments by some teachers who had predetermined the achievement outcomes of students prior to sitting their exams. It was troubling to notice such low expectations and to sense that some teachers had “given up” on their students. Yet, it is not only the expectations or belief in student ability which can be diminished. Rubie-Davies(2014) notes that teacher perception of students’ effort is frequently inaccurate with high-achieving students perceived to have worked harder than their lower-achieving peers.
Rubie-Davies(2014) believes that in order to alter and improve expectations, it is vital to focus on teacher difference rather than student difference. Rubie-Davies(2014) notes the differences in pedagogy between high expectation teachers and low expectation teachers. High expectation teachers tend to have a facilitative, rather than directive approach in the classroom, and scaffold student learning more by connecting new concepts to prior knowledge (Rubie-Davies, 2014). They more frequently ask open questions to encourage students to recall information and make inferences(Rubie-Davies, 2014). Also, high expectation teachers give more feedback to reinforce student learning and foster student awareness of their own progress and the next steps required for learning (Rubie-Davies, 2014). She is against ability grouping both within and between classes as it can influence teachers’ expectations and practice-
Differential teaching interactions result from ability grouping, with negative consequences for many, and students are given different learning opportunities, depending on their group. (Rubie-Davies, 2017, p.147)
In a survey of fifteen Christchurch high schools, it was concluded that ability grouping meant teachers may not develop necessary skills for teaching students with a varying range of abilities and established that there were no positive consequences for Maori, Pasifika, ESOL or average students(Hornby & Witte, 2014).
Rubie-Davies highlights how student self-belief, in terms of their academic potential, can be contingent on teacher expectation-
….when students accept their teachers’ expectations for them, or they are provided with learning opportunities only at a particular level, they are likely to achieve at the level expected. Further, the verbal and non-verbal messages that students receive, which also portray their teachers’ expectations, are likely to have effects on students’ self-beliefs. In turn, students’ self-beliefs may influence their motivation and engagement in class. (Rubie-Davies, 2014, p.16)
However, there are measures which teachers can put in place to mitigate this damage and bolster student self-belief and learning. High expectation teaching is one such measure. Rubie-Davies(2017) believes that teachers need to build a safe, supportive and collaborative classroom environment which is focused on the individual setting of goals and mastering of skills, rather than ability –
Students become highly motivated as they strive to meet their own goals without the burden of comparison, and in an environment where all are challenged and supported. (p.148)
Rubie-Davies(2017) further points out that teachers need to continuously check their own interactions with students to ensure fair treatment for everyone in the classroom. She recommends teachers videoing lessons which can then be shared with colleagues and school management, with the condition that teachers themselves “feel supported and safe” (Rubie-Davies, 2017).
The right environment and support is important, but higher expectations of ourselves is essential to implementing a change.
References
Hornby, G., & Witte, C. (2014). Ability grouping in New Zealand high schools: Are practices evidence-based? Preventing school failure: Alternative education for children and youth, 58(2), 90–95. DOI: 10.1080/1045988X.2013.782531
Rubie-Davies, C.(2014). Becoming a High Expectation Teacher: Raising the Bar. Routledge.
Retrieved from: http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/aut/detail.action?docID=1766866.
Rubie-Davies, C.M.(2017).Teacher Expectations in Education. Routledge.
Retrieved from:http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/aut/detail.action?docID=4978959.
Turner, H., Rubie-Davies, C. M., & Webber, M. (2015) Teacher Expectations, Ethnicity and the Achievement Gap. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies.
Retrieved from https://doi-org.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/10.1007/s40841-015-0004-1
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I agree, Anna that there is a gap in the education system. But it has existed since colonisation. To bring equality the “Education Act 1877 was positioned as a state apparatus” (Carpenter, 2009) as it focused on equality of access only, denying equality of opportunity thus reproducing the “status quo” in the economy which is present till today. Thrupp (2007) further illustrated a plethora of ways of increasing the power of the upper class and middle class interests in education as parents for their children to do well, as teachers and principals to enroll rich children into school and make good progress as successful practitioners and as education policymakers and researchers of claiming to have solutions to working-class disadvantage in education which don’t threaten middle-class advantages to get status and career rewards. Interesting, how monopoly power is which I believe is partly to be accounted for. Can we remove this entirely? I don’t think so. But what I believe and stated by Carpenter “teachers have a great deal of power and can make positive differences.” Although, not “the whole solution yet teachers are very large part” and as a professional duty of care poor student’s situation must be understood, and something must be done about it along with “a very powerful place in the making a difference agenda.
Additionally, I am a follower of Hamish Brewer and have watched all his videos; It is amazing how he transformed a low socio-economic school overdosed with poverty, malnutrition, hunger, drugs and so much more into achieving excellence. It also reminded me of an incidence during the Olympic Games and I had my year 12 requesting to watch this rugby 7s game. I had gone out of my way to get everything organized for the whole school as the school did not have the facilities with the help of my students and few colleagues and guess what we all celebrated the victory together. I stood back and wondered how these kids enjoyed every moment of the game and during the break, students thanked me which was so satisfying. I trust that students remain our core product, and how we present our final unique products to society is partly our reflection. Inequality in the education system can not be eliminated, however, assisting students to prepare for what life is going to give them would make sense to low socio-economic students. C.S. Lewis quoted “you can’t go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending” as a teacher.
Reference;
Carpenter, V. M. (2009). Education, teachers and the Children of the poor.
Researching Professional’s Symposium. School of Education, University of Otago, p1-9.
Click to access CarpenterDed09pdf%20%281%29.pdf
Thrupp, M. (2007). Education’s Inconvenient truth: Persistent middle-class advantage. Waikato Journal of education, 13, pp.253-271
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I feel you on this one, Anna. Students mindsets are highly malleable throughout high school and teachers hold a key role in shaping how these students think of themselves. They way teachers perceive students potential can ultimately contribute to their potential to succeed. I find it funny how sometimes, teachers are oblivious to what students actually understand about their bias thoughts or low expectations because the reality is, students sense negative attitudes all too well. I mean, they deal with exposing ‘fake people’ all the time. I myself have experienced being expected to achieve lowly and luckily have found an urge to use it as motivation instead. Unfortunately, not all students think like this and can sometimes fall into these pre-made silhouettes that teachers make before giving them the opportunity to explore their potential. Students shouldn’t feel like they are incapable of the task or goal at hand. Hence why I believe it is important for teacher’s to attain a sense of understanding of culture, empathy and appreciate the individuality of students have to really cultivate the brilliance you mentioned that everyone is born with. Julie Landsman (2004) addresses these issues with the resolution of …“we need to rethink our entrance requirements, the way we teach, our expectations, and our relationship to the communities that many of our students come from” (Landsman. 2004). This attitude towards continuously looking to improve our own pedagogies and how we approach the students themselves will reflect in how these students track on. Though there are claims of no correlation between race or stereotypes and achievement, we as teachers need to disregard these thoughts and fulfill our roles with professionalism and genuine encouragement don’t you reckon? Love your work, Anna!!!
References:
Landsman, J. (2004). Confronting the racism of low expectations. Educational Leadership, 62, 28-33.
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