Assertive Expectations

Assertive Teaching

Over the past 22 years I have played the dual role of school-based educator and father. Though both roles have influenced my decisions as a parent, what I really noticed was what I wanted my children to get from school. I have 3 children, each exhibiting unique strengths and challenges. As a school administrator I saw a plethora of teaching styles with varying degrees of success. However, there was one trait that seemed to be common with all teachers who produced successful students. These teachers did not allow students to settle.

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Instructional strategies have limited results if the teacher does

not get to know each student.

Instructional strategies have limited results if the teacher does not get to know each student. Whole class, lecture, centers, or small groups can all work if the teacher comes across as authentic in knowledge and understanding. I once received an email from one of my former students where he told me the most important thing I said to him was that he could do better. I was relieved that I practiced assertive expectations that I looked for in teachers where I was a principal.

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Every student, from the most scholarly to the least proficient, knew that they

were going to be expected to seek and find the right answer.

In my 8 years as an elementary school Principal, I worked with many teachers who practiced assertive expectations, but two stood out, Mrs. Laney and Mrs. Ledbetter. Both taught fifth grade. Both used significant whole group teaching strategies. Neither was satisfied with wrong answers. Every student, from the most scholarly to the least proficient, knew that they were going to be expected to seek and find the right answer. If the students found the right answer they were expected to explain why. If they did not get the right answer they were expected to try again. The students were not allowed to settle with the wrong answer, nor were they simply given the correct one. Most importantly the students knew they were loved.

My Fifth Grade Teacher

As a 5th grade student, I was fortunate to have a teacher who practiced assertive expectations. Mrs. Stewart was hard on me. She often gave me poor marks for deportment but expected academic progress. Mrs. Stewart always insisted I do the work and do it well. While I tended to blow off work I found unimportant, Mrs. Stewart made me do the work correctly. She recognized that I had gifts that could bring academic success.

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I never got a sense that she was satisfied with my academic efforts.

By 5th grade I had an aptitude for music and the visual arts. I drew often and had a strong soprano voice. Mrs. Stewart often put me in charge of mural projects related to classroom content and she set me up as the featured performer in our 5th grade musical. When my language arts teacher attempted to move me up to the advanced language arts class taught by Mrs. Stewart, she sent me right back to my mid-level language arts class. However, Mrs. Stewart continued to encourage me to work on my strengths and take my challenges more seriously.

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What Mrs. Stewart did for me was help me realize that my talents provided

significant motivation to perform in school.

I left the fifth grade thinking Mrs. Stewart was glad to move me on, but when I finished third in a regional writing contest the next year, her congratulatory letter was the first I received. In 6th grade I became an honor roll student with good marks in deportment. Through junior high school and high school, I was typically on honor roll with some straight A report cards. Mrs. Stewart was a big reason why.

Back to Parenthood

I often think about what I wanted my children to get from school and it comes down to 3 things. First and foremost, I wanted my children to understand that there is an exciting world out there. I wanted them exposed to wonder, challenge, and possibility.

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…children need to know that good is a requirement and it takes hard work.

Second, children should never be allowed to settle for the wrong answer. When a response is incorrect, students should be expected to find the right answer. The right answer should never be given to them.

Finally, children need to know that good is a requirement and it takes hard work. When a child works hard to solve a problem or develop a project, they should know that it was the hard work that paid off.

A Meaningful Life

All three of the teachers I have highlighted in this installment exemplify what I wanted my children to learn in school. If they do learn to explore topics, never settle, and to work hard for things that are important, my children will be ready to take on a meaningful life with exuberance, hope, and wonder. I have observed many wonderful teachers and have also felt disappointment when students left our schools with unfulfilled promise. As a parent, that was the result I feared the most.

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Know the child, help him understand that he is special, and demonstrate

that wonder is the result of the unique individual he is.

This should be the primary task for teachers: Know the child, help him understand that he is special, and demonstrate that wonder is the result of the unique individual he is. It’s a tough job. Teachers should not only expect students to succeed but should demonstrate the value that comes with the work.