A few years ago, as part of a teacher professional development, I happened upon a learning concept that I have ever since been chewing on and has since even inspired a motto in my mind: Kids need both high expectations and high support.
In this training I participated in, we explored the effects of four types of environment:
Low expectations and low support
Low expectations and high support
High expectations and low support
High expectations and high support
(Yes, I’m sorry this is a super nerdy post, but I promise there’s a good idea coming! Scroll to the end if you prefer to skip the nerd LOL)
As I’ve continued to ponder what these four different environments develop in children, I have come to my final conclusion: Kids need both high expectations and high support in order to thrive.
Now, before I detail how this works, let’s describe the four learning environments for just a moment:
Low expectation, low support: Creates apathy, a failure-for-sure environment
Low expectations, high support: Creates a baby-ing experience for students, a let-me-do-it-for-you message that students are not capable
High expectations, low support: Creates frozen fearful students who recognize the high expectations but do not want to take any risks in the learning process
High expectations, high support: Creates an environment of healthy challenges that inspire risk-taking in the learning because the teacher gives support (also called scaffolding in teacher lingo) at just the right moment in just the right way. This is what kids need!
I teach in a unique situation that is both Dual Language and Gifted. It’s a unique marriage of programming that requires a bit of explanation.
We are learning science, social studies, and literacy in Spanish while also learning math and literacy in English. This is different from a language-specific class that might be learning colors, animals, and isolated verb conjugations. Instead, we are learning about energy conversions in science… all in Spanish. Then we are learning how to change fractions into decimals… all in English.
Students are at a variety of language learning levels. Some have stronger English than Spanish. Some have stronger Spanish than English. And some are already bilingual. The goal is for all to arrive at bilingual and biliterate measures at some point in their schooling.
As if learning in two languages with a variety of language levels isn’t enough… then throw in the element of Gifted education. Generally speaking, these students are surprised when a lesson is even a hint difficult for them because they’re accustomed to learning being easy.
For anyone who has never had an experience with language learning: Learning a second language is hard. Like, earth-shattering, humiliating, migraine-inducing HARD.
Trust me, I know.
At the ripe young age of 22, I moved to Costa Rica ready to see the world. While I did see the many gorgeous sights of that beautiful country, I also was there on a mission: to learn Spanish as quickly as possible. I learned from anyone and everyone: several tutors, a couple families that I lived with. Even a 2-year-old little boy named Santiago was my Spanish teacher. About a thousand migraines and three years later, I moved back to the USA certified to be a bilingual teacher.
Little did I know, I was working out my empathy muscles for what my future students would be facing.
My students and I talk a lot about how to handle frustration. We practice dealing with frustration every time I give them a task and I also have high expectations (which is about 4-7 times per day, ha!).
In math, we’ll do a multiplication fact drill. High expectations to pass.
In science, we’ll write our lab report in Spanish. High expectations on their effort.
In reading, we’ll read a Spanish fable and then put on a play. High expectations for how the actors work together to tell the story.
High expectations. It’s not really a secret that when a teacher holds high expectations, it drives students to success. But here is my secret: I also offer high support.
Not the support that says “let me do it all for you”. Also not the lack of support that says “my expectations are impossibly high and you’ll never meet them”.
It’s a kind of support that says “I know you can do this. I recognize this piece of the task is hard for you, so I’m going to give you just the right amount of help to get you going in the right direction.”
A student with strong Spanish struggles to write her essay outline in English. I sit with her for a few minutes and she tells me her thoughts while I write what she says onto the essay outline graphic organizer. Then she is able to use that organizer to write her essay.
A student with strong English crumples in his chair after reading a Spanish story and I ask him to tell me about what he just read. I tell him that I am just trying to figure out if he understood the story, and I tell him that he can tell me in English if he is not yet ready to tell me in Spanish. That day he told me in English about the Spanish story. He showed me that he had understood the story even though he wasn’t ready to tell me in his second language. (Fast forward a few short months later and he is now telling me what he read about in Spanish!)
Another student with strong English freezes anytime it is her turn to speak in front of the class. I see from her writing that she has a solid foundation of vocabulary to be able to communicate. One-on-one, we work on pronunciation and I give her the challenge to raise her hand with an answer of just a few words. Pretty soon, she’s raising her hand with answers in complete sentences!
High expectations coupled with high support. I am not treating my students like babies. I am figuring out where they need help, offering just the right amount of help, and it’s amazing to see their learning progress.
But here’s the best part: This isn’t just a success formula for my classroom. This is a success formula for all of life.
After all, this coupling of high expectations and support truly reflects the gospel message. God has a high expectation: holiness. Absolute excellence at the divine level.
And guess what? No one has ever lived up to this high expectation.
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. Romans 3:20
But God did not just leave us in our muddy puddle of sin to meet these high expectations on our own. In His providential mercy and grace, He also has provided high support: Jesus’ willing sacrifice in our place.
We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:10
And the history does not end there! Three days after His death, Jesus also rose from the grave and appeared to over 500 people in a resurrected body, paving the way for a future resurrection of all believers (Revelation 20:5).
High expectations, high support. Kids need both. Come to think of it, so do adults! And God has mercifully provided all of us, both kids and adults, with everything we need for life and godliness.
Until next time,
Wow! I didn't see that coming. What a great ending!
This is fantastic!! Good work! And spot in in my opinion!!
My only comment is that as I’ve pondered the paradox of observing two basic categories…those very well equipped to nurture children (apparently naturally) and as you describe with those who seemed to continually miss the mark (in my opinion of course)
What do we do with this?? God, in His infinite wisdom has allowed children to be born to both types of parents.
Are teachers like you rare or the norm?
Some individuals are blessed to have high expectation/high support homes and teachers. Others have neither.
Please don’t misunderstand; I totally agree with what you said; I just observe that there seems to be no good way to achieve this for even most of the children most of the time.
Just thinking out loud…..