High expectations, student goal setting, and pride in work are very important aspects in student success. In particular, high expectations are so important, because they set the tone or standard for what can be achieved as a classroom whole, and within the wholistic body of each individual learner. In Setting High Expectation for Them and Me, a 2010 internet article by teacher and blogger Deven Black, he states that "Sometimes teachers forget that we don’t have to teach what the students already know and can do but we do have to teach them what they can’t do. We have to expect them to be able to learn it...If we don’t, they won’t." I feel this to be profoundly true. Why create obstacles that don't need to be there for students essentially filled with unlimited potential?
Along that same train of thought, targeted and appropriate feedback and personal goal setting (not limitation but identification of capability) helps students develop motivation and forces them to focus their time and energy in the most productive way possible. Once a personal development plan with a students' goals is established, they can gain greater meaning and purpose from lessons, take more initiative, creativity, and pride in their work, and generate more meaningful products, that are more reflective of their full potential and strengths.
A students' pride in their work is a particularly useful tool for teachers, as it can assist them in maintaining those classroom standards and personal goals set. Pride can also be a unifying force in a group of students, when as a team, they achieve a difficult challenge or live up to its high standards. Basically, when students achieve a goal alone or as a group, it makes them feel good about themselves. A common part of this is feeling proud. Where self-respect and feelings of worth are boosted, so also is a students' sense of identity, positivity, and capability. Pride is definitely greater when someone has had to work hard for something, as this makes the achievement more worthwhile and meaningful, bringing every one of these aspects full circle, and creating a picture of the Affective learning Domain.
According to internet author Mary Miller at The University of Georgia, in her 2005 article Teaching and Learning in Affective Domain, she explains and provides detailed examples of how "a student's attitude towards a given course or subject area, can be a contributing factor to their achievement in it." (Miller, 2005). She goes on further to provide ways in which this knowledge or premiss can be applied to instructional strategies which promote these aspects above.
In order to develop, communicate, and implement classroom motivation and management plans of this nature, this author suggests six guidelines:
- Make the instructions realistic, relevant, and technically stimulating. **For myself, I'd probably use pop culture examples with students, and provide everyday examples or prompt students to provide their own meaningful examples.
- Present new information. **I would use innovative tools and sources as much as possible, experimenting with software, hardware, and any/all creative options.
- Present persuasive messages. **I would try to convey excitement and be excited about the subject matter I am presenting, using inflection, gestures, and tone.
- Elicit purposeful emotional involvement. **I'd show that I genuinely care about my students as individuals, get to know them and their support network, in appropriate manner, and with respect to professional boundaries.
- Involve the learner in planning, production, or delivery of the message. **I'd let my students lead out project-based group and individual assignments, set their own goals, be creative, and take initiative and pride in their work.
- Provide post-instruction discussion or critique opportunities. **I'd have students reflect and brainstorm together, to take ownership of the whole experience and resulting "take-aways."
Additionally Miller's article provides three key instructional approaches to further create a positive Affective Domain and resulting student behavior and achievement:
- Demonstration of the desired behavior by a respected role model
- Practice of the desired behavior through modeling and role playing
- Reinforcement of the desired behavior **Possibly through constructive feedback, positive affirmations, validations, acknowledgments, and rewards (Miller, 2005)
I think that even without directly referring to the research, as a mother, I could have and do easily relate the progress of my childrens' development of independent skills to the same basic concepts studied above. In order for them to grow into healthy, happy, productive, contributing members of society, they must be nurtured in an environment that is engaging, challenging, meaningful, is organized, disciplined, and secure, but allows for creativity and independence, so that they can feel good about what they are doing and take pride in their efforts, reflect upon personal goals met/unmet and reset accordingly. As their "instructor" for the "real world classroom," I have to be both a great communicator as well as facilitator, creating a social climate that is conducive to the growth of my young learners. That is the ideal at least ;)
And just for fun! My group collaborator for this topic of interest (Julianna) and myself, created this fun, interactive "Glog" powered by Glogster.com, in which we attempted to define and highlight what high expectations are, and what we view as being the most important aspects ourselves. Julianna was a phenomenal partner on this project in which we not only learned a lot, but had a great time together. She was an exceptional communicator as we explored different options and ideas, and then assembled all of our content and began manipulation of this new software as a team. - Thanks Julianna! We've got some serious "J" power on our sides!
Resources
Importance of High Expectations. (2012) EPI: Eastern Michigan University. By Ronald Williamson. Retrieved on July 31, 2014, from http://gearup.ous.edu/sites/default/files/Research-Briefs/ResearchBriefHighExpectations.pdf
Hard Work and High Expectations: Motivating Students to Learn. (1992) KidSource Online. By U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement Programs for Improvement of Practice. Retrieved on July 31, 2014, from http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/work.expectations.k12.4.html
Miller, M. (2005). Teaching and Learning in Affective Domain. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved July 31, 2014, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/
Effective Goal Setting For Students. (2010) Teaching Community Online. By Dorit Sasson. Retrieved on July 31, 2014, from http://teaching.monster.com/benefits/articles/9440-effective-goal-setting-for-students
Setting High Expectation For Them and Me (2010) Education On The. Plate. By Deven Black. Retrieved August 1, 2014, from http://educationontheplate.com/2010/09/12/setting-high-expectation-for-them-and-me/
YouTube (Goal Setting, Pride in Work & Affective Domain)
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