Day 2 of the 2nd Semester Challenge is all about expectations. Set high expectations that challenge students to be their best. One of my expectation is that in our students do not line up at the door to wait for the bell because we are too busy making them the best!

Here are 5 Key Ways To Set and Keep High Expectations

  1. Be clear and specific about your expectations. Don’t leave gray area and make students decipher what you expect. Just tell them.
  2. Teach, reteach, and remind students of the expectation. No one is off the hook.
  3. Be consistent. Hold student accountable daily.
  4. Don’t ignore failures to meet the expectations. Use them as teachable moments.
  5. Praise students for a job well done. They remember how you make them feel! So let’s make them feel successful.

For example, in my classroom we worked till the bell. I told students that in order to make sure they were the best in the school…we have to put in work!  I would start with a warm-up daily and it was on like Donkey Kong after that (I love the 80’s)!  We worked like that every day(with the exception of reward days that were a result reaching milestones we set).  I tried to remind them daily that to be the best takes practice! I always found things for them to do especially if something finished early and didn’t take as long as I planned. I made copies of extra credit items, had reading journals, or copies of practice handouts at the ready. At the end of each quarter, they would be amazed at all they accomplished! We worked to the bell every day and instead of standing up waiting for the bell to ring they were often finishing closing assignments or writing journal entries. The bell did not dismiss them. I did. It’s about your expectations!

Small tweaks to classroom procedures coupled with high expectations and a little planning ahead of time can make the difference.