Students Want Teachers Who Care Enough to Have High Expectations

Denise Burson
Nov 16, 2009

When teachers expect their students to do really well, students are much more likely to participate in class and learning will take place. During a LEARNING-FOCUSED walkthrough, I interviewed 10 students and found this to be true. High Expectations for all students leads to academic success.

One student interviewed said, "The best part of school is having good teachers who care about our education. I got teachers that care about their jobs. They make sure we understand everything". When I asked him how he knows that these teachers care about their jobs, he replied, "Because all of my teachers post essential questions and they make sure we can answer the question. We either answer them on sticky notes or post them on the door or in our learning log book. This prepares us for the state test".

Students are not looking for easy teachers who let them slide by with minimal effort. Instead, students want teachers who care about student learning, hold high expectations for them, and provide the necessary support.

When teachers are clear about expectation and provide specific feedback about subsequent steps, they convey that every student can achieve and they do!