Great Expectations Character Education
Great Expectations (GE) is a professional development program that provides teachers and administrators with the skills necessary to create unity, harmony and excitement within the school atmosphere, elements that inspire students to pursue academic excellence. Great Expectations focuses on the human quality of teaching and learning, and provides a framework for students to achieve great expectations. The GE program is based on the following tenets and classroom practices:
TENETS
High Expectations - Teachers hold high expectations of students. When students recognize those expectations, they respond by reaching upward to achieve them.
Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson
Teacher Attitude and Responsibility – Teachers are facilitators of learning who encourage and believe in students, and who require excellence in every detail. Teachers who have positive attitudes possess the influence necessary to shape the attitudes of students.
Haim Ginott, John and Eunice Gilmore
All Children Can Learn – Teachers believe that all children can learn. They make a conscious effort not to place labels such as “learning-disabled”, “low socioeconomic status”, “unstable home life”, “inner-city”, and/or “rural”, upon them.
William Glasser
Building Self-Esteem – Teachers believe that building self-esteem is key to helping students know they are capable of learning, as well as key to motivating them to learn.
Harris Clemes, Reynold Bean, and Aminah Clark
Climate of Mutual Respect – Teachers understand that students are empowered to take the risks necessary for growth when enveloped in a climate of mutual respect in which mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn and student ideas and efforts are appreciated. Teachers extend the same respect to students that they desire to receive from them.
Rensis Likert
Teacher Knowledge and Skill - Teachers are knowledgeable and skillful in learning theory and teaching methods that enable students to achieve academic and social success.
Benjamin Bloom
CLASSROOM PRACTICES
Great Expectation tenets are further defined by seventeen classroom practices. Through teachers’ use of these practices, students become self-directed learners, effective communicators, critical thinkers, and cooperative contributors in the classroom as well as in society:
- The teacher models desired behaviors and attitudes such as those set forth in the Life Principles and the Eight Expectations for Living.*
- Students and teachers speak in complete sentences and address one another by name, demonstrating mutual respect and common courtesy.
- Students are taught as a whole group, thoroughly and to mastery, with intensive and specific modifications insuring success for all.
- Lessons are integrated, related to the real world, reviewed consistently, and connected to subsequent curricula.
- Critical thinking skills are taught.
- A non-threatening environment conducive to risk-taking is evident. Mistakes are okay. Students are taught to learn from their mistakes and to correct them.
- Memory work, recitations, and/or writing occur daily. These enhance character development and effective communication skills while extending curricula. Recitations are exuberant and full of expression.
- Enriched vocabulary is evident and is drawn directly from challenging writings and/or wisdom literature. Sources include classic literature, myths, fables, poetry, proverbs, quotes, and other genres.
- The Magic Triad,* a positive and caring environment, and discipline with dignity and logic are evident.
- Every student’s work is acknowledged or displayed in some form. Teachers provide positive commentary through oral and/or written feedback.
- Word identification skills are used as a foundation for expanding the use of the English language.
- Students assume responsibility for their own behavior. Their choices determine consequences.
- A school, class, and/or personal creed is recited or reflected upon daily to reaffirm commitment to excellence.
- All students experience success. The teacher guarantees it by comparing students to their own past performance, not to the performance of others. Students best efforts are showcased, and past failures are disregarded.
- Teacher teach on their feet, engage students personally, hold high expectations, and do not limit students to grade level or perceived ability.
- Each classroom has a student who greets visitors and makes them feel welcome and comfortable.
- Teachers and students celebrate the successes of others.
*For more information go to: www.greatexpectationsok.org (opens in a new window)