I have been reading about many aspects of raising and teaching children and one thought keeps popping up over and over again. This idea is that what parents and teachers expect of children has a strong relationship to performance. It doesn't matter if a study was conducted in the 1970's or in 2010. It is clear that our expectations of children are very important.
Of course our first thought is that this applies to the classroom at school. Teachers must know each student well enough to have a good idea of his/her potential. Then a good teacher will create a learning environment that challenges but doesn't discourage that student. But did you know that parental expectations are also highly linked to school performance?
The question of what level of education a child will pursue is also highly affected by parental expectations. Children whose parents expect them to graduate highschool are more likely to do so. The same is true for students who plan to attend and graduate from college or trade school. Family values regarding education are really important to every child's potential achievements.
I contend that parental expectations are also important in areas other than school. If we expect good behavior from children, they will be more likely to behave. If we expect our children to be caring, kind and courteous, they will usually be just that. If we expect our children to do things for others they will be more helpful and likely to volunteer when needed. If we expect our youth to get involved in worthwhile activities they may join clubs, sports and youth organizations. The list goes on and on and I think the key word here is expectations. What do you expect from your children?
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