ABSTRACT
Many people believe, and the author agrees, that great teachers have high expectations for students. However, let’s focus on the question: What is the variable? True, the best teachers have high expectations for students. But is this a difference that separates great teachers from the rest? Even the worst teachers have high expectations for students. They expect students to be engaged no matter how irrelevant the material is. They expect students to pay attention no matter how boring and repetitious their classes are. Great teachers have high expectations for students but even higher expectations for themselves. Poor teachers have high expectations for students but much lower expectations for themselves. Not only that, they have unrealistically high expectations for everyone else as well. Just like in the classroom, teachers must always work to engage the students. If the students are not focused, great teachers ask what they themselves can do differently.
