Student Expectations
Discover the expectations that students have of our schools.
Students First
While we set high expectations for our students, we often forget to think about the expectations that students have for their teachers, their school, and their education. Understanding the following student expectations will help keep our kids engaged throughout their days in school.
1. Relationships
Students need to know that their teachers care about who they are as people. They want their teachers to encourage them in all that they do, including all of their interests and talents. Having a strong teacher-student relationship helps strengthen meaningful, life-long skills such as trust and confidence.
2. Relevance
The work a student completes in a day should be relevant to their interests. To understand the importance of their work, they need to know that it contributes to the community and to the world.
3. Time
Not all students are able to rush through their learning at the pace that the teacher hopes they would. Students have individual needs and teachers should be able to adjust their teaching to the needs of their students. Students need to be able to work at their own pace so that their learning can be meaningful and deep.
4. Play
Students expect to learn, but they also expect to be given the chance to play and have fun while doing so! Students want the chance to explore their own questions and ideas. They need to be able to make mistakes so that they can learn from those mistakes and grow from them.
5. Practice
Try as they might, students learn a new concept and then immediately move on to something new. They need time to process and practice their newfound skills.
6. Choice
Students expect to have a choice in their learning. Differentiating instructions, and giving students the opportunity to make choices that best fit their needs and learning styles is a very important key to helping the child learn.
7. Authenticity
Students need to understand that the work they do is valued and significant not only in school, but outside as well.
8. Challenge
Students come to school every morning expecting to be challenged in one way or another. They expect to be presented with problems and learning that address high and meaningful standards.
9. Application
Students need to know that their work can be applied in the real world. The work that they do is very important and they giving them the opportunity to apply it to a real world setting strengthens their since of ownership and pride in their work.
10. Timing
Students expect to be given the chance to learn something in a way that fits their own style and interests.