Bruce Wilkinson, 7 Laws of the Learner: Law 2 expectation

The Law of Expectation

Pages 77-108

Tuesday 19 October 2010


The essence of the Law of Expectation is

three words:“Expect the best.”

The teacher should influence his students

learning and behaviour by

adjusting expectations


What is your usual expectation of ‘your’ students?Do you have high expectations of the people around you, your family, your friends...?Most people don’t!Often we think such thoughts are private and make no difference anyway - don’t let your true feelings show and it will all be fine.


The Law of Expectation rejects this idea and says what you think has a powerful and undeniable impact on everyone you meet, inside and out of the classroom.


Is it Biblically similar to honour? If you honour someone more you find their performance ‘improves’ and your satisfaction with them increases too.


Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 3:12-13 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.


Consider - to scrutinise, to evaluate, to constantly look at our audience and say, “Where are they? Are they with me right now or not? What are their needs? How can I adjust my content and delivery to teach them more effectively?”It also means, “to brood over”, to quietly analyse the messages you are sending me, your body language.It is easy as teachers to forget to consider the students and get caught up in the content of teaching.


Consider - to scrutinise, to evaluate, to constantly look at our audience and say, “Where are they? Are they with me right now or not? What are their needs? How can I adjust my content and delivery to teach them more effectively?”It also means, “to brood over”, to quietly analyse the messages you are sending me, your body language.It is easy as teachers to forget to consider the students and get caught up in the content of teaching.




Heb 10:25 - consider, (done by me for you without you necessarily knowing), is followed by the idea of spurring one another on - this link is made by exhorting or encouraging you.Exhort/encourage is not criticism but mutual concern coming alongside to love, care and help.

Have you exhorted anyone today?


Exhort to love and good works is really positive - but also Heb 3:12-13 brings an idea of caring enough to help bring you back on track if things aren’t as they should be - a frank conversation or rebuke might be needed to exhort someone.


Neh. 13:25 I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God's name and said: "You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves.


Do you love someone enough to rebuke them, are you concerned enough to speak openly to them?They might not like you for it!As a teacher you are asking’ “how can I help you grow, is there sin you need help with, what do you need?”









The Expectation Model

Wilkinson represents the model in the following diagram;


PrivateConstantly

“Examine” Shape

SpeakerThe speaker examines or considers the student in

order to shape them - such consideration takes place constantly and in private

(the teachers mind / heart)


Student

“Excite” Stir Up

PersonalProgressive

+veLove, good

works

-veNo hard

heart

The student should be ‘excited’ by the teacher, resulting in +ve or -ve

action. This is personal and progressive for

each student


Public Daily

Subject

“Exhort Speak”

The arrow represents the process of exhortation/speaking on a daily basis in a

public manner


Public DailyPrivateConstantly

“Examine” Shape

Speaker StudentSubject

“Excite” Stir Up

PersonalProgressive

+veLove, good

works

-veNo hard

heart

“Exhort Speak”


A powerful force - for good or ill - lies within our expectations


Maxim 1: Expectations exist in everyone about everything all the time

We all have expectations already - about everything!If you expected great and got good - you are disappointed.If you expect good and it turns out to be great - you are excited.If reality matches or exceeds expectations you are (usually) happy.


The problem is reality. We live on earth with sinful people, heaven will be perfect, earth will not be.Acknowledging this and working through the reality of your expectations helps you to adjust where necessary.What did you expect of this class?What do you expect of marriage?Without adjustment expectations what results?


The problem is reality. We live on earth with sinful people, heaven will be perfect, earth will not be.Acknowledging this and working through the reality of your expectations helps you to adjust where necessary.What did you expect of this class?What do you expect of marriage?Without adjustment expectations what results?



Disappointment


DisappointmentDiscouragement - deeper than disappointed


DisappointmentDiscouragement - deeper than disappointedDisillusionment - no longer having a false sense of reality, seeing a reality you don’t like


DisappointmentDiscouragement - deeper than disappointedDisillusionment - no longer having a false sense of reality, seeing a reality you don’t likeDespair - a lack of hope, reality will never meet expectations


DisappointmentDiscouragement - deeper than disappointedDisillusionment - no longer having a false sense of reality, seeing a reality you don’t likeDespair - a lack of hope, reality will never meet expectationsUnderstanding this should help us in, and out, of the classroom


Maxim 2: Expectations impact us and others

Until 1890 90% of all pills prescribed by doctors were placebos. The worse the disease the bigger and uglier the pills.Wilkinson tells of a doctor giving a placebo to a patient who said they were allergic to the real medicine - an allergic reaction followed.


A new type of machine was introduced by the US Census Bureau. Employees were told they could type 550 entries per day using it. After 2 weeks of emotional distress it was concluded this was not possible.To deal with the backlog new staff were employed, in a different office, with the new machines. They averaged 2100 cards per day - with no side effects.


A new type of machine was introduced by the US Census Bureau. Employees were told they could type 550 entries per day using it. After 2 weeks of emotional distress it was concluded this was not possible.To deal with the backlog new staff were employed, in a different office, with the new machines. They averaged 2100 cards per day - with no side effects.

The power of

expectations is very great!


Maxim 3: Expectations are rooted in the past, influence the present, and impact the future

Expectations are usually built on information - or misinformation - from the past. Once built they influence our attitudes and actions in the present and impact ourselves and others in the future.



Imagine hearing these nicknames before you met the person - what do they make you think expect?


Imagine hearing these nicknames before you met the person - what do they make you think expect?Ashun the awful, Robin the rascal, Vin the vile, Lion the lousy...


Imagine hearing these nicknames before you met the person - what do they make you think expect?Ashun the awful, Robin the rascal, Vin the vile, Lion the lousy...Richard the attractive, handsome, good-looking, alluring, lovely, charming, delightful, appealing, engaging, ravishing, gorgeous, stunning, arresting, glamorous, graceful, elegant, exquisite, aesthetic, artistic, decorative, magnificent, divine, drop-dead gorgeous, cute, foxy...



Expectation come from 4 places:


Expectation come from 4 places:1. Recognition - you see something and expect that indicates something - “that person is obviously...”


Expectation come from 4 places:1. Recognition - you see something and expect that indicates something - “that person is obviously...”2. Reputation - someone tells you about a person whom you have never met.


Expectation come from 4 places:1. Recognition - you see something and expect that indicates something - “that person is obviously...”2. Reputation - someone tells you about a person whom you have never met.3. Record - a file etc. telling you how someone has done in the past


Expectation come from 4 places:1. Recognition - you see something and expect that indicates something - “that person is obviously...”2. Reputation - someone tells you about a person whom you have never met.3. Record - a file etc. telling you how someone has done in the past4. Relationship - get to know someone and you expect certain behaviour - this has the potential to correct 1-3



Wilkinson makes an important point:


Wilkinson makes an important point:If your initial thought and expectation of a student is positive there is a high probability of the student performing well - and also of you, the teacher, performing well.









Maxim 4: Expectations are imposed through our attitudes and actions

Attitudes are internal. Actions are external.Watch a teacher relating to various students and you know through their body language, eye contact, tone of voice, remarks etc. what their expectation of the student is.Consider this research looking at how expectation impacts teaching.


When interacting with a class teachers with low expectations tend to:๏Wait less time for an answer to a question, then give the answer or call on someone else๏Question the student less frequently๏Inappropriately reinforce a wrong answer from the student๏Don’t give helpful clues or repeat the question๏Only give brief less informative feedback๏Interrupt mistakes more quickly


When setting the level of achievement teachers with low expectations tend to:๏Criticise students more often for failure๏Praise the students less often for success๏Write fewer notes on papers / assignments๏Teach at a slower, less intense pace๏Fail to give the benefit of the doubt in borderline cases๏Use fewer of the most effective but time consuming methods๏Assign more busy work not meaningful projects


When relating personally to the student teachers with low expectations tend to:๏Fail to give positive feedback on public responses๏Pay less attention to, and interact less frequently๏Interact with the student privately more than publicly๏Have less friendly interaction๏Smile less and limit encouraging physical touch๏Maintain eye contact less often๏Limit positive nonverbal communication


So, potentially low achieving students are not treated in the same way as expected higher achievers.In fact some people argue that teachers “cause” their students to decline by providing them with fewer educational opportunities and by teaching them less materially less skillfully.


Maxim 5: Expectations influence the future, whether stated or unstated

Voiced or unconscious expectations still impact others.Praise a visiting speaker in advance and tell the visitor how great the church is - and you will probably have a great time.But you don’t have to state your expectations to have a great influence


No one knows how unstated expectations work - but research shows they really do influence the behaviour of others.On a very simple level this can be done through our body language. What do these images tell you?










Maxim 6: Expectations impair others if set too low or too high for too long

Unrealistic expectations might never be attained - leaving the person feeling like a failure.Expectations too low and interest can be lost and the person underachieves.


Your report has 5 A’s and 1 B+ - your parents say it is very disappointing that you got B+ - how would you feel?Unrealistic expectations can crush a child. And, extremely negative expectations can be self-fulfilling.“You’re stupid, you will never achieve anything...”Expectations need to be realistic and precise - not too high or too low.


Maxim 7: Expectations empower others when guided by love

The ultimate reason for helping another person to grow is love.People who help others to ‘bloom’ are rare in life - yet they help us to achieve and love us all the time.Who are they in your life?


Wilkinson tells the story of a couple who used to write something in a notebook about each of their students and then at the end of the month read it with the child concerned - an interesting idea to create confidence and belief in your children.


What are your expectations of the people around you - friends, family, church members? Take some time to allow them to be prayerfully readjusted so that you can be a people blossomer.









Questions to Consider1. Who is the best people considered you know? What do they do that makes them so good?2. Paul was a great exhorter - think of as many examples of him exhorting people as you can - can you use any of these?3. Think of a situation where someone had low expectations of you - what can you learn by looking back on this?


Education

Bruce Wilkinson, 7 Laws of the Learner: Law 2 expectation