About This Course

This is a 18-hour/3-day course for:

  • Teachers
  • Teacher Leaders
  • Instructional Coaches
  • Administrators

For students to believe that “Smart is Something You Can Get” (Jeff Howard, 1986), they must hear that we believe in their capacity to learn. They also need to be in an environment where teachers’ everyday behaviors send the following messages:

  • What we’re doing is important.
  • You can do it.
  • And I’m not going to give up on you.

This program teaches what it looks like and sounds like when a teacher acts authentically from a growth mindset. Participants will learn how to choose language, develop classroom structures, and use effective instructional strategies to motivate all students, but particularly to get low-performing, low-confidence students to change their stereotypes about themselves.

Goals

Participants will learn how to choose language, develop classroom structures, and use effective instructional strategies to motivate all students, but particularly to get low-performing, low-confidence students to change their stereotype about themselves. As a result of this program, participants’ students will:

  • Believe effort is the main determinant of success
  • Learn how to exert effective effort
  • Decide to invest in school
  • Feel empowered in their learning
  • Achieve more

This course has introduced ways of thinking about my students' experience in the classroom that I've never been exposed to before. As a teacher, I'm usually so focused on the quality of materials, structure, and access to skill that I don't naturally think of how my implicit messages, classroom culture, questioning patterns, and attention to affect/relationship building/community often supersedes my academic passions. Thank you for helping me value my students' needs more than my own. 

High Ex Participant

Course Format

Participants will:

  • Conduct classroom based experiments to get students to believe they can grow their ability and teach them strategies for doing so.
  • Learn how to communicate three critical messages to all students: “What we’re doing is important; you can do it; I won’t give up on you.”

Videos

The Impact of High-Expectations Teaching - Elementary

Teachers, students, and parents testify powerfully about the effect of what happens when teachers bring "effort-based ability" into practice in their teaching.

"The Barnstable Story": Sending High-Expectation Messages: Middle School

Teachers and administrators talk about the impact of sending high expectation messages as a total school effort. Great student gains result.

Resources

This course gave me tools to work at all levels of my school to implement a more consistent model of seeking, expecting, and creating high expectations for my colleagues and for their students.

High-Ex Participant

Course Information

Groups of 25 or more: Submit a Service Request to discuss how this course could benefit educators in your school or district.

Note: This program is not offered as an open enrollment opportunity for groups of less than 25.


Credits:

Participants completing all program requirements can optionally receive one graduate credit through Fitchburg State University for an additional fee paid directly to FSU. Learn More