Tough Talk about Teacher Expectations
The latest TLN blogger to post commentary on the new MetLife Survey of the American Teacher is frankly outraged by a survey finding that "Only 36% of teachers and 51% of principals believe that all of
their students have the ability to succeed academically."
Renee Moore, who blogs at TeachMoore, is a former Mississippi Teacher of the Year and Milken Award winner who leaves and teaches in the Delta. She writes in part:
Not only do a lower percentage of secondary teachers believe setting
high expectations for all students would help improve their
performance, but distressingly few (62%) believed that addressing
individual needs of diverse learners would help; and even fewer (57%)
saw the value of collaboration among teachers and school leaders.
...if fully 64% of us think at least some (maybe quite a few) of the students for whom we are responsible don't even have the ability
to succeed, then we have just excused ourselves from anything close to
our best efforts on their behalf. Sadly, I've had more than a few
conversations with teachers who feel exactly that way....
