By Including Students in Teacher Workshops, a N.J. School May Open Educators’ Eyes to More Students’ Potential.
Researchers and policymakers agree that teachers’ expectations of what their students can do can become self-fulfilling prophecies for children’s academic performance.
Yet while the “soft bigotry of low expectations” has become an education catchphrase, scholars and advocates are just beginning to explore whether it is possible to prevent such expectations from taking root by making teachers and students aware of their beliefs about students.
“A lot of what we do is built on a belief system,” said Stefanie C. Baker, the Executive Director for the New York City-based National Urban Alliance for Effective Education .