The Power of Teacher Expectations

I was having a conversation recently about my high school experience and how students in different tiers or tracks were exposed to different opportunities.  These tiers often fell along racial lines.  There were few students of color in the highest track where Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate options were available.  In a school of nearly 4,0000 students where nearly half the students were white, most of my classes did not reflect this level of diversity; I was frequently one of three or four students of color in a class of 40.  Students in our track could get out of class any day without a pass to go see college reps in the guidance office.  When I would share my experiences with friends at lunch they were not even aware that college reps were coming to our school.  Then there were accelerated classes that were a little more diverse.  These students were also encouraged to prepare for postsecondary education.  Students who were in the expanded classes were encouraged more if they were athletes.  I remember distinctly thinking that my lunch bunch never saw college reps but they knew everything about how to join the military, how to get into cosmetology, and how to get into the grads program for expectant moms should you happen to get pregnant in high school.  In retrospect I resent the ways that we were pushed, or not pushed by our faculty.

This made me think about ways that our limited expectations of our learners in adult education, who are typically in different socioeconomic classes, and who often differ from us racially, may limit what they achieve.  

I am curious to know if others can reflect back on their schooling and think about any disparities they may have seen in what opportunities where available for different groups of students.  I am curious to know if we see the same happening in adult literacy.  

Even more, I would love to motivate instructors to examine their own practices and ask what kinds of things they expect their learners to attain (become an STNA, become a chef) and then ask themselves why they don't expect more.