Indian Meridian is a Great Expectations Model School
What is Great Expectations (G.E.)?
Drawing from many learning theories,
professional development is grounded in the belief that all students can learn,
no matter what labels have been placed on them. Rather than teaching WHAT to
teach, Great Expectations methodology focuses on the learning climate and the
HOW of teaching.
Great Expectations teachers understand it is their responsibility to reach every
student. Building self-esteem and motivation is the key to helping students
believe they are capable of learning.
Great Expectations teachers set high expectations for students, and they inspire
and motivate students to reach upward to attain them. A climate of mutual
respect is established that empowers students to take necessary risks to grow
academically, and to be willing to make a few mistakes in order to do so.
Mistakes are regarded as opportunities to learn in a Great Expectations
classroom, and students' ideas and efforts are valued and appreciated.
Great Expectations teachers are facilitators of learning who encourage and
believe in their students. They are caring, but require excellence in every
detail. They provide an atmosphere of constant praise and affirmation. They
teach mastery level and beyond by encouraging students to use their imaginative
and creative abilities.
Eight Expectations for Living:
1. We will not laugh or make fun of a person’s mistakes nor use sarcasm or putdowns.
2. We will value one another as unique and special individuals.
3. We will recognize every effort and applaud it.
4. We will use good manners, saying “please, “thank you”, and “excuse me” and allow others to go first.
7. We will practice virtuous living using the life principals.
8. We will encourage each other to do our best.
The Great Expectations (GE)
teaching/training model is guided by six basic principles (Tenets). These Tenets
provide guidelines for program training and implementation and serve as
standards for evaluating GE schools/districts. The Tenets are as follows:
High Expectations - Teachers must hold high expectations of students.
When students recognize those expectations, they will respond by reaching upward
to achieve them.
Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson
Teacher Attitude and Responsibility - Teachers who have positive
attitudes possess the influence necessary to shape the attitudes of students.
The teacher's attitude is one of a facilitator of learning who encourages and
believes in students, and who requires excellence in every detail.
Haim Ginott, John and Eunice Gilmore
All Children Can Learn - All children can learn no matter what labels are
placed upon them, whether it is learning disabled, low socioeconomic status,
unstable home life, inner-city, or rural.
William Glasser
Building Self-Esteem - Building self-esteem is the key to helping
students believe they are capable of learning and motivating them to try.
Harris Clemes, Reynold Bean, and Aminah Clark
Climate of Mutual Respect - Students are empowered to take risks
necessary for growth when encompassed in a climate of mutual respect in which
mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn and their ideas and efforts are
appreciated. The teacher must extend the same respect to students that he/she
desires to receive from them.
Rensis Likert
Teacher Knowledge and Skill - The teacher must be knowledgeable and
skillful in learning theory and teaching methods that enable students to achieve
academic and social success.
Benjamin Bloom
Indian Meridian has been a model school
for Great Expectations for the past 4 years. Indian Meridian has 90% of
its teachers using the 17 practices all the time in the classroom. Great
Expectation mentors come to our school annually and visited classes to check
each teacher. By being a model school for Great Expectations other schools
can send teachers to observe our school.
Teachers Demonstrate the 17 Practices:
The GE Tenets are further defined by seventeen Classroom Practices that
occur in GE classrooms, schools, and districts. Through teachers' use of the GE
Classroom Practices, students become self-directed learners, productive
citizens, effective communicators, critical thinkers, and cooperative
contributors in the classroom as well as in society. These Classroom Practices
are explicitly taught to educators during GE methodology training and they are
reinforced during elective courses, as well as follow-up training sessions.
1. The teacher models desired behaviors and attitudes such as those set forth in
the Life Principles and the Eight Expectations for Living.
2. Students and teachers speak in complete sentences and address one another by name, demonstrating mutual respect and common courtesy.
3. Students are taught as a whole group, thoroughly and to mastery, with intensive and specific modifications insuring success for all.
4. Lessons are integrated, related to the
real world, reviewed consistently, and connected to subsequent curricula.
5. Critical thinking skills are taught.
6. A non-threatening environment,
conducive to risk-taking, is evident. Mistakes are okay. Students are taught to
learn from their mistakes and to correct them.
7. Memory work, recitations, and/or writing occur daily. These enhance
character development and effective communication skills while extending
curricula. Recitations are exuberant and full of expression.
8. Enriched vocabulary is evident and is drawn directly from
challenging writings and/or wisdom literature. Sources should include classic
literature, myths, fables, poetry, proverbs, quotes, and other genres.
9. The Magic Triad, a positive and caring environment, and discipline with
dignity and logic are evident.
10. Every student's work is displayed in some form. Teachers provide positive
commentary through oral and/or written feedback.
11. Word identification skills are used as a foundation for expanding the use of
the English language.
12. Students assume responsibility for their own behavior. Their choices
determine consequences.
16. Each classroom has a student who greets visitors and makes them feel
welcome and comfortable.
17. Teachers and students celebrate the successes of others.
The discipline policy at Indian Meridian is handled on an individual bases. Each incident is handled appropriately with the circumstances. Love and Logic is a method that is practiced which educates the students on making choices and the consequences. Love and Logic Website