Hi everyone. In this education post I talk about high expectations for students.
The motivation behind this post is based on my current side tutoring gig. I work with a grade ten student with an initial claim by the father of Grade 10 IB Mathematics. After seeing the homework schedule I think it is actually Grade 11 Mathematics for a full year.
Grade 11 Mathematics is not so bad to help out. What makes it a bit tougher is that the father would like to have the son get a 95% for the course. A grade of 95% is not that easy in a regular math course or any course let alone an IB version of the course. I can do whatever I can to help out the student (but wish me luck!). I think this 95% grade expectation is a bit too much but we can try to aim for it.
Expectations For Students
Expectations for students can be either from a teacher, a school, parent(s), friends or maybe even from the state. We want kids, young students to do well in school as it leads to a strong workforce, a productive economy and showcase good Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers & stats and so on. Note that this is in theory.
There are parents that view education as a pathway for a good career and for high income earning potential. They want their students to do well which is not a bad thing necessarily. When expectations are too high to the point that it is unrealistic then there can be issues there.
With this client I have, he seems to be highly skilled. He learns stuff easily, his math & algebra skills are pretty good and appears to be inquisitive with his questions. I think he can reach a high grade in his IB math course but 95% is a really high goal.
Some Expectations Are Not Realistic
There are some expectations that are either difficult or even impossible to meet given a certain timeframe. Some parents think that there is some magic formula expected from tutors/teachers that can help their student from a C grade to A+ grade. There are so many factors that go towards a student's grade. From the student side the factors include effort, the level of focus, problem solving ability, writing ability, communication skills, technical skills, etc. If a student just does not want to learn or try then the tutor would not be able to help any student who won't try.
Even if a student is willing to try to improve it does take time to replace old habits with new habits as well as build skill. Learning is very similar to exercise and fitness. Overnight results just don't really happen. It takes time, focus and discipline to build results. It is possible for a C student to be an A student. It does take a bit of time and effort to get there.
