Now before you start thinking of me as a brat, let me explain. My goal was not to make my teachers look bad, but rather to consider what they were saying from every perspective possible and weigh it against what I knew already, searching for any inconsistencies or discrepancies that may not have been considered. As an approach to education it helped me stay focused and attentive, even in classes where I was bored out of my mind or really didn't enjoy the subject. And, for the most part, it led to my teachers loving me because of my "insightful comments" and "piercing questions". To be honest, most of my teachers didn't know the reason for these comments/questions, and I can imagine there are many who might rescind their appreciation for me if they were to know. So, before I proceed with the reversed expectation that emerged from this unorthodox perspective on schooling, if any of my teachers end up reading this, please know that my desire to prove you wrong was nothing personal.
When I made it to high school, I added a sub-motivation to be considered in tandem with my overarching drive to prove teachers wrong, and that was: take as many grade 12 classes as possible. You see, I was aware that when you submitted an application to a University/College you needed to submit a grade average from your grade 12 classes. However, this wasn't an average of ALL your grade 12 classes. No, it was just an average of your top six grade 12 classes (though you were required to include certain core classes depending on the program you were applying to). And based on that knowledge I thought it would be best to graduate with as many grade 12 classes as possible so I had a larger pool of classes to choose from, and therefore help guarantee for myself the highest possible average.
To make this sub-motivation a reality, I took some grade 10 classes as my electives in grade 9, some grade 11 classes in grade 10, and some grade 12 classes in grade 11. To me my plan was working out wonderfully, and I was preparing myself to amass quite a large number of grade 12 classes - if I remember correctly I graduated with 10 of them. But then, when I was in grade 11, I arrived in my Writer's Craft class. Writer's Craft was a 4U course, meaning it was a grade 12 course (referring to the 4), and was also classified as a U course. I'm not sure if they still do it that way, but when I was in high school there were U courses and C courses. Supposedly they were to prepare students to go on to University or College, respectively. U courses were more theoretical and academic (for lack of a better term), while the C courses were more practical and hands-on. So I arrived at my first class and took my seat, excitedly noticing that I knew some of the other students - a few fellow students taking a grade 12 course in grade 11, and a few grade 12 students that I knew from my other classes. And then our teacher walked in. She proceeded to give us fair warning,
"I see that some of you are only in grade 11. I'd like to reiterate this is a 4U course so for those of you in grade 11, don't expect to do well."
I was shocked! In the grade 12 classes I'd already started, the teachers seemed to applaud my efforts to take grade 12 classes sooner, and seemed to consider my being in grade 11 as a mere detail - one that would have no bearing on my caliber of work. But here I was being told that since I was in grade 11 I was not sufficiently prepared for the coursework; that I couldn't cut it. To be honest, my immediate inclination was to walk out of the class. I really didn't need the course, and could always take another spare. But then my motivation came to my mind: prove teachers wrong. However, this time it may have been a little bit personal. I wanted to prove this specific teacher very wrong! And that statement of hers ended up propelling me to exceed her expectations of me as a grade 11 student, and I finished the semester at the top of the class (I think my grade was a 96%).
Now this teacher and I actually became very good friends. In fact, she's one of the teachers I shared my educational motivation with. I talked with her about it generally, and specifically in regards to her class. She ended up sharing with me the reason she made that statement. It turns out that she had grade 11 students take her class before, and they had all done very poorly due to the workload involved with a 4U class. The intent behind her statement was to ensure everyone understood that this class was not going to be a cakewalk, and that she wasn't going to go easy on anyone just because they were currently in grade 11. She was trying to give a warning to stop now, and get into an easier course so a bad grade wouldn't ruin a good average, like had happened for her former grade 11 students - a pretty fair way to set expectations.
But as I said, it worked the reverse for me. It fired me up, even made me a little angry, and inspired me to be the best in the class. I am so grateful for this teacher setting expectations as she did, and the reversed expectation it created for me. It helped me to realize,
When someone says your efforts won't amount to anything, take the time to truly consider your position. It might make sense to realign your energy to another project. But, on the flip side, it might be a great catalyst to inspire you to buckle down and do better than anyone thought you could!
How have the expectations of others been a reversed expectation for you?
No comments:
Post a Comment