Student Expectations: What do we really believe?

For the past two years, we sponsored a child in another country, a part of our monthly budget. Recently we received notice that the family was no longer involved in the program.

My first guesses as to why they left were negative. I hope they didn't suffer a loss from the pandemic, for example. My mind also went to the possibility that the family didn't use the financial support as directed.

I reached out to the program office for more information. Below was their response.

According to our records, the family left the program because their economic situation improved. In their final letter they mention thanks to your support as they were able to buy shoes, clothes, and school supplies for him.

Their letter also encouraged us to sponsor a new child. We did, more motivated than before because this program, with financial support, seems successful in helping guide families out of poverty and toward independence.

Why did I assume the worst? Because, deep down, it was part of my belief system. If someone were to ask me if I hoped a family in need could reach independence through this type of support, I would have said, "Of course". Yet part of my internal belief system may have seen something else, such as those in need tend to remain there.

I know many of us as educators carry our own biases, both hidden and visible. How do we surface our beliefs and then check them for accuracy? Do we really believe that our students can become independent readers, writers, and communicators? As the pandemic has only highlighted our known inequities, I believe now is an important time to reflect on our expectations, evident in our instructional and leadership practices. It's something I will be examining for the rest of this week on my newsletter.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash