Expectations

People achieve what you expect them to achieve.

This is something I apply to teaching my baby cousins. I expect them to learn what I tell them even if it's slowly. I expect them to keep up with me when I speak in simple English. I expect them to ask questions if something is bothering them. I expect them to speak well, speak frequently and learn new words when we go out together. I expect to hear them use new terms every one or two weeks and they have yet to let me down. Shalom is going to be 2 in a few days. Nathan is 3 and a quarter.

This is something our family applies to teaching the youngsters. We do not baby them. They learn.

Yet somehow as we grow up, people start thinking we can't learn anymore. From Ron's blog, you know that our Chem teacher is needlessly pessimistic. He insists that we "don't know" that we "can't do" because we don't "study right" but he fails to tell us why exactly. He thinks that we can magically correct ourselves. He thinks that we cannot learn.

Under Puan Eng it was vastly different. Her marker in hand, orders flowing from her mouth, she expected us to listen, to remember and to use whatever she taught us. Most of us rose to the challenge. All of us tried. She told us "You have to know this." So we went home and memorized it. He said "You don't know this." Which crushed our drive.

Unlike him, she never stifled us when we tried to learn in our own way. I tried to explain something to Florence. Sometimes, she needs an analogy to help her along. Pn Eng said "Thank you." He said "Don't talk"

When we reached something critical that we should have known but didn't, she said "Go home and learn it today." He said "You don't know this because you never learn the correct way."

She says "This is Form 6" He says "This is Form 5"

She says "You can do it" He says "You cannot score."

When she was around, our results might have been bad but they were never horrible. When he showed up, they went down the drain.

When she was around, we smiled at the thought of Chemistry. When he turned up, we sighed.

When she was around, we laughed when someone whistled. Now it just annoys us.

People achieve what you expect them to achieve.

She told us to succeed.

He told us to fail.

Sometimes when I don't feel like studying anymore, I recall her voice.

The one that says "You're better than this Joanne." "I expect more from you, Joanne." "You can do well, Joanne." "You're sharp enough."

Then I feel better and I continue reading.

I want to achieve what she expects me to achieve.