At High Performance Learning we passionately believe that every single child can achieve academic success and live a life full of opportunity regardless of their starting point. Learning is a science, and following years of research into how people think and learn, we now know that what was always perceived as impossible is now possible: there are no restrictions on learning and every single child can go the distance academically. But here’s the thing, they will not do that unless school fosters in them a sense of self-belief.
Recently a teaching colleague told me a story from her school days, which in one form or another will be familiar to many of you. In their Art lesson, a new teacher came over and asked if they were related to an artist with the same surname. She confirmed that it was her father and the teacher’s face lit up. He said he was a great admirer, had been at Art College with him and loved his work. Then, as he turned away he said in a jokey way, “Pity you don’t have his talent.” Crushing! But we have all been there. I, the avid reader and story writer was told by my teachers that I couldn’t be good at English because I couldn’t spell. These comments, be they careless, thoughtless or even intentional, are why so many children and young people feel they cannot do well at school. At the time when you are forming your self-identity the views of others make you grow or shrink.
Of course, the research evidence around cognitive development indicates that my colleague, even if not yet demonstrating it, was capable of developing her artistic skills and that I myself could learn how to spell. These perceived barriers to success were not the barriers they were made out to be. But as a student, you don’t know that. You just think you are good at some things and not at others and that is how it will always be. You do not have a sense that it could be different unless someone tells you it could.
What frustrates me is that as educators we have known for many, many years that what you believe is what you get when it comes to student performance. As far back as 1968 Rosenthal and Jacobson published the seminal book, Pygmalion in the Classroom showing that if you told teachers certain students were high flyers then that is what they became. More recently we have had Dweck’s Growth Mindest, and all the work on brain plasticity in neuroscience and yet still many teachers and senior leaders continue to believe that intelligence is somehow rationed and that their classrooms comprise of those who can and those who can’t. When we conduct surveys with schools starting to adopt High-Performance Learning, where the #everyonecan mantra is a key strand, less than 40% of teachers believe that everyone can.
Indeed, in a school quite recently a senior leader questioned whether I was serious when I said that I believed almost anyone can become a high performer. Well, I replied, it’s not so much a belief but rather it’s what the research evidence from psychology, neuroscience and genetics tells us. “Well you are wrong”, he said. “I have been teaching for over 20 years and I can tell you, you are wrong.” I was speechless. Not just from the ignorance but also from the blinkered arrogance.
As Seth Gershenson at the Fordham Institute (2022) says, all students need teachers who expect great things from them — and behave accordingly. If you are unlucky enough to be taught by someone who doesn’t subscribe to this idea then it’s likely you will grow to doubt yourself. If however you are taught by an enlightened teacher who confidently signals to their class an optimistic belief in every individual’s ability to do well then you will start to believe in yourself and be able to deal with setbacks as just that, a setback, not an indicator that you are destined for disaster. You will start to blossom and to enjoy your learning.
In my role, I come across people all of the time who disclose to me stories of how the school did not believe in them and how they had to succeed against the odds. By contrast, I also hear from students and adults who tell me how their success started with others believing in them more than they themselves believed. Certainly, I have had those kinds of sponsors in my adult life who encouraged me to try for roles I didn’t think I could attain!
So if we want students to grow up happy, confident and successful we need to confirm to them that they can learn to do well in a very wide variety of areas. Some things may come more easily than others but they are all possible.
So if we want students to grow up happy, confident and successful we need to confirm to them that they can learn to do well in a very wide variety of areas. Some things may come more easily than others but they are all possible.
So join the campaign and tomorrow, if you are not doing it already, make an effort to tell your students you believe in them and if they are not doing well it’s just ‘not yet’. Students thrive in schools where the culture is optimistic and where staff refuse to use students’ continuing challenges as justification for lowering expectations. This year make your classroom and school one where students feel capable of performing.
Dweck, C. (2007) Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Random House
Gershenson, S. (2022) Power of Expectations in District and Charter Schools. Washington: Fordham Institute
Rosenthal, R., Jacobson, L. Pygmalion in the classroom. Urban Rev 3, 16–20 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02322211
Written by, Professor Deborah Eyre www.highperformancelearning.co.uk Deborah.Eyre@highperfromancelearning.co.uk
