Study on Expectations (Keep yours high)

This is reprinted from an article, expect more on this subject shortly.

The most important finding from this research is that TEACHER EXPECTATIONS CAN AND DO AFFECT STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTITUDES. Among the research materials supporting this paper, all that address this topic found relationships between expectations and student outcomes.

How do teacher expectations affect student outcomes? Most researchers accept Good and Brophy's (1980) description of the process:

1. Early in the school year, teachers form differential expectations for student behavior and achievement.
2. Consistent with these differential expectations, teachers behave differently toward various students.
3. This treatment tells students something about how they are expected to behave in the classroom and perform on academic tasks.
4. If the teacher treatment is consistent over time and if students do not actively resist or change it, it will likely affect their self-concepts, achievement motivation, levels of aspiration, classroom conduct, and interactions with the teacher.
5. These effects generally will complement and reinforce the teacher's expectations, so that students will come to conform to these expectations more than they might have otherwise.
6. Ultimately, this will affect student achievement and other outcomes. High-expectation students will be led to achieve at or near their potential, but lowexpectation students will not gain as much as they could have gained if taught differently (Restated in Good 1987, p. 33).

While this is a useful model for describing the way that expectations can affect student outcomes, researchers offer several cautions about its usefulness for describing what occurs in classrooms. For one thing, they point out that full-blown SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY EFFECTS can occur only when all the elements in the model are present. While this can and sometimes does occur, most researchers have concluded that teacher expectations are not generally formed on the basis of "false conceptions" at all. Rather, they are based on the best information available about the students (Brophy 1983; Brophy and Good 1970; Clifton 1981; Cooper 1983, 1984; Good 1987, 1982; Good and Brophy, 1984; Meyer 1985; Raudenbush 1984; and Wineburg 1987).

However, even though the initial expectations formed by teachers may be realistic and appropriate, researchers have found that SUSTAINING EXPECTATION EFFECTS can occur and can also limit students' learning and selfconcept development. As noted by Good (1987):

For sustaining expectations to occur, it is only necessary that teachers engage in behaviors that maintain students' and teachers' previously formed low expectations (e.g., by giving low-expectation students only drill work, easy questions, etc.

Whimsical

Convincing myself may be harder than telling you that games should be fun.
Playing funny moves is one good way to keep things whimsical. I find this practice helps my skills by causing me to play situations and positions that would not otherwise be familiar. Playing whimsically can also help keep your play unpredictable which is very helpful in many games.

Love the way a talented New York park chess hustler can rap out a line of talk, better even than the moves they are playing-- this is partly why people keep coming back, wallets open.
Professional game players should consider developing their social skills and humor to make things funner for themselves and opponents. Of course if you a pro bridge player this will not be allowed in tournament situations.
Social players who want games to be more entertaining can also choose some whimsical games to start with, Apples to Apples, Pictionary, Twister and and Liars Poker, are just a few of the fun games. If this all fails just add the word "strip" to any game and whimsy will be had by all.

Some quick tips

Here are a couple of quick tips, may they serve you well.

1. Listen! In partner games always give your partner a chance to speak, they might have something important to say. In games where your opponents talk listen, they could be unwittingly giving you a clue about what they are planning or what they hold.


2. React! When the position cannot be saved at any cost, try tipping the board and all the pieces over until they tumble down onto the floor.
Chances are your opponent will not remember the exact position and you will get a reprieve from certain defeat.

Ask The Chess Master is Live

We have started a new website: Ask the Chessmaster
Now you can ask questions about chess, look up chess slang, solve problems and even view funny chess videos.

Ideas, suggestions, and questions are encouraged.

Peace.

Kenneth