Expectations: Power of Asset-Based Language

• Examine what the research says about how our expectations influence student achievement

• Discuss how to begin building an asset-based culture in mathematics classrooms

Schedule:

5 minutes –     Settle in, take attendance, Intro question: How do you provide feedback for your students?  How does it focus on both successes and areas for improvement?

10-15 minutes –     Participants’ implementation share-out

3-5 minutes –     Transition into current module, connection between concepts: How does the introduction to this module reinforce the importance of intentional questioning?  

10-20 minutes –     Workbook reflection: 

1. Is your cultural background similar to the majority of your students’?  If so, how do you leverage that common cultural sense in your classroom choices?  If not, how do you learn about your students’ backgrounds and reflect it in the classroom?

2. The activity in part 2 asks you about how approaches to feedback can help build an asset-based culture.  What are some other choices we can make in the classroom, and the school overall, that help build such a culture?  

3. Were there any prompts in this section of the workbook that you wanted to discuss with the rest of the group? What about them were you looking to explore further?

20-30 minutes –     Application discussion prompts: 

1. In your experience as a student, how did your teachers’ expectations influence your academic achievement?  Was there a teacher who convinced you that you could do more than you believed?  Was there a teacher who underestimated you?  What impact did that have?

2. In what ways do you consciously shift your thinking from deficit-based to asset-based?  Is there a particular signal or trigger that helps you realize when you are drifting towards a more deficit-based mindset?

3. Have you ever received feedback that has only, or primarily, focused on your shortcomings?  How did that make you feel about the person providing the feedback, the topic of the feedback, and your motivation to address the issues?

5-10 minutes -     Wrap up: Each individual brainstorms "What can you do between now and our next meeting to incorporate or emphasize this topic more in your classroom?" and a few participants volunteer for the next session’s implementation share-out