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Setting expectations requires communication early and often. But it also requires us, as educators, to model those expectations!

In the book, Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say, No, to Take Control of Your Life, authors Henry Cloud and John Townsend state:

Boundaries define us. They define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where I end and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership. Knowing what I am to own and take responsibility for gives me freedom. Taking responsibility for my life opens up many different options. Boundaries help us keep the good in and the bad out. Setting boundaries inevitably involves taking responsibility for your choices. You are the one who makes them. You are the one who must live with their consequences. And you are the one who may be keeping yourself from making the choices you could be happy with. We must own our own thoughts and clarify distorted thinking.

Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say, No, to Take Control of Your Life

Boundaries and Expectations – Peas and Carrots.

Children need boundaries. Parents know this and as we grow older, we still need boundaries. Shocker…college students need boundaries and expectations, too. As instructors, we should be setting expectations and communicating boundaries to college students. So many times I hear grumbling at meetings about the nature of “kids these days” referring to college-aged people.

Y’all, kids these days are just fine. They do need boundaries. They do need us to continue setting expectations. You can ask, and they will tell you if we allow ourselves to set low expectations, they will shoot low. Communicate to them what you are expecting. They may (will) push back and grumble. And they may fail to meet them, but they need them nonetheless.

Where’s the effort?

Effort based expectations allow students to control their success (Taylor, 2013). I can ask for students to use their time wisely and invest into their education. You and I know, them investing time will impact their outcomes in the classroom. Yet, the measurable aspect of this expectation is their effort of time and investment – all in their control. As I drafted my initial list of expectations. Each semester, we spend the first day talking about these expectations, what they mean, and why they are important.

My List of Student Expectations

I expect you to:

• use time to dedicate to the course material.
• read the instructions and follow them. This is not about sneaking around expectations, this is the time to live up to the expectations!
• take notes as you read the chapters so you can use your notes in other assignments and to simply be more likely to learn the material.
• read the chapters carefully, not to just skim them.
• practice your speeches!
• practice your speeches more than once.
• pay attention in class, if you can’t focus with your phone on the table…move it!
• listen to your classmates speeches out of respect.
• show grace to your fellow classmates. Gracious professionalism is a key component to your success and the success of those surrounding you.
• be proactive in problem-solving. You should try to solve problems on your own first by checking Blackboard and the syllabus before asking for help.
• ask for help in a timely manner. The day before the speech is due is too late.
• have fun as long as we are getting work done!
• follow directions and to do your work with integrity.
• speak proudly about your speech topics.

Communicate Expectations clearly, early, and often.

This list provides a means of communicating effort expectations early. The list does not work alone. Instead, as the instructor we must work daily with those expectations by providing rewards for positive behavior, addressing sub-par behavior, and offering suggestions for developing better habits to meet our expectations. If we expect students to show-up on time, we need to do the same. Expecting students to call or email before being late? We should too. If we expect students to show grace, we should too. The expectations must fit the nature of the classroom.

We have an initial responsibility to set reachable expectations.

Explaining Expectations

As I listed, I expect students to be proactive in problem-solving for solutions because Google exist and YouTube videos are better than me at most trouble-shooting solutions. Harder is the expectation for students to speak proudly of their topics. The concern of what their peers will think of their interests smothers their individuality. My responsibility is to gently push students to speak on their interests proudly and be willing to stand against the grain of their peer expectations. Every opportunity we have to support our expectations, we must. From one-on-one assignment preparation or feedback, email conversations, classroom behaviors, small group activities… we have multiple moments to illuminate the pathway to accomplishing our expectations.

Take the first step in raising expectations

The list I provide is not earth shattering. Yet, when I put it together, I was a bit panicked. Did you see it? If you are confused, you should be. I remember drafting this and being worried it was “too Jesus-y” for school. As we submit our syllabi for review by our peers and our Deans each semester, I waited for an email. Nothing. Then, on the first day of class, I went over the list, still anxious for someone to ask me what I was thinking. Nothing.

While the list of expectations includes some Biblical principles, the list is pretty standard.  This list is how I came to realize how much fear was dictating my choices, actions, and conversations. There could be arguments for the biblical principles applied like grace, integrity, work ethic, living with joy but, there would need to be some digging. This faint hint of Jesus in the classroom gave me to opportunity to use and define the word grace (read more about that here), have a conversation about what it looks like in action, and we finish the first day on that note.

Setting expectation first requires us, as instructors, to reflect on what students should expect from us. What expectations do you set for yourself?