The High Cost of Low Expectations Essay Example

academic downfall but they do not have to.

Children need to know that hard work equals success and that no one will allow them to just breeze through school. Children need to have a healthy fear of failure and know that failing is a real threat. Teachers can help by finding creative and interesting ways to gain their students attention and make learning interesting. All excuses aside, Sherry writes, “No one seems to stop and think that—no matter what environments they come from—most kids don’t put school first on their list unless they perceive something is at stake. (Sherry 566)

Many kids who have fallen through the cracks of our educational system, like myself, end up going back to school later on in life to pursue their high school diplomas, GED’s and college degrees. Failing kids eventually end up as regretful adults wishing someone would have prodded and encouraged them to care more about their education. Life without a good education, many times, is harder for the children who did not do well in school. Parents and teachers need to help young kids realize what their futures might look like if they do not make education a top priority in their lives.

Most kids have a very hard time picturing their lives so far into the future and it is very sad that some students still dismiss the importance of education today. Unfortunately, some parents are so involved in their own lives and busy with their own problems that they do not make their child’s education a priority. Teachers cannot always give much individual attention to the students who really need it.

Large class size can make this task almost impossible for them.

Even so, teachers need to express their concerns about the child to the parents telling them straightforwardly that the child is failing and that more needs to be done to help them succeed. Students need to know there is a real threat of failure. They need to give their schoolwork everything they have. If a student has no healthy fear of failure and nothing of their own at stake, they will not always strive to do their best. Sherry uses an example of this very issue in her essay when she writes about her own son.

Sherry’s son, once threatened by a teacher with failing an English class, buckled down, did his schoolwork, and went from a failing grade to getting an A in the class. Some MATC students have openly admitted that they do not really care about their education. They have said they find the teachers boring and they feel that as long as they pass with the minimum grades needed to graduate why try harder. These particular students think that as long as they get their diploma it will not matter that they have only put in the minimal amount of effort necessary to get by.

They argue that any future employers that may hire them will never know what their grade point average was or know about the lack of effort they put into school. The high cost of these students’ low expectations will most likely consist of future disappointments and failures for them. People who have low expectations of themselves cost society in many ways. Low

expectations tend to foster low achievement. Our economy is becoming increasingly knowledge based. People with low expectations cost time and money.

Employers want to hire people who strive to do well in all they do. In life, we all have to do things we do not necessarily like. The question is do we try to do our best no matter what? In a recent article I read, it stated that one school in particular, here in the Midwest, allowed 27% of its graduating class to gain diplomas despite the students’ academic failures. This article and many others support what Sherry writes about in her essay. There is so much more that parents and teachers can do to help improve student success rates.

Children need to learn from a young age the importance of a strong work ethic and making education a priority in their lives. I learned my great work ethic the hard way, by being forced to fend for myself living on the streets since the age of 15. I am proud to say I was taught to have a high-level self-respect, which helped me to get by and survive without compromising myself in a negative way. It is unfortunate that some parents and schools have failed children by not instilling such important life skills in them.

Parents and teachers both need to help raise students’ expectations of themselves. Students who ask more of themselves academically and strive to do well in school are empowered students. These students are much more confident and they have better self-esteem. Successful students grow up to become successful working adults that contribute positively to society.

Having high expectations of students will actually help lower the cost to society by creating positive, responsible, hardworking, self-sufficient adults.