Welcome to my Monday Blogs. Fridays will be about games and activities, Wednesday’s Blogs will focus on differentiated instruction, and Mondays will be about igniting and inspiring at the beginning of the work week.

“If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you neverr will change the outcome.”

-Michael Jordan

Last week I got a call from a principal. She and I had previously worked together in a challenging school setting to raise the level of instruction. She is a dedicated professional who has always impressed me with her unending desire to do what is best for all involved.

However, her current school is ranked exemplary. The scores are high. No one is concerned that the school make AYP. Knowing this, I congratulated her on her school’s achievements. With this in mind though, I had to wonder why she was calling me.

She accepted the compliments, then quietly added, “But, we could do so much more. Our students have so much more potential that we haven’t even realized.” Wow!!! I was in awe once again by her desire to do more–even when she didn’t have to.

Ralph Charel said,

“Nobody succeeds beyond his or her wildest expectations unless he or she begins with some wild expectations.”

That’s exactly what this principal is doing…setting wild expectations for herself, her faculty, and her students. Then, she’s trying to go beyond them. If one of her 2nd grade students begins the year performing at 3rd grade level, she wants them to leave the school year performing at 4th grade level. She’s not only wants to respond using intervention for her at-promise learners, but she’s wants to respectfully respond to the needs of all learners, all the time. I believe she will accomplish this.

Are you setting wild expectations? If you aren’t, why not write one today and then try to exceed it?

“Whatever we expect with confidence becomes our own self-fulfilling prophecy.” -Brian Tracy