Once teachers have identified their patterns of differential behavior toward low-expectancy students and explored the reasons for these patterns, they should move quickly to change their behavior. In fact, teachers can and should work on changing their behavior as soon as they notice that it is different from student to student. A consoling thought a teacher might keep in mind is that students cannot know what a teacher is thinking. Therefore, if a teacher has systematic biases, students will never be privy to those thoughts. However, students will interpret everything the teacher does and does not do as an indication of the teacher's opinions about them. This is good news in a sense. Even if teachers have low expectations regarding particular students, they can immediately begin to behave in a way that communicates high expectations.

Reflecting on Your Current Beliefs and Practices

Before examining the strategies in this module, take some time to examine your beliefs and practices by answering the following questions:

1. How might you change your current behavior toward low-expectancy students in terms of verbal and nonverbal communication of acceptance and respect?
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2. How might you change your questioning patterns with low-expectancy students?
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3. How might you change your behavior patterns with low-expectancy students after they have answered a question incorrectly?
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Recommendations for Classroom Practice