by Kristin Barton Cuthriell, M.Ed., MSW, LCSW
Business Leaders, Educators, and Parents……
You have more power than you may know. By truly believing in someone and encouraging their intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth, they are more likely to live up to those expectations and grow in positive ways. Positive expectations and encouragement are key……
Psychotherapy presenter, author, and co-founder of solution focused therapy, Bill O’Hanlon, was giving a talk several years ago to a school district about the Pygmalion Effect, a theory coined by psychologist, Robert Rosenthal. According to the Pygmalion Effect, we can bring our expectations to life in others. During O’Hanlon’s talk, counselors and teachers began sharing with him a real life story about the power of positive expectancy.
It seems that one year, there was a class of students who were so difficult to control that two teachers actually resigned. This class was so challenging that substitute teachers began to refuse to take it. So the school system offered the job to a teacher who had previously applied for the position and had not made the cut. They told her that if she would finish out the year, she would have a full-time position the following year. She did not hesitate and was hired.
The principal decided not to warn the teacher about the class, afraid that she would be scared off if she heard what she was up against. After the new teacher had been on the job for a month, the principal sat in the class to see how things were going. To his amazement, the students were well-behaved and enthusiastic. After the students had filed out of the classroom, the principal stayed behind to congratulate the teacher on a job well done. She thanked him but insisted that he deserved thanks for giving her such a special class, such a great class, for her first assignment. The principal was perplexed and told her that he really didn’t deserve any thanks.
She laughed and told him, “You see, I discovered your little secret on my first day here. I looked in the desk and found the list of the student’s IQ scores. I knew I had a challenging group of kids here, so bright and rambunctious that I would have to work to make school really interesting for them because they are so intelligent.” She slid the drawer open and the principal saw the list with students’ names and the numbers 138, 129, 150, 145, and so on written next to the names.
He paused for a moment and then explained, “Those aren’t their IQ scores; those are their locker numbers!” It was too late. The teacher had expected the students to be bright and gifted and they had responded positively to her positive view and her positive handling of them.
Recommended reading: Bill O’Hanlon’s book, Do One Thing Different
References:
Bill O’Hanlon and Bob Bertolino The Therapist’s Notebook on Positive Psychology
http://www.livinglifefully.com
I love this story. As always, you bring to light, the positive outlooks that should be obvious, but are lost in the tedium of our daily lives. I am so thankful for your reminders. I do believe that our outlook shapes all of our interactions and even experience in life. The power of our expectations and perceptions is nothing short of magical. It is so worth testing on a regular basis.
Thank you so much for your kind and supportive comments.I always enjoy reading your response.
Well Said!
Thank you for reading and commenting on my post.
As a teacher of less than stellar students, I can relate. The first day of every class I give them the “I believe in you speach.” My collegues are amazed at the level of performance I get from them. Raise the bar and they will jump over it every time.
Great blog, BTW Thank you for sharing it with me.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting on the post. I agree, raise the bar and let them know you believe in them. Thanks 🙂
I can’t wait to relax at the end of each day and read your daily blogs. You have always been an inspiration to me and now you have the perfect platform to inspire, enlighten, and help others.
Caroline
Thank you for the kind words. You also inspire me.
Awesome post!
Thank you for reading.
I totally agree in the power of expectations. Expectations—whether positive or negative—can powerfully change us and our environment.
John C. Maxwell jokingly said in one of his audiobooks, “Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall receive it.”
All of us expect something. As for me, I would rather choose to expect positive things.
Thanks Kristin, it’s a great post! 🙂
Reblogged this on Todd's Perspective and commented:
This goes hand in hand with my Goethe quote here: http://toddlohenry.com/2012/04/22/8461/
Thank you, Todd!!
Great story! And not surprising, really. (I’m working on raising my own expectations of myself at this point.)
Good for you! It is all about keeping things in balance. I am glad to have found your blog. Thank you for commenting on mine.
Thank you.