The Power of Great Teaching and High Expectations

Do you remember the name of the first teacher who believed in you? How about the teacher you worked a little bit harder for because they believed you were capable of more?

This week, Bill and Melinda Gates, the co-chairs of the foundation where I have the honor of working, shared some stories about the remarkable students and teachers they met during a recent visit to Betsy Layne High School in Floyd County, Kentucky.

Bill came away impressed by Ricky Thacker, a teacher who radiated a passion for teaching and spoke of his commitment to setting high expectations for himself and his students.

Melinda profiled some of Ricky’s colleagues and described the effort these teachers make to put students at the center of the classroom, engage them deeply, and create project-based lessons to help them truly understand and apply concepts, not just memorize facts and terms.

Reading through Bill and Melinda’s stories caused me to start thinking about the teachers who made an impact on my life and what they have in common with the great work being done in Kentucky.

Signora Dannenberg insisted we speak nothing but Italian in her class for four straight years of high school. In fact, if you saw her on the street you were still required to speak to her in Italian — I have many fond memories of encounters with Sra. Dannenberg as my friends looked perplexedly on. She expected us to immerse ourselves and she transferred her passion for the language to countless students throughout her career.

Ms. Claggett was exacting in how she, and her students, used the English language — in multiple styles of writing as well as in conversation. However, she trusted us to do the hard work ourselves and established a mutually respectful relationship with each of her students, taking time to understand what we were capable of and what drove us individually.

In my mind, the common thread here is that the heart of great teaching, and of great learning, is the bond between teacher and student. Great teachers are passionate about their practice. And it’s from that passion that they are able to able to push students and ignite in them a passion for learning. This was certainly true for me.

At the foundation, we often talk about education as being a bridge to opportunity. In Floyd County, a community devastated by the decline of the coal industry, education is providing students with a bridge to reach their full potential. Teachers are their guides on that journey and leading by example through their continued commitment to improving their craft. As Bill noted, at Betsy Layne “they believe the best way to improve their school is to continue to improve themselves.”

I am eternally grateful to Signora Dannenberg and Ms. Claggett for pushing me and showing me that education isn’t just about what’s happening in the classroom, it’s about opening doors and new ways of thinking to students. That is the power of great teaching and high expectations, and it’s working in Kentucky and in classrooms across the country.