How do you limit your students’ potential?

Note, the title is not: “Are you limiting your students’ potential?” The reason is that all teachers have limited their students’ potential to learn in one way or another. Since most teachers spend hours working overtime (without pay) for the benefit of their students, you may be taken aback by this comment. So, how does it take place?

On Saturday, Lincoln teacher Nancy Bloom directed a workshop in which she showed us (Lincoln teachers) some beliefs that limit learning:

1. “Mistakes are a sign of weakness”

2. “Speed is what counts. Faster is smarter”

3. “Good students can do it by themselves”

4. “Only the few bright can achieve at a high level”

For these beliefs, Nancy asked teachers to think of corresponding beliefs that liberate students to learn. For example, a teacher that interacts with students thinking “only the bright can achieve” limits students that were not born with certain types of intelligence. However, the teacher that enters the classroom thinking “everyone is capable of high achievement” liberates her students to learn!

What are liberating beliefs for 1-3? If you teach with these liberating beliefs, how has impacted students?