Why is it that lecturers only clarify their expectations in the final days before the assignment is due? No wonder people do things the night before! It's really frustrating to spend so much time working on something to be told it's not what they wanted, and that you're going to lose marks for all your effort.
People are often unclear about their expectations. I had a rather nasty and expensive lesson in clear versus implied expectations just last week! In the classroom, it is essential to have clear expectations. But what about in 'real life'? Expectations can have both positive and negative effects - they can help us to perform and achieve, or leave us forever falling short. I've always held myself to very high expectations, and probably others as well. I think that we should have high expectations of ourselves, or we might see it as reasonable to become complacent or sloppy. High expectations of others can be positive too, so long as they're not critical, but rather in the light of 'benefit of the doubt.' I think it's important that we keep the ideas of grace, love and gratitude close in mind: grace for when we or others fall short of expectations, love to remind us to seek others' needs above our own, and gratitude so that we never take the service of others and blessings in life for granted. Perhaps this is true 'resilience'?
What kind of expectations do you have of yourself - high, low, realistic? What sort of expectations do you have of others? Do you think they're healthy?
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I have high expectations of myself, but I don't think I work hard enough to achieve them. I could do so much better, but I am such a good procrastinator! :(
Ive learnt that its kind of not good to have expectations of others. Like, I expect, but I don't EXPECT. Because I don't want them trying to live up to anyones expectations but to Gods.
I wish I could do that though. I constantly find myself trying to fufill expectations of others and not of God.
And lecturers are silly and should just clearly state in the outline what they want!
By expectations of others, I think you can take that two ways.
1. Expecting the best of people.
This is the one we as teachers need to do, but I think it's just as relevant for everyone else. You should always expect that people are capable of good and have the potential for so much, more than we might guess. If you expect little of people, they'll notice, and they'll internalise that. I firmly believe we should have high expectations of people in the best sense.
2. Expecting people to be who we want them to be.
This is the unhealthy part of expectations, and is NOT expecting the best of people. We expect people to think and behave in particularly ways - generally, in the same ways that we do - or to be perfect. This is just nonsense, and is as damaging as expecting little from people. Although there is common decency expectations, I don't think we should hold people to artificial expectations that we have placed on them in this sense. This is where comparisons start to come in, too.
What expectations do you have of God?
1. Do you give him the benefit of the doubt? Expect him to come through at his best, in ways you can't yet imagine?
2. Do you expect him to conform to your limited expectations of how you think he should operate?
Worth a thought...
I am going to answer that with this bible verse:
“ For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
- Is. 55:8
Who are we to expect of God?
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