As I was teaching Math to two different groups last week, I had something interesting happen when setting expectations. When I sat down with "Group A" I set expectations for behavior and guidelines for interactions with each other. I set this standard because I knew they needed reminders to listen to their peers and control their behavior when working in small groups with manipulatives. They understood what I was asking of them and most students received additional warnings about staying within set expectations.
When I transitioned to "Group B," I didn't set up expectations because they have never required them in the past. As a group they work well together and are respectful towards materials and each other. The interesting part was that "Group B" went wild! They had giggle fits and performed impersonations when having discussions with their peer group. The whole discussion went sideways and there was no set expectation to remind them. Now I know...setting expectations plays a huge role in the classroom.
