West Memphis Teachers Share 'Great Expectations' With UA Teachers-to-be

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Two "Great Expectations" public school teachers from West Memphis will be on hand Monday, Feb. 14 to share their experiences and offer nuts-and-bolts advice to 55 education students from the College of Education and Health Professions. The workshop, intended to bring the Great Expectations methodology in focus and to train future teachers in successful classroom strategies, will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Continuing Education Building room 409 in Fayetteville.

Great Expectations of Arkansas, a model educational program funded by the Walton Family Foundation and the Windgate Charitable Foundation, is a "high expectations" philosophical approach to teaching that has been successfully instituted in elementary schools in nearly 60 Arkansas school districts during its five years of existence. Stressing unconditional regard and respect for students and their teachers, the Great Expectations philosophy emphasizes creating an attitude of excellence and a focus on each child's varied ability to learn and succeed—no matter their racial or ethnic background, previous academic record or upbringing—and has found particular success in some of Arkansas' most troubled districts. Although no official research has been released, administrators in Great Expectations have seen a remarkable trend since the program's inception: while teacher absenteeism has been drastically reduced, student attendance has steadily increased. The Great Expectations program has received widespread applause from teachers across the state including the workshop's facilitators, Tommie Leigh Sweat, a West Memphis third grade teacher, and Shelia Burgess, a fifth grade teacher in Memphis, Tenn.

"Offering our student teachers exposure to different teaching methodologies is an excellent way for us to prepare them as educators," said Elizabeth Jordan, professor of special education and organizer of the event. "Not only do the Great Expectations teachers offer particular insight after having worked and succeeded in some of the toughest public schools in the nation, their positive experiences with the program will help and inspire our newest teachers in training so they may learn what works—and what doesn't. Tommie and Shelia are master teachers," Jordan added. "They will offer a great deal of insight to our students."

Sweat and Burgess, both fervent believers in the Great Expectations method, will share their own stories with the M.A.T. students and focus on how teachers can build a community within their classroom to promote respect and harmony. The Arkansas teachers will model classroom behaviors and conduct a series of interactive scenarios in which the M.A.T. students will participate to encourage discussion among the group.

"Sharing the Great Expectations philosophy with new teachers is always gratifying," said Marie Parker, Great Expectations director. "And although these students may never be a part of a Great Expectations school, Tommie and Shelia will offer these students practical advice on classroom management, building a classroom community, and fostering students' learning styles—they get down to the nitty-gritty. And although the Great Expectations methodology is, primarily, a philosophical approach, its application involves practical classroom tactics that every teacher can use."