Seven Principles of Teaching Up
To create classrooms that give students
equal access to excellence, educators at
all levels need to focus on seven interrelated principles.
1. Accept that human differences are
not only normal but also desirable. Each
person has something of value to contribute to the group, and the group is
diminished without that contribution.
Teachers who teach up create a community of learners in which everyone
works together to benefit both individuals and the group. These teachers know
that the power of learning is magnified
when the classroom functions effectively
as a microcosm of a world in which we
want to live. They craft culturally and
economically inclusive classrooms that
take into account the power of race,
culture, and economic status in how
students construct meaning; and they
support students in making meaning in
multiple ways (Gay, 2000).
2. Develop a growth mind-set. Providing equity of access to excellence
through teaching up has its roots in a
teacher’s mind-set about the capacity of
each learner to succeed (Dweck, 2007).
It requires doggedly challenging the
preconception that high ability dwells
largely in more privileged students. The
greatest barrier to learning is often not
what the student knows, but what the
teacher expects of the student (Good,
1987).
A teacher with a growth mind-set
creates learning experiences that reinforce the principle that effort rather than
background is the greatest determinant
of success, a notion that can dramatically help students who experience
institutional and instructional racism. A
growth mind-set also creates classrooms
that persistently demonstrate to students
and teachers alike that when a student
works hard and intelligently, the result
is consistent growth that enables people
to accomplish their goals.
Teachers who teach up provide
students with clear learning targets,
guidelines, and feedback as well as a
safe learning environment that supports
them as they take their next steps in
growth, no matter what their current
level of performance is. Through words,
actions, and caring, the teacher con-
veys to students “I know you have the
capacity to do what’s required for suc-
cess; therefore, I expect much of you.
Because I expect much, I’ll support your
success in every way I can. I’m here to
be your partner in achievement.”
The sorting mechanisms used in school are not only
poor predictors of success in life, but also poor
measures of what a young person can accomplish.
and respecting students means respecting their backgrounds—including their
race and culture. Teaching any student
well means striving to understand how
that student approaches learning and
creating an environment that is respectful of and responsive to what each student brings to the classroom.
Many of us know the Golden Rule:
Treat others as you would want to be
treated. In classrooms that work for a
wide spectrum of people, the Platinum
Rule works better: Treat others as they
want to be treated. This principle relates
not only to teacher and student interactions, but also to teacher choices about
curriculum and instruction.
For teachers who teach up, understanding students’ learning profiles is
the driving force behind instructional
planning and delivery. A learning profile refers to how individuals learn most
efficiently and effectively. How we learn
is shaped by a variety of factors, including culture, gender, environmental
preferences, and personal strengths or
weaknesses. Teachers can talk with their
4. Create a base of rigorous learning opportunities. Teachers who teach
up help students form a conceptual
understanding of the disciplines, connect what they learn to their own lives,
address significant problems using
essential knowledge and skills, collaborate with peers, examine varied perspectives, and create authentic products for
meaningful audiences. These teachers
develop classrooms that are literacy-rich
and that incorporate a wide range of
resources that attend to student interests
and support student learning.
Teachers who teach up also ensure
that students develop the skills of independence, self-direction, collaboration,
and production that are necessary for
success. They commend excellence as a
way of life and demonstrate to learners
the satisfaction that comes from accepting a challenge and investing one’s
best effort in achieving it. They know
that when tasks help students make
sense of important ideas, are highly
relevant to students’ life experiences,
and are designed at a moderate level
