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Children in general, and students to be specific, are incredibly sensitive to the expectations of the adults in their lives; particularly their teachers. A study by Rubie-Davies and colleagues showed that in two sets of 2nd through 7th grade students, in spite of the similar levels of reading achievement at the start of the year, the achievement results at the end of the year markedly differed ~ simply driven by one variable ~ the teacher's expectations. Those with teachers who overestimated the students’ ability outperformed those whose teachers didn’t have high expectations.

In this episode, 2020 Grammy Music Educator Award Recipient, seven-time Teacher of the Year, Cannonball Saxophone Educator, Assistant Director of Instrumental Arts at The King’s Academy and author, Mickey Smith Jr., not only has high expectations from his students but has made it his mission to show his students that they matter. Mickey unveils his educational philosophy that modern day teaching is a relationship-based approach, and that more than ever, teaching cannot simply be about the subject matter, but also about showing students that they matter and good teachers help learners “know their sound.” 

About Mickey Smith Jr.
Educator and Encourager. Those are two words that describe Mickey Smith Jr. The Louisiana-native is a 7-time Teacher of the Year and recipient of the prestigious GRAMMY Music Educator Award. Mickey inspires audiences across North America with his motivational mixture of music and message. Mickey is not only an international keynote speaker and presenter, but he is also a full-time teacher at The King’s Academy in West Palm Beach, FL. Mickey blends the roles of educator and entertainer to create a one-of-a-kind, dynamic experience that entertains, educates, and elevates everyone to excellence. No matter the challenge, Mickey encourages everyone everywhere to keep on going. 

Mickey lives in West Palm Beach, Florida with his wife of over 20 years and their two kids. Find out more at mickeysmithjr.com

Books:

• The Adventures of Little Mickey: Keep on Going

About Host, Sucheta Kamath
Sucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.

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