Expectations

Last night I had the annual year end recital for my private music students.  All of my students have been blessed with great families and, generally speaking, wonderful home environments.  Twenty-two students performed and they were all amazing.  The recital is not only a way for my students to see the results of hard work, but also see what they are capable of.  The reason they are able to accomplish this is because of the expectations they have of themselves - and these expectations are a direct result of the opportunities they are given.

When I worked in Newark one thing that amazed me was the extremely low level of expectation the kids had for themselves.  Many had no expectations at all.  This was all because of how they were growing up.  The community they live in lacked any form of inspiration.  It was (and still is) severely affected by crime, gangs, drugs and poverty.  When a child grows up engulfed in a haze of discouragement - how are they supposed to have any self expectation?  If they are constantly exposed to poverty and violence how are they supposed to succeed?

The school where I worked was very symbolic in the community.  It was brand new (less than 2 years old when I arrived), and stood as a beacon of hope in a community ravaged by poverty.  Directly behind the school is one of the most notorious housing projects in Newark representing one choice.    Directly up the street is a cemetery representing an all to familiar reality.  Across the street is a beautiful park perhaps representing the vast opportunities all of the kids held deep inside.  Passing through the middle of all of this: the Garden State Parkway.  A giant artery running north and south representing the ability to move wherever you wanted.

The problem was the kids only saw the housing project or the violence or just the cemetery.  Very few were made aware of the vastness of their potential.