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High-Expectations Relationships: Online Module

This online module invites educators, school leaders and education professionals to deepen their understanding of what High Expectations Relationships look like in practice. Drawing on Indigenous knowledges, research and lived experience, the module explores how beliefs, identity and relational practices directly shape learning outcomes and school culture.

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High-Expectations Relationships Online

Start with identity. Lead with belief. Strengthen relationships.

High Expectations Relationships sit at the heart of the Stronger Smarter Approach. They are the foundation for learning environments where young people feel seen, respected and believed in – and where educators hold unwavering expectations for success, regardless of circumstance.

This online module invites educators, school leaders and education professionals to deepen their understanding of what High Expectations Relationships look like in practice. Drawing on Indigenous knowledges, research and lived experience, the module explores how beliefs, identity and relational practices directly shape learning outcomes and school culture.

Through reflective activities, practical examples and classroom and school based scenarios, participants are supported to critically examine their own assumptions, strengthen relational leadership, and apply respectful, strengths based approaches that build trust, belonging and high expectations for every learner.

This module is designed for all education professionals working in complex and diverse contexts who are committed to creating culturally responsive learning environments and spaces where all students can thrive.

Program Outline

Explores the background to High-Expectations Relationships and introduces a framework that reframes high expectations through a relational lens looking at:

  • Understanding personal assumptions
  • Creating spaces for dialogue
  • Engaging in challenging conversations.

Introduces the ideas of the three Spheres of Personal, School and Community.

  • Examines the need for the strength-based processes that underpin High-Expectations Relationships.  
  • Explores Indigenous researchers who talk about the need to ditch deficit thinking and move from deficit to possibility.
  • Explores the ideas of balancing 'firm and fair' or critically reflective relating and socially-just relating.
  • Looking at how challenging conversations can be held when firm and fair work together.
  • Explores the ideas of Circles and Triangles in organisational structures.  Shows the power of blending the clarity and accountability of the triangle with the relational power of the circle within organisational cultures.
  • Reflects on ways to rethink leadership through critical self-reflection and professional accountability.
  • Looks a co-creating power and explores the ideas of non-Indigenous researchers Ralph Stacey and Margaret Wheatley around leadership and organisational structures.
  • Looks at how Indigenous ways of Knowing, Being and Doing teach about relationships, collective knowledge, many perspectives and shared power and leadership.
  • Explores the need for a cultural shift in the way schools, organisations and systems operate.
  • Looks at the Third Cultural Space and how this can be enacted in schools.
  • Explores the ideas of collaborative professionalism and collective efficacy.
  • Looks at High-Expectations Relationships in the classroom and what this means for teacher-student relationships.
  • Explores the idea of the emotional bank account.
  • Looks at how culturally responsive pedagogies can improve student engagement.
  • Explores how High-Expectations Relationships can support community partnerships.
  • Looks at the ideas of community empowerment and introduces the Institutes Community Empowerment Framework.
  • Looks at how Dr Chris Sarra talks about moving from rhetoric to action.
  • Considers ideas for embedding High-Expectations Relationships across the school and provides an Action Check list for the next steps.

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