Conceive Preconceived Notions
Preconceptions, biases, and preconceived notions are all terms used to describe pre-existing views and opinions about something or someone. These beliefs are developed as a result of individual experiences, upbringing, culture, media, and other outside influences. Understanding the effects of preconceived notions could change how we relate to others and develop policies. This article explores undesirable impacts of preconceived notions on everyday life and how we can work to overcome them.
Having preconceived notions about someone or something means that we have formed opinions or taken a firm position before gathering and qualifying evidence. Preconceptions are rooted in stereotypes and shared stories.
When we cling to misguided or unfounded preconceived conceptions, we fail to make meaningful connections and material improvements. Let us examine scenarios where preconceptions may be at work in relationships, at work, and throughout society. Isn’t it worth the effort to become wiser about inclusion and compassion?
Let's say Miss Scott is an educator whose preconception convinces her that a student who sleeps in class regularly is lazy. This bias snowballs into low confidence about the student's behavior and abilities and leads Miss Scott to respond as though the student is incapable of academic success. Miss Scott allows the student to sleep in class and ignores requests for extra credit based on an assumption instead of digging deeper to learn the student earned high honor roll grades in the previous school year – before his brother was killed. Knowing the facts of the student’s circumstance, would you agree the student needs compassion and meaningful extra credit opportunities?
Let's say William is a student who believes that his teacher is cruel, because the teacher assigns a lot of homework and grades harshly. William’s assumption ignores the possibility that the deeper lessons involve diligence, perseverance, and growth. William loses interest in the course and thinks the teacher doesn’t care about students, because William is unaware of the teacher’s willingness to experience ridicule at the risk of teaching the soft skills students need to excel in college and career.
There’s so much that we don’t actually know. It is important to recognize and challenge assumptions through research and communication in order to create more inclusive learning environments.
Painful Implications of Preconceived Notions
During interactions, both students and teachers suffer as a result of unfounded beliefs. Holding onto preconceived beliefs about students causes tense interactions, unaddressed miscommunications, and stagnation. Parents lose. Students lose. Educators lose.
Preconceived notions surface in interactions between students and teachers in a number of ways. Neglecting students based on ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic background often shows up in classrooms when teachers resist parental engagement efforts to secure resources and assistance students require. Over time, this “battle” causes a few bad grades to turn into behavior problems and overall low performance. The decline leads to general dissatisfaction with the school or school district and disengagement.
One painful implication is micro aggressions in the classroom, or subtle forms of discrimination. Let’s say Mr. Segues has a preconception that all Asian students are good at math, so Mr. Segues perpetuates the stereotype by calling on an Asian student to the point of excluding others from class demonstrations. By second semester, Mr. Segues blames students for higher-than-average truancy. He doesn’t conceive the cause-and-effect relationship his behavior and student absenteeism.
Painful implications of preconceptions also originate with students and their families. If Samantha and her foster mom have a preconceived notion that the reading teacher is unapproachable or uncaring, they may not complete fluency trackers at home. Samantha's mom may be hesitant to provide feedback on recommendations to improve failing grades. In this scenario, the family misses early opportunities for building a strong partnership with the teacher in order meet literacy requirements for graduation.
Negative consequences caused by preconceived notions can be avoided. These include feelings of despair, anxiety, loneliness, frustration, exhaustion, and depression. When the damage is done, there may not be enough time left in the school year to re-establish (or establish) welcoming and fruitful communications.
reminders that help Educators and Parents Address the Damage
Education and Awareness
Coaching and professional development highlight damaging preconceptions. SEL (social emotional learning) resources can reverse the negative effects. SEL training boosts confidence and improves performance. SEL hot topics include self-awareness, trauma, self-regulation, empathy, gratitude, grit, and growth mindset. Meaningful professional development and parental engagement opportunities equip the team with vital skills and tools. The more we know, the more we can learn.
Facilitating Growth
Honing critical thinking and reasoning skills challenges biases and presumptions. Dedication to diversity and inclusion is a prerequisite to facilitating growth. Intentionally reinforcing SEL frameworks prompts educators and parents to strengthen skills. They need opportunities to connect with students from all backgrounds plus space to make sense of their learning needs. Low stakes dialogue among educators, learners and their families fosters a sense of belonging; this is markedly different than parent-teacher conferences that are high stakes for low-performing students, overly critical educators, and helicopter parents.
Student Conversations
Children learn to make sense of a complex world through media literacy, explicit instruction about unconscious bias, and exposure to positive relationships. These may seem like concepts that are too big for students to grasp. But, it's possible when educators and parents have the education and experience to confidently lead students… or have access to someone who does.
Preconceived notions can harm student-teacher interactions and result in immediate and long-term problems. Ultimately, building bridges across the aisle requires respect. Walking away from a situation may be the best course of action until cooler tempers prevail. While adults regroup, it's crucial to ensure student-centered learning continues - remediation, rehearsal, or acceleration. Introducing an unbiased third party can help (e.g., student's emergency contact, school counselor, private tutor).
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