Preconceived Notions

Given that I have had very little, if any, experience with Baltimore City youth, I really did not know what to expect.  In the months before camp started, when I described  to my friends and family the kind of work I would be doing this summer , they all jumped to the inclusion that the program would be targeted towards very underprivileged kids living in lower-class communities.

However, I have found this to be a rather premature and false assumption.  After talking to the kids, I rarely (if ever) get the impression that they are coming from impoverished neighborhoods or from broken home; instead--after talking to many of their parents--I have come to assume the opposite for many of my kids.

The difference between the preconceived assumptions versus the realities of my students and their lives is simply another reminder for me, both as a counselor and in my everyday life, that jumping to conclusions can often lead to warped perceptions.  It is crucial that when working and interacting with a group of young students, the instructor/counselor/teacher should not go into their work with any preconceived assumptions or notions about the kids.  If they do so, they only make it harder for themselves to really understand their students.