Beyond First Impressions: A Photo Game to Uncover Hidden Assumptions
A new pupil walks into the classroom. Within seconds, you’ve formed an impression. But is it accurate?
Why First Impressions Matter
(Student) teachers form impressions of their pupils every day. Often this happens in a split second ‒ one glance ‒ and the teacher feels as if they already know the learner. But how much of that impression is really about the pupil themselves and grounded in reality? And how much is colored by personal expectations, experiences, and (unconscious) assumptions?
The Photo Game in Practice
The activity “Photo Game: the teacher’s pet” invites (student) teachers to literally and figuratively look beyond their first impressions. (Student) teachers are shown photos of “pupils.” They position themselves by the learner who appeals to them most and explain why. In the following rounds, more information is revealed, e.g. age, favorite subject, interests, home situation, strengths, and challenges. After each round, (student) teachers make a choice and explain their reasoning: who decides to “switch” to another pupil, and why? Once all information has been shared, (student) teachers make a final choice and explain their motivation.
Reflections and Classroom Impact
This process reveals how quickly we assign meaning to appearance or posture ‒ and how additional information can either confirm or completely change our perception of a person. For teacher educators, the Photo Game opens up rich opportunities to guide meaningful reflection on bias and its impact on learning.
In the debriefing, (student) teachers reflect:
- What happened to your first impression?
- Which assumptions turned out to be correct, and which did not?
- And what does this reveal about the way you look at others?
Attention is also given to real classroom practice and the concrete actions (student) teachers can take away from the exercise.
The goal of this activity is not to “choose the right pupil,” but to gain insight into how quickly (student) teachers and teacher educators often label and form expectations. These expectations shape how pupils are approached, the standards set for them, and the opportunities they are offered. In turn, this can affect their self-image and learning outcomes. By consciously practicing to move beyond first impressions, this activity contributes to creating a classroom environment where every pupil has the chance to learn and develop to their full potential.
The insights gained from this activity help (student) teachers recognise how their assumptions may influence classroom interactions, shaping pupils’ motivation and achievement.
Accessing the Toolbox
This photo game is part of a Toolbox for Diversity Competencies. It was developed in 2015 as part of a project on in-class differentiation, aimed at encouraging (student) teachers to reflect on their own diversity competencies. The various activities have also been extensively used in several training programs for future care professionals, as diversity competencies are equally essential in that field.
Access to the resource: link
The complete toolkit, featuring this resource in Dutch along with other similar resources also available in Dutch, is freely available via this link (after creating a free account).
Creator: Els Tanghe
Contact email: els.tanghe@uantwerpen.be
Audio description