Head of School's Message: February 6

According to the Fundamental Attribution Error, developed by social psychologist Lee Ross in 1977, we habitually misunderstand the role that context plays in human behavior.
Just because a teaching candidate impresses in an interview doesn’t mean that person will do a good job in the classroom. Just because a student demonstrates strength in math doesn’t mean that history and science will be strong. There’s a tendency to extrapolate from one context to another and assume or at least hope that strength and success in one domain will lead to strength and success in another. 

Last Monday morning, I was standing in the middle of the kindergarten courtyard while the kids enjoyed their snacks. One of the girls approached me slowly but confidently with a folded piece of paper in her hand. The look on her face conveyed that she wanted me to ask about the paper, so I did, and she gave it to me. Folded over four times, I unfolded it to reveal a Girl Scout Cookie Order form! I looked down at the girl whose expression had changed from an inviting ‘please read this’ to a more demanding ‘please buy some!’. These messages were delivered non-verbally. I signed for six boxes and asked her if I could bring the money tomorrow as I didn’t have any cash on me. She thought for a moment and said that would be OK. 

First thing Tuesday morning, I was meeting with Chandler’s Board President in my office, and the cookie seller appeared outside the door with a carrier bag full of cookie boxes. Forgetting for a moment that I was dealing with a six-year-old, I got up from my desk, opened the office door and asked if she wanted cash or a check. She fixed me with a determined stare and said, “Cash!” After my meeting ended, I put the cash in an envelope, went to the kindergarten classroom and watched her put the envelope in her backpack. The deal was done, and we shook hands.

It’s an accomplishment in itself to be a successful cookie seller in kindergarten, but I couldn’t help speculate about where this little girl will be in twenty years-time and what she will be doing after she graduates from college. You would expect her remarkable skills of bending people to her will to thrive in any context as she gets older, but the fundamental attribution error sounds a cautionary note. It’s just too early to tell.  Nonetheless, I feel about her as I feel about all Chandler students. If she were a stock, I would invest heavily in her.
 

Sincerely,
John Finch, Head of School
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