As a teacher, one of the most important aspects of your job is to help students understand complex concepts and new vocabulary words. Among the many powerful words in the English language, “condescend” is one that all students should be familiar with.
To start, it’s important to clarify what condescending means. In essence, condescend refers to a situation where a person speaks or acts in a manner that implies they feel they are better than another person. This can manifest in many ways, such as talking down to someone, refusing to listen to another person’s opinions, or acting as if the other person is not as intelligent or worthy as oneself.
Once you have explained the definition of condescend to your students, you may want to provide them with some examples of how this behavior plays out in the real world. For instance, you might talk about a boss who tells a subordinate that they don’t need to worry about understanding a certain project because it’s “too complex” for them. Alternatively, you might discuss a situation where a friend refuses to take another person’s feelings seriously because they think their own perspective is more important.
It’s also important to talk to your students about the harmful effects of condescending behavior, both for the person being condescended to and for the person doing the condescending. When we treat others as if they are less than us, we can cause them to feel disrespected, anxious, or frustrated, which can damage our relationships with them. Moreover, when we act as if we are superior to others, we close ourselves off to new ideas and perspectives, limiting our ability to grow and learn.
