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Is it cool to be a fool instead of a scholar?
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Boys oftentimes work hard not to appear smart in school . . .
When did being smart stop being a good thing?
New Albany, Ohio fifth grade teacher Peter Barnes, in his article, Getting the Best out of Boys, writes, “Each year I have at least one boy who is embarrassed by his intelligence. Undercover smart kids enjoy difficult projects and love receiving good grades, but also worry about being labeled "nerds." They rarely raise a hand or volunteer to come to the board and prefer to ask questions when no one is looking.”
Barnes goes on to make suggestions to teachers about what to do about this problem – place these boys near the front of the classroom so that – should they decide to participate in class, they won’t look as if they are ‘trying too hard.’ He also acknowledges that ‘praise must be given subtly since drawing attention increases embarrassment.’
Yevgeny "Gene" Ioffe holds a master's degree from Brandeis University and is employed as a programmer and business analyst. In 1990 when Ioffe was twelve, his parents emigrated to the United States from Russia to escape the imminent collapse of the country. In a recent XplanaZine article, he expressed his shock at the idea that it is not cool to be smart at school here in the U.S.
“If you get straight A’s, you are often fairly or unfairly perceived to be a nerd by fellow students (save for a few select schools which regularly ship their graduates to the Ivy League). And it is assumed by default that you are this way only because you’re a genius,” he writes. “Did this nation stop believing that success can be gained by hard work and not merely by innate, God-given talents? Aren’t we supposed to be a nation that believes that hard work brings success?”
Even sadder, according to Ioffe, is the attitude on the part of many American parents that play into this phenomenon seamlessly. Many simply refuse to believe it was indeed possible for their child to master simple algebra or grammar or physics with a little extra time studying. How can any son or daughter have confidence after hearing this? If their parents can’t believe they can master this, why should they?
So why have the expectations of so many parents sunk to an all time low when it comes to their progeny? Is it easier to just throw in the towel? While the rest of the industrialized world outshines us in education, why is so little value placed on it in a country that once thought of itself as a leader in sciences, literature and the arts?
In later articles, we will be researching the possible answers to these and many other questions. Your thoughts and comments on this are both welcome and appreciated.
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