It’s okay to be smart

I often share student quotes on my facebook page. It’s a way to give the world a glimpse into the classroom, and make people smile.

Yesterday I posted this:

while learning about creating visual texture:

student: is mine good?

me: Do you have at least 2 textures?

student: I think

me: What are they

student: a scarf

me: what texture is that?

student: I don’t know

me: What does a scarf feel like?

student: soft

so your texture is soft, what’s your other texture?

student: black

me: black is a color

student: mountains

me: mountains are not a texture, what do mountains feel like?

student: rough

me: so your 2 textures are soft and rough

the art of patience and questioning…now I’m going to have some wine

Many comments followed, and as I read and responded to them, I began to really think about why this conversation happened. While in my mind women have progressed, we’ve been liberated, and are equal to our male counter parts, when I stand in the classroom, all too often I realize that’s not true.

Students wonder why my husband and I don’t have children. We’ve been married for 7 years, which means to them that we should have children. I honestly and simply respond, we’ve decided that we don’t want kids. This response causes many more hands to raise, it’s as though they’re unaware that having children is a choice.

Yesterday a male student asked what my husband was like.

Me: what do you mean?

him: is he really tall?

me: no, he’s actually shorter than me.

student: wow, that must be rough, is he at least really buff?

me: Yes, but I”m not sure why that matters.

him: he is artsy or into sports?

me: why can’t it be both? He’s both very athletic and enjoys cooking.

When my husband shares that he does the cooking, cleaning, and laundry, he his met with great praise, often times followed by, what does your wife do? On the flip side, if I were to cook, clean and do the laundry ( as most people seem to think that I should) no one would praise me, or ask what my husband does.

So it appears that we haven’t come as far as I thought.

Back to the student quote. I watch female students pretend that they are unintelligent, or at least less intelligent than their male classmates. And after pretending for long enough, it becomes a part of who they are. They lose themselves, as they attempt to become who they believe they are to be.

And for this reason alone we need more confident, powerful women, sharing their stories. Being vulnerable and telling the truth.

Leave a comment sharing what makes you feel confident

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