When girls do well on a test- particularly in math and science – they tend to report that maybe the exam was easy or that they just got lucky that day. And if they don’t do well they say that they have never been good at that subject, or that its very difficult for them…these findings seem to support Gilligan’s data showing that girls become unsure of themselves in adolescence, particularly in male dominated domains (as math and science traditionally have been) (Sadowski, 88). Continue reading The Effect of Gender Based Expectations on Self Perception →

“Maher and Ward note, ‘Beginning with puberty, girls ‘fall silent’ as they try to meet the contradictory expectations of pleasing others, accommodating male standards for female attractiveness and docility, and yet succeeding academically.’” (Galley, 91)

Although the most valuable passage I chose has to do with girls and the struggles they face with competing social and societal pressures, I was just as struck by the passage about what boys are up against in Galley’s article “Who am I as a learner? Would Girls and Boys Tend to Answer Differently? Continue reading When students have outgrown gender →

“Despite adults’ tendency to dismiss them as a distraction, these messages written on 8 ½ x 11-inch notebook paper, an old Spanish assignment, a math worksheet, or a history note card are binding missives that chronicle some of an adolescent girl’s most meaningful thoughts, feelings, and relationships in the context of the school day.” (Collins, 2008, 98)

Continue reading OMG WHAT?!?! →

This week’s readings in Adolescents at School focused on trying to identify the differences in learning styles and academic success between boys and girls. Yet, as each piece seemed to conclude, these broad generalizations about gender do not apply to every student. I chose this week’s MVP precisely because it went against what I experience as a student:

“Boys have a natural learning tempo that is more action oriented and hands-on than girls,’ Pollack says, but because most curricula require students to work independently and quietly, many boys end up feeling like failure.” (Galley, 87).

Continue reading Feelin’ like one of the boys →

“Barry Loukaitas, who killed his algebra teacher and two other students in Moses Lake, Washington, was an honor student who especially loved math, he was also constantly teased and described as a “shy nerd.” And Evan Ramsay, who killed one student and the high school principal in Bethel, Alaska, was also an honor student who was teased for wearing glasses and having acne.”

Reading Kimmel’s article “I am not insane; I am angry” was really a sad and painful experience. From him, I learned that most of American high school shooters were long-term bully victims only because they were shy, lonely, smart, skinny, wearing glasses and having acne, and even because they loved study and were honor students. They shot just in order to revenge, to show their manhood, and to win the respect.

It reminds me of one of my high school classmates who was also bullied for the same reasons. He was short, not good looking, having a lot of acne, and extremely shy. He barely Continue reading Let Love Stop Tragedy →