The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth - Alexandra Robbins [187]
Schools must examine the myriad ways in which teachers and administrators, traditions, and policies help to establish a social hierarchy, thus delineating which students will dominate and which will be abased for their differences.
Look carefully at the recognition and support offered to certain groups of students, and then formulate ways to provide equivalent recognition and support to all groups. Pep rallies should promote not just sports teams but also academic, debate, and mock trial teams. If a no-homework night is offered for one team’s championship match to encourage students to attend and cheer, the policy should be extended to all teams’ championship matches—athletic, academic, or otherwise. If school or class competitions generally cater to certain groups, restructure the events so that all students have the opportunity to represent their class or interests. Trophies for the math and chess teams should be displayed with as much fanfare as those of the football and basketball teams. The order of clubs, teams, or organizations presented at rallies, activities showcases, and banquets should be random rather than status-based.
At St. Edmund School, home of the Nerd Herd, the robotics club’s success has led to a refreshing new atmosphere. Not only have the students’ attitudes changed toward science, but also the school devotes more attention to promoting the subject, celebrating even small scientific achievements and considering a robotics and engineering curriculum. The Nerd Herd is no longer uncool. Its symposiums draw dozens of students. FIRST LEGO League, said St. Edmund coach Christine Zaremba, “has done a great deal toward breaking down stereotypes by creating such a pumped-up, sporting-event, rock star–type atmosphere for what’s essentially a glorified version of the math team. When we get students to come visit the competitions, I’ve never seen a kid leave a tournament without saying, ‘I want to be a nerd!’ ” Students no longer make fun of the Nerd Herd, who proudly announce, “We’re the kings of the nerds.”
Schools that put traditionally “nerdy” achievements on par with, say, sports victories, encourage a better attitude among staff and students toward those who participate in those activities. “We’re teaching our students that being smart and proud of it can bring you the same accolades and recognition that other ‘traditional’ activities can. That’s a big motivator for younger kids, that they can be ‘famous’ just for being intelligent and working hard,” Zaremba said. In other schools, “the stereotypes of the smart kids being losers still persists, and they’re constantly being bombarded with the ‘ideals’ of beauty and talent. Schools that celebrate activities like robotics have a different attitude. We ignore those stereotypes and say, ‘Hey, being you is enough, and we’re proud of you.’ ”
Make credit requirements equitable
Examine the ways that students can fulfill credit requirements for graduation. If participation on a school sports team counts as a gym credit, then participation on an academic team or in a drama production also should fulfill a requirement. Will the band geek or theater tech feel that his schedule is just as individualized to him as the jock’s schedule is to her?
Encourage upperclassmen to support new students
Several students told me that they would have been lost if not for the nurturing and attention of an older student with similar interests. Rather than encourage perceived popular upperclassmen to turn underclassmen into fawning wannabes, schools can create mentoring opportunities in which older students support younger ones’ diverse interests and quirks. Senior nerds, for example, can steer certain freshmen toward welcoming groups and entertaining activities. In this manner, younger students can gain comfort and confidence in the interests they already have, rather than in the interests that other people want or expect them to have. Once they feel secure in the new environment, they can expand their horizons.
Encourage unexpected introductions
Joy found