Today I turned to one of the smartest kids in my fourth-grade class and inquired, “Keila…Rio de Janeiro. Is it the capital of Brazil or Argentina?”
(This was not on a quiz. I legitimately forgot.)
Keila froze in unforgiving horror, the last shred of respect fizzling from her stare. She shook her head sadly and said, “Mrs. Lariviere. Rio de Janiero is in Brazil. But the capital of Brasil is Brasilia.”
Some teachers find it threatening to have students who are smarter than they are. I see it as an opportunity for one less Google search.