Girls smiling when they are genuinely happy and proud of who they are…doesn’t this sound amazing? So often I find girls are quick to smile but a smiling face doesn’t always truly reflect how they are feeling on the inside. For example, they may have had a bad day when they were left out of a conversation, experienced an embarrassing moment when they were bold enough to answer a question in class but answered the wrong question, or they may be feeling “not good enough” about themselves when they didn’t make the volleyball team. Unable or ashamed and often inexperienced in telling us the truth, they simply smile. Think of her smile as a mask, or a protective layer for what’s really happening inside of her. It’s our job to notice and to try to discern the difference between a smile as a result of happiness and the “cover up” smile as a result of the inability or lack of practice to unburden themselves and share with us. I will never forget a student I taught in my early teaching days who responded to my, “How was your day?”, with a big smile and the words, “Really good” AND a…...