Glossophobia–the fear of public speaking–is the 13th most common fear in the world. For students, getting in front of a class to speak one’s thoughts can often be somewhat scary.

It’s especially hard for people to speak their mind when they have an unpopular opinion. We all suffer from a certain type of fear when a teacher asks a question: no one wants to be the first to answer.

The question is, what are we so afraid of?

Purdue University sophomore Emily Glamb explained that in her engineering classes, males were much more likely to ask questions in discussion groups and facilitate discussion while the females were more likely to take notes and observe.

When classes switched for second semester I noticed that the dynamic–and gender breakdown–changed dramatically. Previously male-dominated classes became quieter when more females entered the class space and vice versa.

Girls seem to be more scared of judgment and ridicule from their peers than guys, which hasn’t changed much since the playground days of elementary school. Girls tend to fight with their words and thoughts, whereas guys often fight physically and then forget about it.

“Girls speak up way more frequently in the all-girl classes than the coed classes, from my experience,” said Maya Beeman, a National Cathedral School senior. National Cathedral School, an all-girls school, is partnered with the all-boys St. Albans School for some coed classes.

“Boys have a lot more confidence when they talk,” Beeman said, “This causes the girls to become more intimidated”.

Physics teacher Chuanjung Chen suggests that girls are more reserved and thoughtful in nature and think about what they’re going to say before raising their hand to contribute in class.

English teacher Prudence Crewdson agrees with Chen.

“Girls are less likely to raise their voices or have an opinion, which is characteristic, I think, of the raising of females,” Crewdson said. “Girls are often raised to be demure and quiet in relation to boys.”

Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to actively participate without worrying about social repercussions for “sounding stupid”.

Julia Seufert, a new mom and former Rockville high school teacher, agrees that society pushes these gender norms.

“Obviously the cultural expectations become part of a child’s identity and would certainly manifest themselves in the classroom, and, later on in the workplace where it is said that men often feel threatened by women who defy the stereotype and are labeled as ‘strong’ or a ‘bitch,’” Seufert said.

While gender does not exclusively determine classroom participation, it undoubtedly plays a major role.

Facebook CFO Sheryl Sandberg explains in her book “Lean In” that women need to be more assertive growing up and as they enter the workforce. “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” she asks.

I think that this should be applied in schools, as we enter college, and eventually the workforce. Why are we so afraid to speak our minds and state our opinions?

Females and males have equally valid opinions, thoughts, and judgement, so the question is, what could we all accomplish if we weren’t so afraid to speak up?