make the fireflies dance....

I think that any student who works hard, pays attention, is respectful, and does their best will be taken seriously by their teachers, regardless of their gender, age, race, etc. At good schools it is that way at least. At some schools, there may not be differinciation between students by the teachers, but in the student body there will be great discrimenation. I think you have to work to be taken seriously, and any good teacher can recognize effort and struggle when they see it as opposed to complacence and apathy. If a student is complacent and apathetic but makes good grades, he should be prepared to still not be taken serioulsy. It is the type of student you are which determines whether or not you are taken seriously. A student make work very hard and make a poor grade, but still be taken seriously, by a good teacher, that is, because it is the fact that the student is seeking to learn that doing their best that makes the difference. That does not mean that a teacher should grade for effort, but just that he/she should take the students seriously.