I loved that video Millie! It really reminds me of the age group that we teach.
After watching the video, I couldn’t help but think about the girls in my class. They are so young and I can only wonder what they will be like when they turn five, six, ten, or fifteen. Will any of them develop into Alpha girls? I think about this little girl, who looks to the same age as girls in my class. She seems so eloquent and forceful. She has these inspiring and passionate thoughts, looking as if she about to cry as she talks about how she would leave a man she loves if she didn’t have a job. And how old is she? Five? Six? It just seems like the complete opposite of my students! This girl seems driven, even at such a young age. I can’t help but compare my students to her. My girls have no idea what center they want to go to (they don’t seem to have enough self-direction at this ago to make such a simple choice), let alone discuss their future plans! Do they even REALLY know what it means to have a job/career and be married to someone? Sometimes I’m not sure. If we read a book about a doctor, they all want to be doctors. If we read a book about dinosaurs, they all want to be dinosaurs. It just seems like my students don’t quite have the perspective that this young girl does. And maybe that comes from a difference in environment and home life, I’m not entirely sure. Maybe it comes from growing up in the projects, seeing mom living alone without dad. I just keep coming back to the thought that most of my female students don’t seem this driven or focused on anything real (except for maybe one). I guess I will finish with a question to think about. Is it possible that my girls still have the potential to develop into Alpha Girls? Can I do anything to help them get there? Or is it possible that there personalities have already set in and who they are now is a preview of what they will be like when they are older? It seems like a difficult question to answer and I can only wait and watch to see what happens with my potential Alpha Girls.
What a riot! Watching this video had me cracking up, thinking about how proud my own mother would be watching this little girl truly stand up for what she feels. Although this video is comical, I think it truly shows that the alpha girl is "bred." Clearly, this 5-year-old has been told by influential people in her life that smart, successful women wait to get married until they are stable on their own. Many alpha women care about an independent career and life before inviting another to share it with them.
While this video shows that extremely young alpha-wanna-bes exist, it further proves the point that white, middle/upper class females are the basis of the alpha group. My students, inner city, African-American kids, would not likely be chanting "I want a job before I get married." In fact, many of my students have told me that they would like to have children when they are in their teens and they don't want a job - so much for marriage and a career. In the community in which I work, the culture supports young, single mothers. Until this mentality changes, my students will have to defy odds to become alpha girls who seek a career and refuse to let anything get in the way.
This video exemplifies the role that parents or guardians play in the development of a child's goals and perceptions of what is important in regards to life ambitions. This little girl, as Katie mentioned, has clearly been surrounded by individuals who value independence and self-sufficiency. While I feel that many of my girls value this ability to take care of themselves, I find that the order in which they reach their independence is viewed differently. Because my students are in first grade, we have not yet discussed their desire for children and lifestyles. As they grow older, it is possible that their desires and goals will change. Regardless of how their goals change, I hope that they continue to be presented with the idea that their ambition can lead them anywhere.
I loved that video Millie! It really reminds me of the age group that we teach.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video, I couldn’t help but think about the girls in my class. They are so young and I can only wonder what they will be like when they turn five, six, ten, or fifteen. Will any of them develop into Alpha girls? I think about this little girl, who looks to the same age as girls in my class. She seems so eloquent and forceful. She has these inspiring and passionate thoughts, looking as if she about to cry as she talks about how she would leave a man she loves if she didn’t have a job. And how old is she? Five? Six? It just seems like the complete opposite of my students! This girl seems driven, even at such a young age. I can’t help but compare my students to her. My girls have no idea what center they want to go to (they don’t seem to have enough self-direction at this ago to make such a simple choice), let alone discuss their future plans! Do they even REALLY know what it means to have a job/career and be married to someone? Sometimes I’m not sure. If we read a book about a doctor, they all want to be doctors. If we read a book about dinosaurs, they all want to be dinosaurs. It just seems like my students don’t quite have the perspective that this young girl does. And maybe that comes from a difference in environment and home life, I’m not entirely sure. Maybe it comes from growing up in the projects, seeing mom living alone without dad. I just keep coming back to the thought that most of my female students don’t seem this driven or focused on anything real (except for maybe one). I guess I will finish with a question to think about. Is it possible that my girls still have the potential to develop into Alpha Girls? Can I do anything to help them get there? Or is it possible that there personalities have already set in and who they are now is a preview of what they will be like when they are older? It seems like a difficult question to answer and I can only wait and watch to see what happens with my potential Alpha Girls.
What a riot! Watching this video had me cracking up, thinking about how proud my own mother would be watching this little girl truly stand up for what she feels. Although this video is comical, I think it truly shows that the alpha girl is "bred." Clearly, this 5-year-old has been told by influential people in her life that smart, successful women wait to get married until they are stable on their own. Many alpha women care about an independent career and life before inviting another to share it with them.
ReplyDeleteWhile this video shows that extremely young alpha-wanna-bes exist, it further proves the point that white, middle/upper class females are the basis of the alpha group. My students, inner city, African-American kids, would not likely be chanting "I want a job before I get married." In fact, many of my students have told me that they would like to have children when they are in their teens and they don't want a job - so much for marriage and a career. In the community in which I work, the culture supports young, single mothers. Until this mentality changes, my students will have to defy odds to become alpha girls who seek a career and refuse to let anything get in the way.
Katie Packer
This video exemplifies the role that parents or guardians play in the development of a child's goals and perceptions of what is important in regards to life ambitions. This little girl, as Katie mentioned, has clearly been surrounded by individuals who value independence and self-sufficiency. While I feel that many of my girls value this ability to take care of themselves, I find that the order in which they reach their independence is viewed differently. Because my students are in first grade, we have not yet discussed their desire for children and lifestyles. As they grow older, it is possible that their desires and goals will change. Regardless of how their goals change, I hope that they continue to be presented with the idea that their ambition can lead them anywhere.
ReplyDelete