Do you consider yourself to be an alpha girl, according to Kindlon's definitions? And for the men, do you fit the criteria in areas other than gender? (The definition is posted in our group's initial summary, if you would like to see it for reference.) This book was written while many of us were in high school, and if I had to guess, I would hypothesize that many of the people in this class fit the description when they were teenagers. When I examine the career paths that many of Kindlon's "alpha girls" want to embark on, however, I notice that out of the many different jobs listed--CEO, writer, doctor, politician, athlete, engineer, lawyer--"teacher" is conspicuously absent.
Why do we think this is? Is it because 1/3 of alpha girls were "determined to become rich" (Kindlon, 178)? Or is it because teaching is seen as a traditionally "female" profession, and these alpha girls want to break into a field that has been historically dominated by men? I think that this question resonates with a point that Molly made in her response to another post: is this where the difference lies between an "alpha girl" and a "powerful woman?" Is a girl who fits the alpha girl label in high school, but, rather than trying to "break the glass ceiling" in a male-dominated industry, excels in an area where women have historically been accepted still fulfilling her duties as an alpha girl?
On a related note: if you were an alpha girl (or boy!) in high school, and now are a teacher, what can you do/have you done/do you want to do to make sure that you teach your students how to be an alpha? I think that as teachers we are all put in a position where we truly have the opportunity to cultivate these traits of leadership, motivation, and dependability in our students, whether they are girls or boys. How can we do it? Did you have teachers that encouraged these traits in you? What did they do to help you succeed?
I think that in high school, and in college, I was most certainly an alpha girl! I’m certain that almost all of us were, and that is why we are all here together. But if you think about it, most of us didn’t become teachers in the traditional manner. We didn’t take education classes in college, we didn’t student teach, and so on. We became teachers for a different reason…because we were the leaders who want to make a difference. I think that people often look down on teaching as an easy profession, a job that anyone is capable of doing well. Yet after the past three quarters, we know that the previous statement is anything but true. But we joined the Teach For America movement because we are alpha girls, because we were leaders in high school in college. We wanted to inspire change and teach the youth in this country. So even though teaching is not listed among the profession in which alpha girls typically pursue, I would describe TFA as a very alpha girl-esque organization. They recruit alpha girls (and their male counterparts), that is exactly who they are looking for. So while it is interesting that teacher is not mentioned, I think there is a reason for the fact that so many alpha girls became teachers through TFA.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right about the absence of "teacher" from the career repertoire of young, successful women. When I mention to relatives that I'm teaching in Baltimore City, it's not rare that I hear a sign, followed by, "But you could have been a..." As a high-acheving, self-motivated female, it's assumed I should look down upon such a traditional profession.
ReplyDeleteI think that's one of the things TFA is successfully working to change: it's making the teaching profession more competitive, more resume-building, more glamorous. But in this effort TFA also has a tragic flaw: it's making teaching an attractive means to other, more "alpha" professions. After putting in two years of grueling work, TFA teachers can aspire to bigger, better things.
What are your thoughts on the way Teach For America directs alpha-girls into, and then quickly out of the education world? Do you think we're doing more harm than good, when it comes to valuing the teaching profession?
Curious to hear your thoughts!
Chloe
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ReplyDeleteChloe - your post brings up several interesting points. As defined by the traits listed above, I would identify as an alpha female. During high school and particularly during college in a business setting, education was certainly not a sector that was viewed with prestige and opportunity.
ReplyDeleteFrom my experiences with teachers, the single most important trait that encouraged my achievement was the ability to recognize and support individual students' strengths. With my own students, I often find that my students do not recognize their own strengths. As an alpha female turned alpha teacher, it is not my goal to turn each student into the quintessential alpha. Rather, it is my goal to encourage and assist them in recognizing their strengths and how that can translate into a future.
-Michelle
Chloe-
ReplyDeleteI’ve been thinking a lot about what you said, how Teach For America uses the teaching profession as an means to an end, a pit stop before we select a profession we intend to make our career. I’m not sure about anyone else, but I’ve heard corps members say they joined TFA so that they could get into law school, medical school, or other top “alpha” professions. For them, these two years is about building up their resume until they can move on to something “bigger and better.” Yet I can’t help but wonder…how many people does this actually apply to? I know that my plans for after my two year commitment are unclear. But I’ve heard of many current corps members who have no intention whatsoever of leaving the field of education, let along leaving the classroom. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I think we are ultimately doing a great thing for the teaching profession as a whole. I believe (maybe somewhat naively) that more likely than not, people leave their two years saying positive things about their classroom experiences and positive things about being a teacher. Our program brings people, like me, into the classroom. Never in a million years did I think I would become a teacher. And now, I may actually make it a career for more than just two years. But never the less, when people try to tell me that teaching is “easy” or that anyone can do it, I’m the first one to defend our profession. TFA is making people look at teaching in a new, positive, shining light. So even if we do leave, we are getting the conversation started. We are recruiting others to join the movement, we are talking about education and teaching, and we are making people literally do a double- take when we tell them that we decided to become classroom teachers after graduation. Overall, I think it’s a great start to fixing a system that has been broken for a long time.
I've been thinking a lot about your question Milli of whether my teachers encouraged the alpha girl within me and there is no question that many of my teachers, particularly those in high school, were crucial to the development of both my academic confidence and motivation. I think that particularly during adolescence, having adults show you that they care about your future fosters a sense of confidence and determination. While yes, internal motivation is key, I cannot deny that having that outside push can also be extremely powerful. Furthermore, it does not always have to be a push but rather an interest in your life. I remember in high school, one of my teachers simply took the time out of his day to have discussions with me, asking my opinion on academic questions, pushing my thoughts further and discussing how I might want to explore my interests in college and in a career. These discussions still resonate with me today.
ReplyDeleteEven though the students that many of us teach might not be at the age to discuss careers and college majors, I do not doubt that showing our students that we care will help begin to foster the confidence and motivation necessary for the "alpha" mindset, whether it be in our boys or our girls. For me, this means making sure I take the time to listen to all of the stories that my little ones want to tell me, the list of books that they read the night before or even just praising their completion of a math worksheet. It means showing them in any and every way that I care about both their academic achievements and about them as people.
I am not in TFA, but I can relate to the alpha girl goals and the teaching profession. I think I knew in college that I wanted to become a teacher, but I didn't know how to pursue the field. My family did not support me becoming a teacher, and I felt like I was letting them down in a way by going against their wishes (especially after helping me pay for my education). After sitting behind a desk for over a year working in finance, I knew that I needed to change my career. However, it wasn't easy to explain why I wanted to become a teacher.
ReplyDeleteNow, it is also difficult to explain how challenging teaching is. Why do I constantly the need to feel to justify teaching as a challenging occupation to other people? I never understood education until I stepped into the classroom.
This is a great thread... thanks to all of you for the insightful comments.
ReplyDeleteMillie, you're right. "Teacher" is conspicuously absent from the list of prestigious occupations Alpha girls join. This speaks to a huge problem in the education field: the lack of respect for the teaching profession. In fact, it's hardly viewed as a professional career. I admit, I was a part of this problem for a long time. You know the phrase, "those who can, do, those who can't, teach?" Well, I believed that for a long time, too. Like I most of you, I've seen the looks on peoples faces when I tell them I'm a teacher. I know what they're thinking; they don't have to say anything. They had higher hopes for me... They thought I'd do more.
In President Obama's State of the Union address this year, he referenced the South Korean people who call their teachers nation builders. "Here in America," he said, "it’s time we treated the people who educate our children with the same level of respect." President Obama is right. Not because I care about the added prestige, but because our education system is in dire need of talented, ambitious, intelligent individuals who will become experts in teaching our children. To say it another way, we're in dire need of more "alpha girls."