Geraldine Johnson Girls Group

The teacher has exposed students and their families to people, programs, resources, and connections that can open doors for them, and they are able to navigate and access those opportunities.

Planning Process

In order to plan for Girls Group, I initially brought the idea to my administrator and the guidance counselor. We had already discussed and identified the need for female leaders in the school, especially given that many conflicts had arisen with middle school girls specifically; the specific idea of a group to tackle these challenges and empower young women had not yet been discussed. I shared that there was significant potential in many of our 8th grade girls in terms of their leadership abilities, but that there was a lack of access to opportunities to expand on these talents and potential.

After our initial meeting, the guidance counselor and my administrator agreed that the group would be beneficial for several of our 8th grade young women. The guidance counselor and myself arranged to meet with Girls Group members every other week during their Friday lunchtime, which was when all of our schedules overlapped. To remain in the club, students were required to continuously respect fellow club members and actively engage in their growth as female leaders.

Following months of planning the syllabus and dates for Girls Group, the guidance counselor and I informed the selected students about the group. All students were chosen to participate by myself and the guidance counselor based upon their leadership potential and academic excellence. We wanted participants in Girls Group to have the potential to succeed but needed growth in the areas of working with peers, promoting self-confidence and leading in a positive way. All selected students were interested in joining the group. I sent a letter home explaining the purpose of Girls Group as well as a parental permission slip for the girls to participate in the group. Once all forms were returned, Girls Group meetings began in late January.

Girls Group Sessions

Girls Group met every other week during the students' lunch period on Fridays. Sessions always started with an ice breaker where students collaborated and got to know one another better. During the bulk of session, students were introduced to a new topic each time including, positive peer relationships, promoting their own self-esteem and confidence, how to deal with negative peer pressure, creating healthy habits for academic excellence, how to be a role model and not a bystander, lifting one another up as women, and planning for the future. Many of these discussions were a seminar structure and thus, were discussion-based. However, we also completed activities such as writing positive cards to one another and our role models, creating letters to our future selves, problem-solving bullying scenarios, and more.

Given that I had very strong and positive relationships with the students, they opened up to me as well as to one another quickly and quickly grew in their leadership skills. The guidance counselor was able to support the girls in providing them with positive behavioral tool kits. I was able to assist them in recognizing and growing their leadership. At the end of every session, students wrote reflections in notebooks we gave them. We promised to keep the contents of their reflections a secret such that they felt empowered to express themselves completely. In the last session of Girls Group, I wrote letters to each one of them, expressing their growth as future leaders and change-makers. Each one of them received a letter of certification as a Girls Group member for outstanding leadership as well as a notebook that represented each one of their personalities and leadership strengths. Through Girls Group, participants gained access to leadership skills and peer relationship tactics that will open doors for them as future leaders and change-makers in high school and beyond.

Impact on Students

Based on reflection data, I found that Girls Group had a phenomenal impact on my students' lives and increased their access to understanding their own leadership potential. This opportunity provided students with the access to discover and celebrate their leadership potential as bright, young individuals. Following Girls Group, anecdotal evidence showed that students were more likely to intervene in bullying scenarios, take on leadership positions, and they excelled academically. When reflecting back on their time in Girls Group, students expressed that the Group made them feel supported such that they were able to grow, become more independent, and form positive relationships with their peers. Providing the space for students, in particular young women, at a critical point in the development of their identities, to share their feelings and learn how to capitalize on their individual leadership potential, is critical. Alumni of Girls Group are excelling academically in high school as well as leading their peers in positive ways; Girls Group has opened doors for them both academically and socially.

In addition to positively impacting their lives and increasing their access to leadership skills and opportunities, Girls Group significantly impacted my own life. These students reminded me that despite difficulties and negative influences, it is critical to maintain positive relationships and surround yourself with individuals who will increase your own potential and positively impact your own growth. My students taught me how important it is to lift up and celebrate other women as well as the importance of creating affinity spaces for positive collaboration and problem-solving for females. I am very grateful to my students and have been able to maintain strong bonds with each of them, even after they have graduated from my school.

References

Hough, L. (2016). Girls as Leaders? What do teens think? Harvard Ed. Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/ed/16/01/girls-leaders-what-do-teens-think