Lost Girls

by Charlotte Woolley

Life for girls is a battle of contrasting expectations, being told you should be 'empowered' but also be a 'good girl', putting others first but still striving for perfection yourself. This conflict, internalizing expectations of an impossible standard, has lead to an explosion in mental-health and anxiety-related disorders in young women. The traditional narrative of education feeds the perception that girls are good. They achieve, work hard, are co-operative. They achieve better grades. But where do these high achievers disappear to They aren't becoming CEOs, politicians or social leaders. Women are still disproportionately the family carers and domestic managers. This book * research around biological difference, and how our schools encode gendered expectations. * how our curricula can provide role-models as well as modes of thinking, valuing traditionally feminine traits as equal to masculine * using psychological approaches to develop girls' independence. * how school systems and leadership can model approaches to encourage all students to create a gender-balanced environment. With practical questions and suggestions at the end of each chapter, this book is a guide to the research and a tool to help teachers and leaders shape a genuinely empowering school experience for young women.

Genres: Education, Teaching

256 pages, Paperback

Published March 20, 2020

Reviews

[Melissa-rose Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I’ve read about equality in school from the students experiencing in to the those who are leading it. An arguable companion book to anyone who has read ‘Boys Don’t Try?’ Issues surround unconscious bias and gender work on ‘both sides of the coin’. Full of practical tips and interesting food for thought - this is a book I will be recommending and returning to.

[mollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️’s* (Very Good).

[Yara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book can help the reader slay some of the most enduring education myths surrounding gender-based expectations in schools. With excellent evidence, research and practical suggestions, this is a really accessible text to help you challenge your own preconceptions. Certainly, it helped me to think differently about why certain thought patterns around gender in schools had emerged in the first place.

[Samantha Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and it made me question not only my practice but also my parenting. Definitely worth a read and led to some interesting conversations at work. Would have been a 5* but there's one bit that jarred with me about teaching girls to be safe rather than teaching boys to be respectful.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read: thought-provoking, well-researched with genuinely useful (yet realistic) advice and guidance. Anyone working in education would benefit from reading this. A great companion to Boys Don’t Try if you want to get a whole picture.

[Bianca Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful exploration of how feminism can be achieved in all levels of school. Practical tips on how to express equality in the classroom.