Growing up as a girl

By Gianna Suppa
College of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
March, 2011

Growing up, I was always a “girlie girlie” and as I became an adult I kept the same habits. I always loved dressing up and getting ready to go places but at the same time was athletic. I played a sport every quarter in middle school and highschool and played lacrosse since I was in elementary school. Overall, I would say I had a very positive experience growing up with a lot of support and encouragement from my family. My parents were always there if I needed something but would let me be independent and do my own thing unless I asked otherwise.

I feel that throughout elementary school, girls are asked to be “ girls”, therefore play with the kitchen and home set during indoor recess, sit properly, act like a girl, talk like a girl, etc. As you reached middle school and high school you were allowed to express yourself more how you wanted but you always had to keep the image that girls were suppose to have. For example in girls lacrosse we wore skirts while we played and were not allowed to be as physical as the boys were. I don’t feel that anyone in particular sends out these messages more than society, media is also a big part of gender differences and stating how a girl or boy should be acting or behaving.

Growing up, I always liked being a girl so did not have that much of a problem with it but I am sure there were others that did. Besides playing sports and playing with the boys for the most part I was a girl to the fullest.

As a teacher, I feel that you should be neutral and accepting to what students behave like. If you have a girl in the class that dresses like a tom-boy you should not put her down or look upon her differently, I feel this is an expression of creativity and all children experience it at one point in their lives. In my opinion it is very crucial for a teacher to be understanding and accepting of all her students no matter what they look like or act like.