Female Participation and Health

in Physical Activity

Janelle Meisenheimer (she/her), International School of Brussels | janelle.meisenheimer@gmail.com |

31 March 2023 | @janellemeise

The “do with your team” parts of the presentation

BONUS MATERIAL - Great Article to go over with your team.

Physical Activity around the School…

Recess

Discuss with your department and heads when you get back

Is there open space for collaboration?

Are there areas for fundamental movements?

Are there sensory areas to relax, read, chat, etc?

Is there a designated area for football? Why? Who plays in it?

Language and Representation

Some representation examples:

• Images/gifs/videos of all doing skills and activities
• Talking about the Men’s World Cup in class and the Women’s
• Asking anyone to help demonstrate any skill
• Inclusive books in the library on display
• What else?

Some language examples:

• SportsMANship
• “Tom Boy”
• MAN to MAN marking
• World Cup vs WOMEN’S World Cup
• “Hey guys”
• “She’s good for a girl”
• “That’s a girl skill”
• What else?

​

​

How does this culture around sport affect girls’ participation in sport?

How can it look in our classrooms?

Do At Work

Same Old, Same Old

• Get to know the “whys” instead of blaming or assuming
• Address and build culture in others areas of PA around school
• Build inclusive language and representation around PA

How can this look in the classroom?

Balanced Curriculum

How many units are traditionally-based and fit the patriarchal narrative?

→regularly competitive, only or mostly about winning and game-oriented, effort-based grading, heavy focus on physical skills…

​

How many fit what the majority of people do in their free time?

What does your yearly unit calendar look like?

Discuss with your department and heads when you get back

Student-Centered Approaches and Strategies

• Unpack standards & units with students at the beginning for input
• Co-construct throughout the year and listen with responding
• Help girls (& students) name forms of inequities through activities
• Balanced Curriculum with units around individual pursuits, adventure challenges, movement composition

How can this look in the classroom?

Culturally Responsive Approaches

How are we considering the intersectionality of our students?

How are we projecting our upbringings onto our students?

Do we know the different barriers our girls could be facing?

Let’s be empathetic and understanding in our teaching.

Making Space and Normalizing

• Never underestimate the power/influence of a good sports bra (put them in your shop!)
• Ask students about uniforms and no white or super light colors
• There is nothing secret about menstruating. Period. So talk about it in a normal way.

How can this look in the classroom?

More Making Space and Normalizing…

• Say with confidence where your students can get period products in front of everyone to show how normal it can be
• Have posters up with information about periods, sport bras, mindset
• Ask students what they need to feel more comfortable (survey)
• Create norms of how to talk if a student is on their period

How can this look in the classroom?

Before we Say Goodbye…

There is always more to cover, but let’s end with a quick activity. Think, turn, and share with people next to you. 2-3 minutes.

Transformation pledge!

1. What is something you can bring to your next department meeting?
2. What is something you want to change by the end of the school year?
3. And what is something you can add to start next year?

Girls aren’t born underconfident, they are being held back by gender stereotyping.

​

Fix the system, not the girls.