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"Girl Talk" Helps Clarify a Complex World
Posted On: Thursday February 18, 2010
Being a young girl in today's world is complicated and demanding. Parental expectations, peer pressures, school, and normal everyday questions can, at times, seem overwhelming. At Tallulah Falls School, eighth grade girls finding themselves in such situations have somewhere to turn: Girl Talk.
The brainchild of two dedicated Tallulah Falls School teachers, senior English instructor Terri Bogan and eighth grade instructor Killeen Jensen, Girl Talk brings together senior girls and eighth grade girls in a comfortable, nonjudgmental setting where girls can speak openly about topics of interest and concern to them.
“The magic occurs as the senior girls offer freely their perspective and advice on the various topics,” Bogan said. Having lived through being eighth graders themselves only a few years ago, seniors have first hand knowledge of what today's eighth graders are experiencing, and their advice can help these younger girls avoid some of the pitfalls that they experienced.
Topics include everything from boys and dating, to friendship, honesty, trustworthiness, transitioning from middle school to high school, and how to be successful as a student. At times the girls have voted on which topics they wanted to discuss that day. Guest speakers have covered such topics as personal safety and dressing for success. Early in the year communication skills - speaking clearly and listening effectively - are stressed.
“At the beginning of the year we start off with ice-breaker activities since the two groups are, for the most part, strangers to each other,” Bogan said. “From past experience, the groups are fairly independent of each other initially. We start pairing up eighth graders with seniors by the second meeting,” she added. The pairings are not permanent arrangements, and once the girls get to know each other better, they start pairing up on their own and differently at each meeting.
The value of these pairings is that it allows the younger girls to form a network of senior contacts from which they can seek advice outside of the regularly scheduled Girl Talk meetings. This also allows the eighth grade girls to speak one-on-one with a senior about more private matters which they might not feel comfortable talking about in front of the whole group.
Is Girl Talk beneficial to students? “The older girls feel empowered by the leadership roles they assume, and the younger girls gain esteem from being able to ask their questions in an open format and receive honest and immediate feedback from 'senior girls',” Bogan said.
“The end of the year is almost bittersweet for the girls, who have formed a bond like sisters,” Bogan said. “The eighth grade girls are encouraged to realize that in a few short years they will be seniors, in the leadership role, guiding a new crop of eighth grade girls,” she added.
“I feel honored to have the opportunity to participate in a program like Girl Talk,” said Lindsey Hodge, a Tallulah Falls School senior. “My years at Tallulah Falls School have been a blessing, and if my advice can help even one young lady to have a more rewarding experience here, it will have been well worth my efforts,” she added.
photo: TFS eighth graders Alyssa Sgro of Clarkesville (left) and Soleil LeBlanc of Long Creek, SC (right), flank senior Whitney Schwartz of Sautee during a Girl Talk session.
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