Dd is the only girl in her AS Further Maths class - what could the school do to support her?

[ralgex]

Needless to say, she feels intimidated, and doesn't ask the questions she needs to. I feel she has to be given a chance to talk regularly to a teacher about how it affects her, and a chance to ask the questions she daren't raise in class. Anyone got any examples of support for female mathematicians in a co-ed school, please?

Ralgex, do you think you or your DD would be able to speak to her teacher to make it clear how she is feeling in her lessons? The teacher needs to be made aware (if they haven't noticed already) as it is their responsibility to develop a classroom atmosphere that is conducive to everyone being able to contribute.

Can your DD identify why she feels intimidated -
is it
because some of the boys are unpleasant,
because they are competitive,
because the are very good at maths,
because the are unfriendly
Because they are loud

Going on my kids experiences I think that it is unusual to feel intimidated because you are the only girl or boy in a class. My DS was the only boy in his sixth form maths and sciences courses. He would have preferred more mixed classes but it was ok for him.

zzzz. Did you study computer science by any chance. There are lots of females in most STEM subjects but comp sci is still very male dominated which is a bit odd as it's basically mathematics.

Ralgex no offence but if you can repeatedly respond briefly to posters then why don't you answer the questions of people trying to find out what is actually OCCURRING to make DD uncomfortable?

Most people here are supporting you.

SIL is a female mathematician, and there are very few of them in the UK, so I do know from her that we have a big problem here. If the OP's DD is feeling intimidated - especially to the degree where it's come to seem almost inevitable to the OP - surely there is a problem?!

I think there needs to be a clear message to all students that they must follow standards of behaviour: intimidating other classmates for any reason, gender, race, whatever, is not acceptable. Even if it's not entirely deliberate: part of growing up is noticing when your behaviour has silenced someone else.

OP, is she applying to university for maths? I wonder if she could get any mentoring from previous female students who've gone on to do maths - I know some schools set up informal arrangements where older students will help younger ones through applying to university, but here of course the same sort of mentoring might give her an outlet to discuss what it's like doing a male-dominated subject, too.

I teach FM and each year there are only one or two girls in the class. They have always done extremely well and have never flagged any issues up.

A lot might depend on the school though Cerisier.

Ralgex - there hasn't been any unpleasantness on this thread. I don't know where you are "reading" that.

The thing is, you've come on and suggested that any girl would 'automatically' be intimidated. People are pointing out that's not the case.

If you wanted specific advice about an issue for your dd, then ask about that issue rather than trying to generalise it to all girls. That way, people will try to help. Of course, it helps if you answer questions so people can offer better advice.

Yes and you also need to illustrate what behaviour is making her feel intimidated. Nobody can advise without that information really.

To me this a simple matter of classroom management, if the boys are behaving inapproriatley then the teacher needs to deal with it. If the boys behaviour is not the issue then the teacher should be adjusting their teaching to accomadate your daughter.(not because she is a girl but because she is nervous/uncomfortable and therefore may need a different approach.)

I was the only girl in my French class, I felt uncomfortable and intimidated but I was a very shy teenager. I dreaded going tbf the boys didn't actually cause much trouble I just felt very out of place. As an adult I do reliase this is silly. My teacher was great as was the year head. I vividly remember the teacher checking my understanding whilst crouched at my desk as if she asked me from the front I would always reply yes regardless. or at the end of the class. After a while I got use to the class and by the end of the course I was happy to talk in class answer/ask questions. A little support goes a long way. If it was my DD I would chat to the teacher and explain that your DD feels uncomfortable and I would hope that would be enough for the teacher to implement a few tweaks.

Fair enough Claw.

OP Is DD very quiet and shy so doesn't want to speak up or are the boys actually doing or saying anything inappropriate? Does she have someone she sits with in class so they can discuss the work? Is she unhappy in the pure and applied classes?

I agree with what others have said. It is impossible to give advice until the OP actually tells us what the problem is? What are the boys in the class actually doing to make her feel intimidated?

Without being given further information I would have to think along the lines of there is nothing untoward going on and your DD is perhaps lacking a bit of confidence around boys, maybe even in general.

Flissypix has it in a nutshell.

I was "the only girl" in a number of my classes at school and university. And later in the workplace.

Frankly, it was shit, and I eventually dropped out. Took me years to rebuild confidence.

Telling an uncertain teenage girl who's already suffering from that "you just have to toughen up", "it's in you", etc, is not going to foster the sort of self-belief and confidence that you need to walk into a workplace as the only techie female and kick ass. It's going to undermine her at a point where she's more likely to just lose confidence and drop out.

It's not just Ralgex being a bit precious about her DD and reading in unpleasantness. The cumulative effect of all the previous posts, especially "it's in herself" FFS, is pretty unpleasant.

When I first went to college/uni I was the only girl (electronic engineering & physics), I agree with the vast majority of posters asking the op what in particular is the issue?

I'm another who doesn't understand why it's "needless to say". That's not to say it isn't a problem for your daughter but other girls would be able to cope, I did.

Certainly talk to her teacher and maybe the teacher can address her specifically in class from time to time. But it is something she is going to have to learn to deal with if that's her chosen path.

I think. First you need go find out what the problem actually is.

Are the other students bullying her? Are they stopping her from talking? Is the teacher failing to discipline or manage to class?

If your dd is getting herself worked up based on being the only girl then you need to work with her and encourage her.

If this is an AS level class then these are older kids who should have some responsibility for them selves. They aren't five year olds who can he told to play with other kids.

Agree, it is essential to know why she feels intimidated.
being the sole female in a group of males is not, in itself, a reason to feel intimidated or for the school to offer additional support.
If there was one boy doing food tech in a class of girls would he need extra support?

Has she gone and spoken to the teacher about her problems? Actually, is it obvious there are problems?

Could it be that it is the course work, rather than the course members that are the real issue and she is struggling to keep up because she won't ask questions when she needs clarification? if this is the case then DD does need to start to take responsibility for her own learning and to speak to the teacher about her difficulties in keeping up with the course.

I agree with glitter- for a 16 year old, neing the only girl might well be daunting in a way a lot of the posters above obviously wouldn't feel! I wouldn't mind now, but would have been very self conscious at 16- I would very much go and have a chat or email the teacher.

But be hate can the teacher do?

She had no part in determining the gender of the applicants for the course and is powerless to change it.

She is also not responsible for a person's hang ups.

The op needs to do the work here

I can't understand why she would be intimidated. Both my girls are mathsy and I know that they wouldn't bat an eye lid in these circumstances. My DS2 often surrounds herself in a boy group during lessons eg drama just because she likes the straightforwardness of boys. They are just people after all. Nothing to be scared of.

I was talking to someone who did a maths degree followed by an MA the other day. Was the only woman on the MA and was in the minority on the degree. She laughed about it but to her their sex was as irrelevant as hers seemed to be to them.

To everyone saying "the problem is within her", I guess you are referring to insecurities with the opposite sex. This is not uncommon. So, with this assumption in mind, what advice would you give the op?
I went to an all girls school so don't know how I would have behaved in a co-Ed, but at uni went to a male dominated course and have to say I found the boys much nicer than the girls

I think you need to focus on supporting your DD to increase her self-confidence and asking the school to support this.

There will be many times in her life in which she may feel intimidated and shock horror, this might even come from other females!!

Also why are you expecting the school to do this, somethings come down to parents to teach.