Help me with my homework please

[SweetSkull]

First let me just say that I'm still learning English, so apologies for this shabby OP

So I'm a chikdcarer and for my course, I had to create and evaluate one activity.
So along with other childcarers we had a trip the local fire station
At the begining, there was a female fire officer during the breaf but she rapidly desappeared, living 4 males doing the activities with us.
I can say that all the other ladies were very excited indeed, but I was bloody annoyed at this, specially that one of the little girl I look after just wanted to watch from a distance and didn't have a go at the activities...I wonder if there was a lady officer there would she bday willing to leave her comfort zone......
Also what a brilliant opportunity wasted.

Now that I have tks write the negative side of the activity, I can't explain properly in English with the proper words and terminology, why I think the female officer should be there on an active role but it's all in my head, I promise.
Help . I don't need an essay, just few lines that goes straight to the point.

while this activity was worthwhile, it was clearly directed at the boys in the group - offering very little for girls to be interested in. The lack of a female role model meant that the girls in the group felt that the activity was not for them. This is very sad in a world where girls are already marginalised and unlikely to become firefighters. Next time it would be helpful to have at least one woman firefighter available to add balance to the environment.

Ok.
This activity would be done anyway but I used as an example for my course.
There were lots of girls there enjoying the activity as much as the boys.

There was only ONE girl in question who did not participate as much but enjoyed the activity anyway.. This girl is a fan os Fireman Sam as well and is always playing with Fireman Sam play sets, playing Firman Sam pretending games when she is Penny, reading the books, watching dvd (at home).
She just did not want to get involved much during this particular activity and I guess it is because we were a big group and she usually feels shy with strangers.
And even if she wasn't interested in Fire Officer Games I still think this would be a valuable experience regardless.

Thanks for your input whatdoesittake48, but this activity was clearly directed at the CHILDREN.

I appreciate you had time in answering and will use some of your words to elaborate my assignment.

It might help your cause if your posts are correct in spelling and grammar.

There aren't that many women fire officers and I think you cannot expect the woman to dedicate her day to bringing this child out if her comfort zone, it is not her priority or even part of her role. It was kind of any of them to give time to the children.

Jesus, why did I ever have the brilliant idea to post this question here?
Firstly masirah, I opened the thread saying that English isn't my first language and I am not writing an essay here so I think I have done pretty well on my OP thanks?
Secondly, I have never said that I expected the female fire officer to bring the little girl out of her comfort zone. But she was there, why not be an role model for all the BOYS and GIRLS there?

I missed the post above, have no clue why it was deleted.

Even FWR
???

Bollocks MN

I think the poster has had a load of posts (which all said the same thing) removed.

It is very difficult to understand your posts, SweetSkull. I appreciate you are not writing in your own language. I think you want to put across that, given firefighting is a traditionally male activity, it would have been very helpful for the female firefighter to have participated, as some of the girls may have found it easier to identify with her. I think that was all whatdoesittake was trying to say.

Given the scarcity of female firefighters, however, another learning point might be ways to make the day more inclusive, i.e. prompting the firefighters to choose girls to demonstrate tasks to the group, etc.

Thanks tribpot.
Useful points to my coursework.

I think you've got a fair point Sweetskull. I think it would have been really nice to demonstrate equal opportunities for women in the Fire Service, by having the female fire fighter participate in the activities.

Sorry you didn't have the best responses here - I'm afraid this forum is overrun with - er...people that don't necessarily agree with feminists at the moment.

I think there are two different elements to this - the impact on the children and the job of the female firefighter.

It is important for the children to see that men and women can both be firefighters and both take an active firefighting. From that perspective, it would be better for both male and female firefighters to do the activity with them.

On the other hand, it is often the case that where women are in an occupation, they are often given the 'soft' roles of working with children, advising the public and so on. So perhaps the female firefighter (and she may be the only one where she works, or one of only a few) is trying to avoid this as it may damage her career to be constantly associated or pressurised to do these kind of activities. Maybe she simply did not want to do an activity with children or had to go and put out a fire. If there are few women fire fighters, it is unfair to always expect one of them to be present for children's or public advice and engagement type activities

That was excellent, Tribpot!! It sounds like it was an opportunity missed.

It is just so boring to see the same old stereotypes wheeled out and peddled to us again and again. Children need stimuli...and that means going against the grain at times!

I can't understand why organisations just cannot think a little bit differently...the fire station probably did the same old routine they have been doing for the last twenty years!! Times change...so must activities for children.

Great sabrina thanks.
I have been sheltering myself under the Stepford Wives thread, it is like taking drugs and hiding under the duvet. Such a bliss.

Masirah, the OP explicitly said she was learning English, and apologised (although there was no need). You saw fit to be obnoxious in regard to her spelling and grammar...ironic really when you yourself can't even READ!

SplitHeadGirl
Thanks
I actually wrote this OP in such a rush as I wanted to get on and close the unit, but didn't have the right vocabulary in English to put my ideas down on paper.
I am glad that I have good responses now, and I will get back to that unit and improve it.
I will be sure to be much more careful with my English when participating in here, I realise how frustrating it must be for a native speaker to try and make sense out of such muddled posts, but it is not excuse to be personally attacked by someone who has nothing to contribute.
I bet she reported me too.

I have to say I agree with Freya - why should the woman on shift have a greater responsibility for the 'soft' PR/Communication activity than the men? I really don't get that at all and if it were me, I would probably refuse to do it on that basis.

There could well be opportunities to structure the activity better, but that shouldn't all revolve round women being present. Or doing the women's work.

might it just be that she needed to do some work i.e being in the office/admin rather than just waiting on call?

or that the little girl was just shy/competently not interested in being a firefighter.

Surely the real issue here isn't that there wasn't a woman taking part in the activities but that it seems necessary for a female to be present for the girls to feel comfortable participating? that seems a much bigger problem that's going to cause them no end of issues.

You are right Sinful, it is a problem that men dominate public spaces and careers such as fire-fighting.

I already tried to explain that the reason why I think the female should participate in the activity is not solely to make that on shy girl comfortable. Also there were 4 males firefighters so the woman wouldn't be the one having to have the responsibility to do the soft PR/communication role. Anyway and why should her be in the office/administration? Ah I know, she is just a woman.
I am trying to challenge stereotypes, but never mind.

and No, she did not need to go out and put out a fire.

But why should she? Why not one of the other firefighters? Why her because she's a woman, she doesn't have a greater responsibility to the visitors to the station than a man. Fuck that. Seriously, I mean it (though not in a nasty way) if I was the only woman and I was asked to do a disproportionate amount of face time I would sack that right off. It's tokenism.

I think sinful meant doing the administration duties that firefighters have to do as part of their role btw. They don't just sit around waiting for the fire bell to ring, presumably.

Ok.
Why shouldn't she.
But this is not AIBU.
Isn't it a shame that the children didn't get to see and realise that a lady can be a firefighter on the front line instead of doing adm duties?
That is the point of my OP. Not if she should be there or not.

Because it is not her resposibility as a woman to 'represent'. It is not her responsibility as a woman to coax a shy girl into doing the activities. It is not her job as a woman to be the right on face of the fire service. It's her job to fight fires.

Maybe she really hates children. Or at the very least CBA with them. You are ascribing characteristics to her on the basis of her gender IMO - that she should want to spend time with small kids.

I will say again that I have never said that THIS lady in particular should be helping with the shy girl . The girl would probably still be shy even if she was there.

Well the MEN were there doing the activity, let's just assume they all love kids, love doing this kind of social duty and don't do any administration.

I'm just pointing that I feel it was a shame that the CHILDREN didn't get to understand from this experience that WOMEN can be a firefighter.

anyway this is going in circles now, I feel I'm talking in another language