Girl Group | Being An Expert | Wk 1

Our first session of the “Being an Expert” series started off with a reading of the poem “Weather,” by one of our favorite poets, Faith Shearin.

We opened our discussion by talking about the line, “The weather happens to all of us.” Each girl had her own take on the poem. One said, "weather is like the ups & downs of life,” another offered, "weather is like feelings." A third said, “weather connects us. It’s something we can easily talk about and ask each other about.”

Being able to talk easily with friends and strangers alike can be the first step to being an “expert.”

A rousing game of “Zip, Zap, Zoom,” encouraged spontaneity and built on the idea of “first thought, best thought.”

We rounded out the session with an improv game. The girls put on different hats and created characters. Embodying an imaginary expert helped the girls open up. They became brave and shared their "stories" of who they were. Staying in character, they were able to connect with each other and create shared narratives. They'd shout out, "you should come to my farm & have tea." or " I love puzzles, we should do them together." This kind of play acting is a great confidence building rehearsal for real-life.

As we move into a week filled with clear skies and cool temperatures, ask your daughter to describe the ways she is an expert. Her “homework” for next week’s session is to teach a parent, sibling or friend something only she knows how to do. Encouraging our kids to value their own know-how is a great way to build self-esteem and self-determination.

All our best, Wesley and Tanya

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