March is Women's History Month, a time to celebrate and honor the contributions of women in education. In the field of education, women have played a crucial role in shaping the minds of future generations.
Today, women make up the majority of students in higher education at 56%. However, women are still underrepresented in leadership positions in the education sector. According too a 2019 report by the American Council on Education, women hold only 30% of college and university presidencies. In this article we are going to highlight inspirational women in education today.
TED Talks From Inspirational Women in Education
Rita F. Pierson
Rita F. Pierson is an educator of 40 years who has been in and around the classroom her entire life. She is the child and grandchild of educators.
Rita Pierson once heard a colleague say, "They don't pay me to like the kids." Her response: "Kids don't learn from people they don't like.'" A rousing call to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level.
Olympia Della Flora
Olympia Della Flora, and educator, wants schools to think differently about educating students, by helping them manage their emotions.
To get young kids to thrive in school, we need to do more than teach them how to read and write. We need to teach them how to manage their emotions, says educator Olympia Della Flora. In this practical talk, she shares creative tactics she used to help struggling, sometimes disruptive students. Things like stopping for brain breaks, singing songs and even doing yoga poses all with her existing budget and resources. "Small changes make huge differences, and it's possible to start right now ... You simply need smarter ways to think about using what you have, where you have it," she says.
Shabana Basij-Rasikh
Shabana Basij-Rasikh is the cofounder and president of the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), the country's first and only girls' boarding school. In this deeply moving talk, educator Shabana Basij-Rasikh shares the harrowing story of evacuating more than 250 students, staff and family members from the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA) (the country's first and only all-girls boarding school) to Rwanda after the Taliban took power in 2021. An exceptional story of hope, resilience and dreaming big for future generations of Afghan girls and a challenge for the world to not look away.
Social Media Content from Women in Education
Tamara Russel
Tamara is an 3rd grade educator in Florida. When she isn't teaching, she's training other teachers. She is passionate about teaching for high engagement, using standards-based teaching and rubrics to improve growth, and teaching writing. She is the creator of Mrs. Russell's Room, a website where she shares her insights on curriculum and the life of teaching. She also has a very informative Instagram page.
Mrs. Russell's Room - (tamaravrussell.com)
Naomi Simone O'Brien
Naomi is an educator of 11+ years. She has experience with K-2 and K-5 students with Gifted and Talented small groups. She has presented for educators at the Teachers Pay Teachers conferences, Get Your Teach On conferences, and the ReLit conference. She partners with schools and equity teams to help them plan anti-racist lessons and start DEI work at their sites. She is a very vocal anti-racist activist. She is a content creator and the author of "Unpack Your Impact", "Micah's Big Question", "You'll Never Guess What I'm Thinking About", and "You'll Never Guess What I'm Saying".
Home - Naomi O'Brien - Read Like a Rockstar (readlikearockstarteaching.com)
Vera Ahiyya
Vera Ahiyya is a kindergarten teacher, teacher consultant, educational speaker, and creator of "The Tutu Teacher". She's a super fun tutu-wearing, dancing teacher who loves spreading positivity and happiness. Her blog is full of awesome ideas on educating our tiny humans and we love her for it!
The Tutu Teacher – A Blog by Vera
Women have made significant contributions to the field of education and we need to take the time to appreciate them. These are just a few of the many inspirational educators. This Women's History Month, let's celebrate the achievements of women in education and continue to work towards a more equitable and inclusive future for all.