Thank
you for taking the time to visit this site. Whether you are preparing
ahead or dealing with a current crisis, I hope the information you find
here will be helpful for you and your students.
Although
many teachers are uncomfortable discussing sex in the classroom, teachers
often serve as a primary and influential source of information to students
whose parents have not bridged this relationship at home. Sex is and should
remain a personal issue, but discussions about health as it relates to
sex and other high risk behaviors have become necessary and even mandated
by many school systems.
Since
the correlation of risk behaviors, sex education and regular updates of
scientific information were not a part of most teachers' educations and
are not readily provided by school districts, this site is intended to
fill this gap. The information provided often relates to California State
Education Codes. You are highly encouraged to compare these with your
own state codes, to make sure you are within compliance.
This
site links with many instructional tools as well as teacher/classroom
resources. I encourage you to utilize this information and provide us
with your personal and your students' feedback. We desire to continually
improve and update the information we offer.
Thank
you for caring enough to positively shape the future of your children!
Know the State
Education Codes for your state that pertain to discussions about sex
or other topics.
Be aware of district
policies, goals and objectives dealing with sex education, drug and
alcohol prevention, etc. and mandated reporting.
Prepare yourself
and obtain training when possible.
Prepare your lessons
thoroughly and preview all materials, so that you are aware of their
content and are comfortable applying it to sample situations. The more
classroom interaction you can encourage and facilitate, the more hands-on
and relevant the lessons will become.
Be sure to have
clearly defined ground rules for classroom discussion.
Be sensitive to
any discomfort in students; consider separating boys and girls for some
discussions (depending upon age and the sensitivity of the topic).
If there is nervous
laughter or joking during discussion, reassure students that it's all
right to feel a little uncomfortable when talking about parts of the
body considered private. You might point out that laughter and joking
are some ways people deal with embarrassment. As they become more comfortable
and knowledgeable with the topic, they will find less need to express
themselves this way.
The use of a question
box is highly recommended. It allows students the opportunity to ask
questions anonymously. This gives students freedom to ask questions
without embarrassment about their curiosity or lack of knowledge. The
teacher might pass the box daily or weekly and require all students
to at least place a piece of paper, even if blank, in the box. When
reading the questions back to the students, you may want to review them
in advance or reserve the right to skip a question if you find it offensive
or inappropriate.
