Puberty Resources, Part Two: "Being Girl"

Being a twenty-five year old male teacher who has to teach twelve year old girls about the menstrual cycle can be pretty awkward. It's not that awkward for me, but it definitely is for the kids. Let's face it, puberty is not the topic most sixth graders want to learn about.

But sometimes, students break through the awkwardness and actually approach me to discuss something related to puberty. Before we get into that, some background:

The way our curriculum works, I teach both boys and girls about puberty in a co-ed sixth grade classroom. Sometimes there is an aide (typically female) in the room with me if assigned to a student. That can make things more awkward...and then there was that time I accidentally left a copy of the male reproductive system diagram in the teacher's room during a lunch period...now THAT was awkward for my colleagues; I thought it was kind of funny.

Being Girl website

The other health teacher I work with is male, and there are times when I really feel for the girls. It's awkward enough to learn about puberty (despite creating what I think is a comfortable learning environment), but I am sure that to be an adolescent girl learning from a male teacher can be pretty embarrassing. Right now, I'm lucky to have a female student teacher, and we added a class to the unit where she took the girls to another classroom to have some discussions specific to being a teenage girl during puberty; this was in addition to the co-ed lessons I normally teach.

So, back to my story. After one class on puberty, one of my sixth grade girls came up to me quietly. She was pretty confident and nonchalantly started talking to me.  "Mr. Bartlett," she began, "Have you ever heard of 'Being Girl?' You should check out their website." She then turned on her heels and scurried out of the classroom, probably wanting to avoid any more puberty discussion with her male health teacher. I had a prep the next period, and typed "Being Girl" into Google.

I felt like I hit a gold mine.

Being Girl is a great resource for teenage girls about all the changes going on in their bodies during puberty, in addition to many other topics. It's flashy, it has "cute" colors typically enjoyed by adolescent girls, and it's interactive. It's an even better source for male health teachers to find information that speaks "teenage girl." I'm a big believer that if I cannot answer a question (either because I don't know the answer or, more often, because district policies say I can't) that I provide students with appropriate resources where they can get an accurate answer. Being Girl is one such place. They have a YouTube channel as well. I've looked at two or three videos on their channel and I do have to admit, they're well done (despite the marketing slant towards Always products).

Definitely check out Being Girl and pass it along!

Note that the website is run by The Procter & Gamble Company, makers of the Always brand of feminine hygiene products. So, there's some advertising and I wouldn't be surprised if readers could tell some of the content is written with a bias. Pick your battles.

NOTE: I am not affiliated with Proctor & Gamble or any of their products. These words are my own and not endorsed by them.

HIV Transmission Simulation (And, More Posts ARE Coming!)

NOTE: As long promised, here is my updated take on the HIV Transmission Simulation as created by the fine folks over at Advocates for Youth.

Despite my absence from blogging here, this blog still attracts roughly twenty unique visitors a day. Traffic mainly comes from Google, and after being made aware of this information I'm going to make an effort to contribute to this blog more often. With the AAHPERD Convention coming up, I'm back on a professional development kick! 

The HIV Transmission Simulation is easily one of my favorite activities I've used in my career as a health educator. Originally created by the organization Advocates for Youth, I have used this lesson successfully many times. I've also added some enhancements to the lesson. It does require some initial set-up time, and you'll probably have to buy most of the materials yourself. But, it always leaves a big impact in the minds of my students, and it helps to bring a very important point close to home. Check out the reactions of some of my students from when I first used this activity in 2010.

I've embedded the lesson plan in PDF form below. If you want to see a copy you can print out, please click here. I've also taken it upon myself to identify, in red writing, things that I myself have added to this lesson. Some of these ideas were my own, and others from past professors/teachers/friends. I will be teaching this lesson in the near future to one of my eighth grade classes that is behind the others, so I hope to put up some pictures in the near future.

The original lesson plan from the Advocates for Youth website can be found here. As educators, we are very fortunate that organizations provide teaching materials on their website for free that can enhance what we do in our own classrooms. The original activity is fantastic in itself, I just added some tweaks in order to create different experiences in my classroom. I do not take credit for the original lesson at all; in fact I've seen this concept done in many ways: using index cards and shaking hands, with liquid and chemical indicators, etc.

Future Posts (already written and scheduled to post!):

Saturday 2/25: Sticky Notes (classroom management technique)

Wednesday 2/29: Marijuana Vocabulary Activity (applicable to all levels)

As always, please e-mail me with any questions, comments, or concerns. Also, be sure to check out another blog I co-created with my roommate, Matt: Positive Living. 

LGBTQ Resources: Classroom Use

Recently the website Sex, Etc. updated their LGBTQ resources section of their website. I started drafting a post about Sex, Etc. this week but want to focus on how their updated LGBTQ section could be used in any health education classroom. Sex, Etc. is run by an orgnization out of Rutgers University called Answer. Answer believes that, "Sexuality should be understood, respected, and celebrated." Answer is a fantastic resource for teenagers, health educators, and others working with teenagers. The website is perfectly geared towards teenagers, with information that is accurate, up to date, and definitely important for their lives. Sexuality education is so much more than sex, sex, sex. Sex, Etc. highlights this important fact, and covers everything a comprehensive sexuality curriculum should cover.

The updated LGBTQ resources are intended for teenagers who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning and to help them understand who they are. The resources are also great for family members, friends, and other allies of LGBTQ teenagers. Let's face it, if you're a teacher there are going to be LGBTQ students in your classes. Middle school by itself is a tough experience, and the burden of trying to figure out who they are puts an additional burden on teenagers. The information contained below could very easily be used to help lessen that burden and also help teenagers become more comfortable with who they are.

Books. A list of over one hundred and fifty books are listed on the Sex, Etc. website. Ranging from fiction to nonfiction, and geared towards LGBTQ youth as well as allies, educators, and parents, this list has a little of something for everyone. As a high school track coach, one book about a gay track athlete has peaked my interest. In my classroom, I have a sign saying, "What Is Mr. Bartlett Reading?" with the cover of whatever book I'm reading scanned in color underneath. I collaborate with the middle school librarian, who provides me with young adult novels to read, with the hope that I can engage middle school students in discussions about reading. I've had some great discussions with kids about the books I'm reading (they've read some of them after I have!), and reading a book from this list could allow me to have important sexuality conversations that might not initially come up during class. Ideally, students would also realize that I am promoting discussion about these types of issues, while being accepting of students no matter what their sexual orientation happens to be. I would be more cautious about discussing this with sixth grade than I would with my eighth graders, however. Also, June is Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, and middle school librarians could have a display in their library focusing on LGBTQ literature geared towards youth, allies, and educators. This might be a hot button issue in many communities, but it's an issue people have to stop hiding from and start talking about!

FAQs & Stories. Stories from staff writers and contributors fill a list of stories highlighting a myriad of topics relating to LGBTQ youth: coming out to your parents, being harassed at school, even information about professional athletes dealing with harassment about their sexuality. Making students aware of these stories can help them understand that they are not alone and their experiences are normal. The FAQ section also provides a great starting points for students who are curious and seeking extra information on what they are feeling and going through. This information could be shared in a variety of classroom activities, depending on the content of the story. A post-reading classroom discussion about the stories would be crucial in order to make sure students understand the knowledge and attitudes you want them to learn.

Web Sites and Hotlines. Sex, Etc. provides teenagers with twenty two websites and nine hotlines, such as PFLAG, The Trevor Project, and outLoud Radio. Teenagers can connect with students going through similar experiences, find support, and learn something from all of the listed web sites and hotlines. These organizations are easily made available to all students through a classroom display (it can be as small as one piece of paper on a bulletin board, or a larger display) or even through a classroom project asking students to research the different organizations and what they offer to teenagers.

Forums. The Sex, Etc. forums offer a way for teenagers to connect with others through discussion. It appears that the LGBTQ specific forums don't get too much activity compared to the other sections, but hopefully with the attention around these new resources activity will increase! The other forums are packed with information, with questions answered by an on-site expert. This is a great resource for teenagers who don't want to ask their parents or doctors the "tough" questions. Many teachers would not be able to share the content of these forums in their own classroom due to school policies or parental issues (which is a whole other topic!) but the forums are definitely a "go-to" outside of school resource.

As of right now, my curriculum relating to sexuality includes puberty in sixth grade and HIV/AIDS and other STDs in eighth grade. If I had my way, I would be able to teach everything! I'm hoping to work to improve that in my district, but because I can't right now, Sex, Etc. is a resource that I am comfortable passing along to students if they so inquire when I am teaching the units I mentioned above. So many websites on the Internet contain information that is false, and Sex, Etc. is the type of websites teenagers need to see!

All in all, the LGBTC section of Sex, Etc. provides valuable, must-see information for teenagers, educators, parents, and allies. I can only imagine what it would have been like if teenagers in my parent's generation would have had access to resources like these. It is vital to spread this information so we can prevent more tragedies, promote tolerance and acceptance, and finally be able to accept everyone, no matter what their sexual orientation is, simply for who they are.

As always, please e-mail me with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Great Resource: The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States

As my career as a teacher develops, I find myself looking for more ways in which I can be an advocate for my profession. Staying up to date on policy initiatives can be tough to do due to reading through political news and jargon. For issues relating to sexuality education, The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States is a fantastic resource to do just that!

SIECUS was founded in 1964 and provides fact based information relating to sexuality and sexuality education, and is recognized as a leader in those fields. Information from SIECUS is geared towards educators and other professionals, the general public, and parents. Information comes in the form of fact sheets, policy updates, special reports, community action updates, research updates, profiles based on specific states, etc. Additionally, SIECUS has other websites under its umbrella containing lesson plans, community action tips, and more. NOTE: Information about these sites should be appearing in posts throughout the first part of 2011!

All information provided by SIECUS is detailed and comprehensive. I checked out the link for the state profile of Massachusetts, and was almost overwhelmed with data and information! State laws relating to sexuality education in public schools (opt out laws), results from recent Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, other sexual health statistics, programs in public schools (with information on submitting information from your district), and Federal funding. It would be interesting to compare your state to other states, noting similarities and differences. College students could look for patterns based on the political landscape, too.

Of particular importance to health educators and others wishing to impose policy change is the contact information on organizations that both support and oppose comprehensive sexuality education. This is helpful to identify allies and opponents, and makes it easier to further research specific stances, policies, and initiatives that organizations have been known to support or oppose. A list of major newspapers in Massachusetts is provided, but local papers are not included.

SIECUS provides a Community Action Kit for those willing to undertake the role of advocating for sexuality education. A more detailed post on the Community Action Kit will be written; I may blog about my experiences using it as a step by step process during 2011, but considering everything else I have on my plate, no promises!

All in all, SIECUS is a must read website and an organization that can help put accurate information into the hands of those who need it most. More health educators and public advocates need to take it upon themselves to publicly address issues relating to sexuality education! I hope to do the same this year. I only wish that the website would provide contact information for advocates who have undergone he task of creating change in their communities. Collaboration and the sharing of ideas among advocates can only help those new to policy change, but I can see that the SIECUS website might not be an appropriate forum for this sort of information.

As always, please e-mail me with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Note: All information relating to SIECUS was obtained from its website, linked above.

Hartford Courant: YRBS Results Article

An article appeared in the Hartford Courant on Tuesday detailing the results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey that was administered to 3,000 middle and high school students throughout Connecticut in 2009. The article focuses on the results pertaining to sexual intercourse, specifically that 70% of high school seniors surveyed responded "yes" when asked if they had engaged in sexual intercourse in the last 12 months. The figure being most talked about, however, is that out of all students surveyed who are sexually active, only 60% used condoms in their most recent sexual intercourse experience.

Obviously this article (specifically, the statistic) is helpful for me in my quest to get comprehensive sexuality education into all of our schools. The reporter discusses this with various officials who work within the health and education fields, and realizes that this is a multi-faceted problem that requires an approach from a variety of angles. Sexuality education isn't just about sperm meeting egg, or penis and vagina. It covers the diverse angles within the topics: sex itself, relationships, sexual identity, STIs, methods of protection, media influence, etc. Hopefully articles like this will help start the dialogue about sexuality education that needs to take place within communities.

I'll be going back to my classroom late next week to start preparing things for the start of classes on September 8th. With the start of the school year, my intention is to post less about health issues in the news and more on what I'm doing in the classroom. I'd love to add more pictures and maybe even some video, too. With the school year approaching, I'm starting to brush up on my content knowledge as well. I have an outstanding resource I'll post about before school starts, and there are a few websites I've discovered that I hope to post about soon.

Condoms in Provincetown

I'm sure my few constant readers (and perhaps those of you who find me through search engines) are expecting a post on the condom issue in Provincetown that Massachusetts Governor Patrick isn't happy about. Eventually, I will post about it; I need to dig up some research articles first. It's too fresh for me to post about, because the information is already changing.

I will say this: I'm hoping to have mandatory, comprehensive sexuality education in all Massachusetts public schools by 2020. It's something I'm hoping to start getting involved in as I begin graduate school. There are plenty of organizations that already exist devoted to this, and I plan on joining the action. I'd also like to collaborate with some of my professors from Springfield as well.

Expect a post about the condom issue next week. School's out, and a have a week off before my summer job starts.