On this particular professional development day, we though that we would have a meeting about the English Regents, and the new English Regents thats going to be administered the following year and then go off and finish grading the many finals we all had... since English teachers have to have a multiple choice section and an essay section. But instead, English teachers of 9th graders are to take on a new role as sex education teachers. One class period dedicated to reading and writing, and the other class period to sex education. I was appalled and found it highly inappropriate. A lot of teachers were angered by this... We didn't get our certifications in English to teach something that should be in a science, physical, or health education class. A lot of teachers complained. Why did WE have to take on this feat? What type of relationship would we have with the students when we go from reading a book to demonstrating putting on a condom on a banana the next period? It's not going to happen. I would not be able to deal with the many questions that these students have, and by 9th grade, these students already have their misconceptions about sex implanted. I started having sex education when I was in 5th grade, before the onset of puberty. If we could not have a sex ed program because for some reason the science or phys ed teacher weren't asked to do it, and the English teacher's are refusing to do it, I think that the text for sex info is a good way to play it.
If a student asked me a question such as the one's listed on the article, how could I not have a biased reaction? And that would have me and the student be embarrassed and then it would limit and strain the teacher/student relationship. Receiving texts for information is a way for students to feel safe and not judged or feel embarrassed. It's an "iffy" subject to bring up with any adult, and then they get their information from friends, which obviously aren't the most well informed pieces of information. With the the replies of texts to teen sex questions lifts that embarrassment and emotional burden teens face when trying to find out information or to seek clarity on the subject of sex.
I think that my students could benefit from a program like the one that they offer in North Carolina. They are still receiving information from adults, but in a faceless form. All the info needed without working up the courage to ask, or being yelled at, or ignored. Some students in my high school already had babies coming into the 9th grade at 13 years old... It's frightening. They always would talk in class about if they had other options it wouldn't of turned out "this" way. Parents forced them to keep the baby, or some were forced to have an abortion already and a second abortion would be dangerous to their health, or they didn't know about other options of birth control, or that they thought that the "rhythm method" meant they wouldn't get pregnant... Maybe their lives would have been different if they had almost instant information sent to them privately without any bias.
I can't believe what you are telling us! Did your administration really tell the English teachers to teach sex education?? This is the job of trained professionals, with graduate degrees in social work or health education, with years of experience like the remarkable people who monitor the Birds and Bees hotline. Perhaps they are going to ask the health educators to teach reading and writing?!
ReplyDeleteI found the article "When the cell phone teaches sex education" riveting, terribly moving, sad, and frightening. I know how difficult it is talking about sex with teens -- no matter how much I tried to keep an open and accepting attitude with my two daughters, I know they got the bulk of their information from peers. And all too often this probably was misinformation. But somehow we three managed to survive adolesence without any serious mishaps, as far as I know. Although I believe it is best for teens to be able to take their questions to a caring mature adult who ideally has a relationship with him/her, this is not always possible. I think the text message hotline is a brilliant idea. And good luck Humaira!
Agree with Jane; this assignment should be given to trained professionals. But understanding the budget crisis (concessions must me made) and such, someone has to do it. In that case, it should either be science or P.E. teachers. They are the folks with some science background, right? It makes absolutely no sense for an English teacher to be forced to do this.
ReplyDeleteI went to h.s. in a very, very conservative (even by Southern standards) part of Oklahoma. We had no sex-ed. Fortunately for us, our science teacher was a bit more worldly than our school board, and he took it upon himself to give us some instruction on the subject. Although he taught the only science courses offered (Bio I, Bio II, Physics, and Chem) he devoted three or four weeks at the beginning of each school year to "life skills" including sex ed. He taught us not to put butter on burns, not to try to suck the venom out of copperhead and rattler bites, and so on. The day or two he spent on sex ed was surely going against school board policy, but the townsfolk must have known it was for the better good, because no one ever stopped him.
Anyway, to relate that to Humaira's post, at least the science teacher had some professional education in the biological sciences. I'm sure the English teachers feel like they might not even know all the answers to the student questions, and that should be expected.
Who is making this decision--to require this of English teachers? Like him or not, I believe the mayor wouldn't stand for it. Humaira, you should write a letter to Bloomburg or show up at one of his press conferences. He seems like a common sense guy (at least when faced with public scrutiny) who would put a stop to this crap.
Ditto--shock--How does English becomes sex education class? The only possibility is through literature--reading books that deal with teenage sexuality--followed by class discussion--but that isn't the point--the point is for the school administration to find a more appropriate venue or open a discussion with the English department on how or if to approach sex, reading and writing. But really it is misguided as Jane and James have noted to teach sex education in English and worst to take time away from reading and writing and absurd as you noted to wait until 9th grade. Has your English department gotten together to make an appeal to the administration and union.
ReplyDeleteThe other issue is why is, as you note, embarrassing and uncomfortable to speak about sex--I just wonder if and when our cultural response to sex grows up. Are we embarrassed by our bodies, our lust, or fear emotional exchange? I know we are taught to equate sex with shame--sexuality with promiscuity and that continues to translates into "bad girl" but "macho man."
Schooled before sex education was a subject and by the nuns in the lower grades--it seems the premises of sex education is to open a space for a conversation about responsible sex and this has been subverted by misguided politics to mean no sex--abstinence.
Is your school administration leaving it up to the individual English teacher's moral preference? And what are the consequences if an English teacher refuses to teach sex education? Where does the teacher's union stand?
Good luck--
Whoa, Humaira if you absolutely have to teach it, then maybe Deborah is on to something? Can somehow you come up with something creative through book (any ideas Deborah?)- sort of a way to open up the conversation. Oh man though, ... yea the questions, ....
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