If this title doesn't get em to visit TC, I'm outta ideas...
I know what you're thinking - we talk about sex all the time here! We talk about the social conservatives' fixation on what we are doing in the bedroom and with whom. We talk about the latest politician or business leader who got caught with their pants down (or, in the case of some gentleman, with their panties up :-)). We ruminate on the lives irreparably altered by unplanned pregnancies that either do, or do not, go to term.
But tonite, I want to talk about sex ed. Think back through the mists of time to your adolescence (ok, for some of us it's a really, really thick fog to go back that far, but try) and remember what you learned about sexuality both at home, and at school or church, then follow me below the jump to hear what K1 and her peers will be learning over the next few months...
Casa Brillig is a Unitarian Universalist household, and one of the hallmarks of our denomination is a strong religious education program that focuses on teaching our kids how to think as opposed to what to think. As an example, our ninth graders participate in (and I am co-facilitating) a Coming of Age program that culminates in their sharing with the congregation their Credos/Statements of Faith. There is no right statement except the one each youth crafts for themselves.
And then there's the seventh grade curriculum, Our Whole Lives, or OWL for short. It is the oldest and "flagship" program of a lifespan educational series with lessons geared to grades K-2, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12, as well as both Young Adult (18-35) and Adult programs.
This is the course every teen should be required to take. If I sound like an ardent supporter, I am. Mr. Brillig and I taught this curriculum as well as its predecessor and the 10-12 version, for 6 years. And in one of life's little interesting moments, I realized early on that my own sex ed curriculum in high school had been based on the predecessor course (I confirmed this with a visit to my old teacher!). Four years ago we moved to a new congregation in large part because we wanted our children to be part of a larger, active congregation that offered OWL to its youth.
I know what you're most likely thinking: 7th grade??! They're too young!! Church sex ed??! What is it, some anatomy lessons and a stern warning to not have sex til you're married?
Umm, not so much. Anatomy gets its due, in Session 4. Did I mention there were 27 sessions? A whole lot of other topics get covered, too. Things like understanding gender roles, sexual orientation, relationship skills, dating, not one but four sessions on responsible sexual behavior, and more. By more, yes, I mean MORE. Lovemaking, and masturbation. There, I said the word. I hear you tittering over there in the back of the room.
What makes this course more useful than a long session over at Wikipedia, some perusing of old National Geographics, and some chatting with friends at lunch? For starters, the values stressed: Self Worth, Sexual Health, Responsibility, and Justice and Inclusivity. There is a philosophy that delaying sexual intercourse is better for younger teens, but this is not your Silver Ring Thing wait-til-you're-heterosexually-married church teaching!
The setting - a safe, supportive space where a free and responsible search for truth and meaning as well as a belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every person is woven into the foundation.
The methods - roleplay, games, values discussions, slides... yes, slides covering anatomy, sex with others, and sex with yourself. Why? Because knowledge is power, and the imagery here is far more positive than that seen on youtube, google, or FOX-TV. The best part of every session, IMHO, is the last activity: each youth takes an index card and a pencil, and writes either a question they have, or a comment. The cards are collected, and the following week's session opens with ALL questions being answered. Because everyone wrote on a card, no one knows who asked what. You'd be amazed what kids are thinking and wondering, when no one's gonna judge them for speaking up!
So... tell me what kind of sexuality education you had, and what you'd want your children or today's youth to have. Oh, and if you've got a question you'd like answered, fire away... I'm a trained professional volunteer :-)
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I think many of you were off surfing the Web for ::cough:: educational images ::cough:: and were thus distracted from sending in comments. But we do have a few...
From edrie:
In celebration of one of the first troll diaries of 2011 and one of the last (hopefully) of dk3, here is a great nomination for top comment of the day, by virginislandsguy!
From Ed Tracey:
In the late-day Open Thread
after the news of Joe Lieberman's expected retirement came out.... shpilk is open-mouthed at the news ... or at least somebody is.
From Yours Truly, brillig:
Re: criticizing Palin will destroy the Republic, this gem by Pangloss speaks for itself. BTW - I'm sorry I broke the Republic. I had no idea what I was doing when I called her those things...
Julie Waters has an interesting observation about the marriage equality polling.
By coincidence, one of the stories on the FP now is Abstaining teens still getting STDs. This comment by fireflynw is another reason why OWL is so important.
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Top Mojo carries with it no risk of pregnancy, disease transmission, and is safe for carryon luggage on all major airlines! Methods courtesy of cskendrick and sardonyx
Top 30 (plus ties) Comments excluding tip jars, first comments and stuff:
1) The Man is a Lunatic by JekyllnHyde — 161
2) There's so much in history that we don't know by slinkerwink — 122
3) I just noticed that my TU status is gone. by KingOneEye — 108
4) Our family still knew the phrase "sunset towns" by ultrageek — 87
5) black people knew the true meaning of by rasbobbo — 86
6) Does that make us, as his community, exiles too? by boofdah — 83
7) I don't this this blog is left - at all. by dkmich — 78
8) Another possibility by FogCityJohn — 77
9) Deepest sympathies to the Shriver family. by Greasy Grant — 74
10) personal memory by TrueBlueMajority — 71
11) Just keep your mouth shut... by DerAmi — 71
12) We're fucked. by Wendys Wink — 69
13) Meanwhile the Sane Seek Healing by jimstaro — 65
14) Inside the Beltway, he might as well be Chomsky by RFK Lives — 65
15) Wow, slink. Great find. by claude — 64
16) The power of networking by Swatmacher — 63
17) corporate takeover of all media nearly complete by matador — 63
18) Thank you. I had never heard of this and by Light Emitting Pickle — 62
19) Of learning how to act like grownups. by Pager — 60
20) I have a bad feeling about this by Dallasdoc — 60
21) Happy Tuesday Porch family. by Deoliver47 — 59
22) Yes, but-- by hannah — 58
23) As long as Marx is a four-letter word, by aufklaerer — 58
24) I hope she stays in the Senate. by Pager — 57
25) Thank you, KelleyRN2. by Dreaming of Better Days — 57
26) Depicting Real History by JekyllnHyde — 56
27) Markos didn't call Scarbourough a murderer by OHdog — 56
28) extraordinary diary, noelle by nyceve — 54
29) Math, Logic and Critical Thinking for all by freelunch — 54
30) ... And One Hated by Pooties by JekyllnHyde — 53
31) I object to this growing movement by Clarknt67 — 53
Top 30 Comments with no exclusions, aka the Tip Jar & Pooties list :-):
1) Tip Jar by slinkerwink — 523
2) Tip Jar by bobswern — 384
3) Tip Jar by Clarknt67 — 275
4) Tip Jar by Vyan — 264
5) Tip Jar by jpmassar — 215
6) Tip Jar by Steven D — 195
7) Tip Jar by Josh Stearns — 191
8) Tip Jar by KelleyRN2 — 188
9) Tip jar for transcribing that. (n/t) by BruinKid — 177
10) Tip Jar by thenekkidtruth — 177
11) The Man is a Lunatic by JekyllnHyde — 161
12) There's so much in history that we don't know by slinkerwink — 122
13) I just noticed that my TU status is gone. by KingOneEye — 108
14) Tip Jar by Christian Dem in NC — 106
15) Tip Jar by LWelsch — 100
16) Tips for Justice for the Haitian people. by Black Kos — 97
17) Tip Jar by angel d — 97
18) Scritchie Jar by triciawyse — 94
19) Our family still knew the phrase "sunset towns" by ultrageek — 87
20) black people knew the true meaning of by rasbobbo — 86
21) Does that make us, as his community, exiles too? by boofdah — 83
22) I don't this this blog is left - at all. by dkmich — 78
23) Another possibility by FogCityJohn — 77
24) Tip Jar by cedar park — 74
25) Deepest sympathies to the Shriver family. by Greasy Grant — 74
26) Just keep your mouth shut... by DerAmi — 71
27) personal memory by TrueBlueMajority — 71
28) Tips, please! :) by weatherdude — 69
29) We're fucked. by Wendys Wink — 69
30) Tip Jar by ValerieTarico — 68