- Top Features:
- War Room
- Glenn Greenwald
- Broadsheet
- Joan Walsh
- Camille Paglia
- Since You Asked
- Follow Salon:
Read other letters about this article
I teach this curriculum at my church, too. Anyone who teaches it is supposed to have gone through a training session that is a minimum of a day and a half long - usually the trainings are two days (Friday night thru Sunday at noon.) The training is VERY clear, and repeats several times, that it is inappropriate to ever discuss details of your own experiences with the kids. _If_ they ask, and only if they ask, it's okay to very generally speak to your own experience. It's never okay to go into details, or to bring it up if they don't ask.
Thankfully, I have had really great co-teachers when I've taught this curriculum, and we haven't had any real problems with over-sharing. One of my co-teachers tended to recount her experiences being bullied in junior high a little more than I thought was necessary, but our kids are really great, and they expressed sympathy and were able to talk about their own experiences with bullying. (The curriculum is not just about sexuality education, it also focuses on developing communication and relationship skills for all kinds of relationships - at school, with family and friends, etc.)
Cary is absolutely right in suggesting this problem should be addressed by the co-teachers for the class. I don't think it's likely that the committee related to the curriculum might stop the classes - most of the churches that offer this class have a really strong commitment to it. But bringing it to the committee might mean bringing it up with the whole congregation, which is probably further than it needs to go as a first step. If their congregation has a Director of Religious Education, I'd suggest taking it up with her - she might be helpful as a mediator if the co-teaching group has different feelings on the subject, and she would definitely have the professional experience and skills to deal with this situation politically.
