Can you unsee this?

Teaching grade 7 and 8 is not always easy but someone’s gotta do it!

Sometimes I ask myself why that someone has to be ME!

I was teaching Grade 7 Health – everyone’s favorite “unit” – Human Growth and Development – fondly known as “sex ed”.

Let me just clarify by saying that I am not at all embarrassed to teach the content. I expect there to be ridiculous questions and giggles whenever we hear or say “penis” or “vagina” – from the kids, not so much me anymore. I have been doing it long enough to be able to do it with some modicum of maturity!

In grade 7, part of the curriculum is to teach about Sexually Transmitted Infections. I gave the kids a couple of options and they decided that they would like to be assigned one STI and research it, design and produce a pamphlet and then share it with the class.

Fair enough.

No one objected to this introduction to the unit.

So, each student was assigned a different STI and we developed a list of questions that should be answered or explained over the course of their research.

Given the number of years I have been doing this, I should have totally expected some crazy parent reactions – at least one.

About a week in, I received an email from a parent whose child had been assigned gonorrhea as her STI. I saw the name, recognized it as the mother of one of the grade 7 students (who also happened to be a teacher, by the way) so opened it up, despite the fact that there was no identifying subject line.

This is what I saw:

She did not write a question, a statement, a concern.

All there was was a picture and the text: CAN YOU UNSEE THIS? NEITHER CAN MY 12 YEAR OLD!

OK. I counted to 10 as I have learned to do and did NOT type – “Make sure you lock your bathroom door so she can’t get in!” and instead just typed “Received” in response.

The next day, the principal came in and told me that “Student X” would not be completing the assignment!

Lesson Learned? : Let parents know in advance that the research of STIs may produce some disturbing images! What better way to convince your 12 year old to abstain!