Please do my job for me.

Professor Walsh

Professor Walsh

Feminist slayerette
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Black Thorn
Ok, so I don't really want you to do my job for me. A little inspiration wouldn't be bad, though: If you were given one lesson where you were to teach 16-year-olds about health, what would you want the pupils to learn?

I think it's really interesting to hear what people think is important. It is so easy to be stuck in a rut, teaching from the book and from what I alone think matters.
 
I think for 16 year olds, the "health" lesson would be about sex. Also it should be reiterated several times that saying "no" is an option and that a partner who truly loves you will respect your decision and wait until you are ready instead of trying to pressure you into sex.

Another choice of "health" lesson would be about alcohol. Rather than going for a blanket "alcohol is bad" approach, actually give a more equal approach to it and teach moderation of consumption.

In my opinion, the best way to teach the kids is to assume they're going to do it anyway so you might as well give them information on the best ways to protect themselves so that they don't cause themselves issues down the line.
 
I agree, at 16 the biggest focus should be put on sex and drugs/alcohol. However the stuff they allow you to teach in school is often not enough.
 
Some sort or sex ed for sure.

By 16 many are probably already sexually active but may not know much about protecting themselves, how often they should see a doctor to be tested, and overall health.
 
I will say that all the kids I knew, along with myself, got to where we didn't trust anything said about either sex or drugs because of how ridiculous the scare tactics and propaganda got. We felt manipulated rather than cared for, and we didn't believe them for the same reason people who stopped believing the boy who cried wolf when there wasn't one. And the unfortunate consequence of this was that we typically dismissed the real dangers with the false ones, and were more inclined to believe each other over people who actually knew what they were talking about (another recipe for disaster).

I did trust my grandmother, so I did listen to her (and because I love and respected her I was inclined to not to disappoint her, though I did get pulled into various hijinks she would not approve of). It's too bad that when I had a pressing question about a sexual situation that I felt unable to call her because it was long distance and I didn't want to explain the charges, and I believed my mother that my grandmother didn't want to talk to me (especially idiotic in retrospect as I knew my mother was a manipulative liar, though she managed to fool Granny as well into not calling me). Later when I found a really good, frank source for these topics online I was so incredibly grateful that I actually found a way to send them a donation when I could scarce afford it.

I understand one of the reasons some older kids like me is because I speak frankly about these things (much as my grandmother did me), and more in a way to honestly inform, and one told me the reason I haven't experienced the backlash I expected from their parents is because no one tells them as they're scared they (and the other kids) might not ever get to ask me anything again, and they're hungry for a trustworthy source they can believe.

Gotta a funny story about a Russian grandmother that was scared of pot after she saw some ads about it demonizing it, and she called for more info in fear, but when she realized what exactly they were talking about (English was a second language and one she never fully mastered) she mocked the drug "educator" (counselor?) she had called (I believe for the Partnership for a Drug Free America) even more than teens did.
 
Btw, this guy was so disappointed in his schooling (that includes health issues) that he wrote a song about it...

 
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Blair
Blair
I love Boyinaband!
Geobubbles
Geobubbles
That video!!! Oh my god. Literally one of the reasons I'm doing Accounting at Uni just so I know how to friggen adult.
We had sex ed in my first year of secondary school (I was 11) and the only thing I remember was watching a graphic video of a woman giving birth, blood and bits everywhere. Maybe that's why I don't want kids? Lol it worked! But seriously, school was pretty lame for social education. As for drug education - I got that from my naughty parents. And I turned out OK. 🙂 🙂
 
Bluebird said:
I remember was watching a graphic video of a woman giving birth, blood and bits everywhere.
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We watched that video too! Only I remember the teacher put it on, realised it was at the end and rewound the video with it on the screen. I think that was even more traumatising than it being played the right way round.
 
16 is really too late for sex ed. I was taught it at 13. 13 is too late for some...
 
Kids need to be taught about drugs, but in a realistic way. Whereas sexual education is important, the main downside to kids sleeping around is pregnancy and STD's. On the other hand, you can die the first time you use.

The zero tolerance approach in regards to drug use is absolutely moronic. A lot of young people are going to try drugs, no matter WHAT they're taught. So, focusing on harm reduction is more of a realistic program. (For example, don't take something that someone at a club puts in your hand)

They should be taught the positive and negative aspects of drug use. Because they're going to do it either way. Perhaps having guest speakers (No one from AA!) come in would also be educational. People their age, who've experienced the good AND bad effects of drugs. Balance it. Great trip/party stories AND tales of overdose/coma/rehab/jail. Most kids are pretty smart. Give them the unadulterated information, and let them do what they're going to do. They will anyway.
 
Blaze
Blaze
That's how you do proper education, unfortunately parents would probably come in and complain, so many are completely backwards when it comes to drug education
GwenRaiden
GwenRaiden
Oh, okay, I've totally just copied this post, lol.
Professor Walsh said:
Sex, drugs and rock'n roll, then.

Thankfully, I can say a lot and teach a lot without breaking any rules.
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Yeah, it's basically that. As a 16 years old I can say that we don't really care about other stuff. But the thing is: how do you approach a bunch of 16 year old who, sometimes, are basically sex, drugs and rock's roll driven and tell them that these things can lead them into a world of consequences that they don't have enough maturity to deal with?
 
Maybe some stuff to do with mental health too? (If you get stuck again) How to help a friend with depression, or tips for managing anxiety?

Even stuff about keeping physically healthy?

As far as sex ed goes, can you include anything about how gay people can have sex safely? I know when I was a teen and sitting shyly in class thinking that all the straight sex stuff was useless.
 
Give them an opportunity to write down questions on paper slips and then hand those in. Then pull out a few and discuss these with the entire class. That way it remains anonymous and you can discuss what is really on their mind. Of course, you will have a few 'funny' ones, but you can just skip those.

You could have the theme 'sex and drugs' or something.
 
November
November
This is what our class did. Most memorable question "do pubes go grey?"
Sex, contraception, STIs and consent, plus also addictions; drugs, alcohol, gambling. We were taught basic sex ed and basic drugs ed, but nothing about other addictions. 16 is the legal age of sexual consent but also the legal age in the UK to play things like the lottery, and although the legal age is 18, most 16 year olds are drinking. It's always good to be informed.

I remember our drugs class was basically the age old "Drugs are bad, mmmkay kids" mantra, and it was around the time of a very high profile ecstasy death here, and her real life story frightened the life out of me enough to never want to touch a drug.
 
Athena said:
ecstasy death
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That's sad, and it make me wonder if a more realistic approach towards drugs would save lives. Real life sources sharing experiences and information with kids could make a difference. Drugs will always be around, but constantly being told 'drugs are bad' will only make kids want to try them more to rebel against authority in their lives; whereas someone explaining the pros and cons of drugs, safe ways to take them and where/when not to buy them, could make individuals realise it's not for them by their own account, or could save a life by ensuring kids experiment safely.

Edit: Obviously I'm looking at this from a teaching perspective, something for kids to learn from. Declassifying and legalising many drugs would save far more lives. And for the most part, many drugs already are natural and safe.
 
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One of my units at uni is Addiction Studies (my favourite unit actually) and I agree- drugs will always be around. Kids are going to experiment (or some will at least) Better to teach them how to be safe when/if they try. Example, clean needles if they shoot up, if they try LSD to have others around in case they have a bad trip, etc.

A doco I had to watch for class recently was called Ben😀iary of a Heroin Addict. Eye opening stuff (pretty graphic and pretty sad at the end) If that's not enough to put them off...
 
I got to here, I was about to start to type this post then had to go back to the start to remember what I was talking about.
So memory is a good thing to teach them.

So you want to teach them about health, use some humour to highlight the tale.
Bury the 16 year old in freshly dug soil, give them a thin pipe to breath through. The fun stuff is up until the kid learns to breath out hard so they can breath in while the ball is in the air and not blocking the pipe. Before the ball drops the classmates drop cold baked beans down the pipe then wait to hear the threats of reprisals, (something to do with cold baked beans making you f . . .)


Teach your kids how to make others think they are clever, have them get a haircut at a Unisex hair salon, I do, and I tell people I go to the Toodyay uni (I leave out that bit of it being a unisex hair salon)
 
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