Today's post is a little more risqué than I normally do, but I just couldn't resist...
I got called to cover a health class for summer school. Four hours with the same group. They all missed taking health during the school year, so they're making it up now. (They all just finished 9th grade.)
The topic of the day was HIV/AIDS. They were to create a PowerPoint presentation outlining the topic as if they were going to present this to a 5th grade class.
While meandering about the room, I heard two boys discussing their project. One mangled a term, so I gently corrected him. "Oral-genital."
Him: "What's that?"
Other boy: "A blow job."
I nodded a confirmation.
First boy: "What's a blow job?"
Probably the only time such a question would actually be on-topic.
(No, I didn't explain. I could have. Maybe I should have. But I didn't feel it was my place to go into it right then.)
That's when you tell him to ask his father.
ReplyDeleteI sort of can't believe that the one kid didn't know the term 'blowjob'. Bless his innocent soul!
ReplyDeleteHalf of me thinks he asked just to see if I'd answer.
DeleteI am not going to believe he didn't know what it meant. He was wanting to make you uncomfortable. I'm glad you didn't fall for it!
ReplyDeleteBut it didn't make me uncomfortable. I didn't feel it was my place to explain, though.
DeleteIf it WAS an innocent question, I'm sure he's been razzed mercilessly about it ever since.
ReplyDeleteThe only one who heard was his partner in the project. Who then explained. It wasn't group discussion time. It was class working time.
DeleteI wouldn't last one day in your profession. Children in general confound me. I think you made the right choice in not giving him the meaning. Well done!
ReplyDeleteUsually the sub doesn't get the sex ed days. This sort of day rarely happens.
DeleteIf he didn't know before, he definitely does now. I'm glad they're at least mentioning stuff like that in sex ed. They need the information from somewhere.
ReplyDeleteLOL yeah that's going to be one of the very few times that was on topic :)
ReplyDeleteI know, right?
DeleteLike he didn't know :)
ReplyDeletebetty
I could go either way on this. Did he know and just wanted to see if I'd answer? Did he have no idea? (He's 15.) I could see either being true.
DeleteThere trying to sucker you explain what a blow jobs is. I thought some married lady didn't know what a blow job was and I explain it to her and a loud her to make fool of me.
ReplyDeleteGee when I had health and sex ed part was only explaining the woman cycle. But it would been beneficial if they explain more on reproduction then they did. Way back in dark ages...Coffee is on
The question only came up from the student seeing something in the AIDS chapter. This wasn't part of the curriculum.
DeleteI am thinking that the task of dumbing it down to a year 5 level is pretty tricky, but I suppose it's aimed at avoiding all the tricky bits.
ReplyDeleteIt was also a matter of these kids are overachievers, so they would have a tendency to make really detailed slides.
Delete'Ask your parents' is what I'd say too. Sex Ed has advanced a lot since my day when they just showed an embarrassing video about soldiers getting venereal disease. I don't know why they picked on soldiers.
ReplyDeleteThere's more to it than that now, but not much more. And summer school, so it's all a bit truncated anyway.
DeleteLOL! Great post. Made me giggle and brought back some funny/disturbing memories of teaching that age group :)
ReplyDeleteOh no! I guess it's good that one of the boys didn't know what it was? We had sex ed in middle school but I don't remember that particular topic being covered at all.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't on the curriculum.
DeleteFunny post. I like the way you handled the situation. Knowing they couldn't ruffle you was perfect!
ReplyDeleteI've had lots of experience with students who were looking for a reaction.
DeletePerhaps I should mention that, when I was growing up, that type of ed consisted of your Mom handing you a Kotex booklet if you were a girl (obviously). As they would say "those were the days". I would have turned 5 shades of red. That's why I've never been a teacher. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThere are days when the topics verge into the controversial. The trick is to not react. It works wonders.
DeleteWhen I was that young, I would not have known but I always thought I was naive plus the times, in this way, have changed. I bet he did know and wanted to see you try to explain. He had no clue that you would not have an issue with this if you felt it was your place to tell him. I'm also happy this is being taught since sex and everything it brings, good and bad, needs to be discussed. Parents often do not talk about this at all.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't the actual topic, so it isn't like it's being taught in class.
DeleteI kinda hope it really was an innocent question. It's sad to me how young kids are when they learn about or experience some of these things.
ReplyDeleteI can see this, I have taught kids who have been really, unaware. I once had a 16 year old ask me in all seriousness what a Vibrator was (we were on a school excursion and walked past an adult shop, they looked in the window).
ReplyDeleteI restrained myself before telling them to google it!
Yeah, I can see that.
DeleteActually thinking about it, I worked in the bible belt at one point and even with all the sex ed etc the kids do at school, I had a Year 12 student ask me what "protection" was because they saw two people on tv talking about using it, when I said something like "you know, condoms, the pill" it was like I was speaking a foreign language, no knowledge of what those things were, let alone what they were used for!
DeleteOh wow. We're not an abstinence only state, so we don't have that issue. There are advantages to living in a "blue" state...
DeleteIt was their uber religious parents keeping them home when the mandatory sex ed lessons were on, the courses here in my state of Australia (and everywhere in the country I think) are VERY detailed and comprehensive, starting in primary school (as in, if the kid had been in class, they would have known about it, we don't do abstinence only here).
DeleteInteresting. I guess some parents think that if kiddos know about it, they're going to do it. (Of course, the truth is they're going to do it, so it's best if they know everything they can in advance.)
DeleteWow… A 9th grader who doesn't know what a blog job is? His parents have been doing an awesome job of keeping him shielded from the "real world". That's impressive. :)
ReplyDeleteDid anyone explain it to him? A friend or classmate perhaps? Did you ignore the question and move on? Tell him to ask his parents? Or google?
Ignore is too strong a word. It was more of a this-isn't-something-to-discuss-now vibe. I think I said "look it up". As I walked away his friend "explained". I'm not sure he didn't actually know, however.
Delete