Remember your sex ed experience in school - crude jokes, awkward eye contact, and the awful "Miracle of Life" video?
Remember being terrified of getting your first period because you had zero idea of what to expect besides a lot of blood (and HOW exactly do you get a tampon in?!)?
Remember being matter-of-factly prescribed birth control instead of your doctor finding an actual fix for your health issues?
You want better for your students.
You want to instill confidence in your female students, filled with awe at the incredible things their bodies do.
You want to create a culture of care among your male students, forming young men who recognize and respect the gift of each gender.
And you want them to know how deeply loved and intentionally designed by God they are...because the world (and the health care system) sure isn't giving them that message.
But there was no section on this in your college training. Even if you've been living out fertility awareness yourself, you probably feel utterly underprepared to have these weighty conversations with students, and you certainly didn't hear this kind of message growing up yourself.
It's not that you don't think all of this is important; it's that you think it's so important you don't want to "mess it up." After all, the things that you teach on this subject are going to effect your students for decades to come (no pressure).
And in today's world, the line between "your body is an amazing gift from God" and "everything goes" seems very thin - how do you communicate that line with delicacy and truth?
That's why I love body literacy.
If you're looking for a cross between a chastity talk and sex ed...meet body literacy.
Knowing how our bodies work is an inherent right of every child of God, regardless of their age or stage in life. Body literacy (knowing the "language of our bodies" as designed by God) encompasses so much more than just fertility:
Answering "is this normal?"
Tracking energy levels and mood swings
Fixing actual problems, not symptoms
Plus, it makes it so much easier when they ARE ready to begin family planning to simply build off of the concepts they already know.
why trust me?a note to my fellow teachers and youth ministers
My mom was a teacher. Her mom was a teacher. Her mom was... guess what? A teacher. I swore I'd never be a teacher. ... You can try to rename it in whatever clever way you want, but "campus minister," "NFP instructor," "cycle educator," "workshop presenter," and "public speaker" are all just really fancy ways of saying that I. AM. A. TEACHER.
And with all that my history, I have seen first-hand how much PREP and after-hours work you pour into your students. And I know how frustrating it can be when it feels like the right resource just isn't there... and you buckle down to create it yourself.
Consider your lesson plan done. I did all the hard work for you; all you have to do is press play.
- Christina
Explore Courses & Resources for Schools, Religious Ed, and Youth Groups
CATHOLIC CONNECTIONS
Just starting the conversation with your kids? This is the place to begin: A free course providing an introduction to Theology of the Body for children. All of the depth at a pint size level.
CYCLE PREP - GROUP LICENSE
Your students' parents are probably wondering when they should start talking to their daughters about their periods. Get families off on the right foot with Cycle Prep, a first period course to prep girls for their menstrual cycle.
ANATOMY, REPRODUCTION, & FERTILITY
"The talk," but make it Catholic. Rooted in the richness of St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body and science, we'll unpack the gift of our fertility through the lens of our Catholic faith - sans the awkwardness.
CHARTING FOR SINGLE WOMEN
Charting isn't just for couples anymore. Single women can gain super important health information from charting; explore my programs for single women for your college or young adult program.
