On Sexuality:

I used to work for a movie theater, doing everything from counting cash to running the projection booth. Our projectors worked off of a platter system, where the film sits on a giant platter, and it feeds from the center out to the projector. To keep the film from snagging or tangling, we have “brains” in the platters that make them spin at the appropriate speed to avoid film damage. Unfortunately, the “brains” we had would constantly malfunction, causing a “brain-wrap,” where the film would wind up tightly around the brain, causing the film to either snap or burn in the projector. When we upgraded to shiny new “digital brains,” we were told that these brains would keep the film from “brain-wrapping.” A normal brain-wrap would be anywhere from a ½ to whole inch. The digital brains did greatly reduce the amount of brain-wraps, but perfect, they were not. Brain-wraps around a digital-brain-created-to-not-have-brain-wraps were anywhere from 4-6 inches (and that much more difficult to fix). AOUM (Abstinence Only Until Marriage) is the digital brain. While it should fix all of our problems, it doesn’t. Further, when problems do occur (and they will) they are far worse than what a “faultier” program would offer.

Before I began the reading, I assumed it was just something to get through, because I wouldn’t need this information in a middle school. WRONG. According to the Anderson piece, adolescents are engaging in sexual activity and behavior as young as 11 years old.

WHAT THE WHAT?

Yeah. 11 years old.

While I disagree with ignoring sexual education until high school, I feel doubtful that 11 and 12 year olds (5th/6th grade) could truly appreciate the delicate, but important topic. By educating them, we are also empowering them, and I do question how beneficial that is to either the individual or society. Would an adolescent with sexual knowledge be more likely to commit a sexual offense?

I will admit though, education is empowerment, so at the same time, will an adolescent with sexual knowledge be more less likely commit an offense, or more likely to take necessary precautions?

I’m not entirely sure where I stand in terms of when sexual education should happen. There is no doubt in my mind, though, that it needs to happen. More importantly, it needs to happen in a manner where students are able to choose between abstinence, safe sex, or not safe sex. Abstinence is better than any condom, but the numbers presented by Anderson lead me to believe that an education in abstinence only is an education that is horribly lacking, and not preparing our students for real life. I also believe a progressive program would include lessons in LGBTQ sexuality as well.

As a prospective English teacher, I know it will not be my job to teach 30 students at a time how to put a condom on a cucumber. At the same time, it is my job as an adult in the school to be a responsible individual with an open ear. I will also need to choose appropriate literature that does not glorify one walk of life while debasing another. It is my job to empower students to, as individuals, make their own responsible decisions in whatever terms they define as responsible.