Why do we learn about puberty? This is a question I am often asked at the beginning of a sequence of lessons in new classes. I usually ask the other children if they can offer answers as I think it’s powerful for children to hear it from their peers, rather than me!
Answers include:
-so that you are prepared for physical changes that are going to happen to your body as you go through puberty
-so that you are prepared for emotional changes that will happen
-so that you’re not scared of these changes
-so you understand why these things are happening on a scientific/biological level
-to help you think about choices you can make to navigate these changes
-to help you see that you are not alone and that the changes you are going through (physical&emotional) are meant to be happening
-to help you understand what usually happens to bodies during puberty so that if anything else happens (or doesn’t happen) to you you can talk to someone about it (eg. If you don’t start your periods by the time you’re 16 you can go and see a doctor)
-so that you can use correct medical terms when talking about bodies
-to learn how to keep clean
-to understand what people with a different body to yours go through during puberty
-to be able to help yourself (and even others!) if you find yourself in a challenging situation
-to think about our values and opinions and how they might be changing as you mature
And I am sure there are others too!! On this post you can see that a few students commented that they learnt that some people have the same problems as them, which hopefully helped them feel less alone and more seen. This was after a lesson where we looked at ‘problem page’ style scenarios and discussed what advice we would give that person. That puts the students in the driving seat and hopefully will help them to use some of their advice for themselves if they are ever in a similar situation.
Why do I teach about puberty….BECAUSE ITS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO LEARN ABOUT AS IT AFFECTS US ALL!! (In my opinion 😃)