Puberty is a time of physical, emotional, and social changes that can cause some young people great angst. Equipping students with the knowledge and skills about these changes can help them navigate through this challenging time and emerge strong, happy, and healthy. This workshop will provide you with a number of lessons to teach students about the changes of puberty, and will help you improve your skills on addressing this sensitive topic in an inclusive way. This workshop can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your group, school, or agency. All content is aligned with the National Sexuality Education Standards, the National Teacher Preparation Standards for Sexuality Education, and the Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education.
Training Hub
The Sex Education Collaborative Training Hub lists trainings for sex educators, facilitators, and other professionals on best practices for sharing important information with clients and the public. From teaching anatomy inclusively to effectively addressing bias in the classroom to addressing racial justice and equity in sex education, the Training Hub includes trainings, technical assistance, and policy support from state, regional, and national leaders in the field of sex education.
Please note: The Training Hub includes both in-person and online professional trainings. If you see a training you are interested in and it isn’t listed as virtual, please reach out directly to any of our members to find out what's possible!
Trainings Offered by State-Based and National Organizations
Displaying results 111 - 115 of 126Puberty 101: Teaching about the Birds and the Bees
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Demonstrate three student-centered instructional approaches that support a variety of learning styles. (S)
- Indicator 2 (K-12): List three physical, three social, and three emotional changes that occur during puberty.
- Indicator 3 (K-12): Identify three practices that students can adopt for maintaining healthy habits beginning during puberty.
Foundations: Core Skills Training for Sex Education
This one-day Foundations training covers the essential skills for facilitating sex education, including:
- climate building in the classroom,
- understanding state and local sex education policies,
- pedagogical approaches for experiential learning,
- values clarification
- managing personal disclosure,
- and handling difficult questions and harassing comments.
Optional half-day modules for a second day of training include cultural proficiency, LGBTQ inclusion, trauma-informed approaches, and facilitation skills for commonly used sex education strategies.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Demonstrate three techniques to create an inclusive and affirming learning environment. (S)
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Describe the importance of teachers’ maintaining professional boundaries when teaching sex education.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): List three factors to consider regarding personal disclosure when teaching sex education
- Indicator 4 (6-12): Demonstrate how to use the experiential learning cycle when teaching. (S)
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Explain three reasons why it is important to respond to every question students ask when teaching sex education.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to effectively respond to three different types of challenging questions. (S)
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Describe state and/or district laws, policies, and standards that relate to sex education where one teaches.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Explain the differences between personal and universal values relating to sexuality.
- Indicator 3 (K-12): Explain the importance of educators refraining from sharing their personal values when implementing sex education.
- Indicator 4 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to respond effectively to students’ values-based comments and questions. (S)
Virtual PD - Using Medically Accurate Terms When Teaching Sex Education
Virtual Professional Development is a simulated classroom where teachers can practice teaching student avatars using short scenarios and support from an instructional coach, so they can quickly learn and master the skills they most need to be effective. With upper elementary, middle and high school classrooms, Virtual PD has scenarios for teachers of all grade levels across a wide range of topics aligned with the Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education (PLSSE). You can watch the video here (link is external) to learn more about Virtual PD.
Using the Virtual Professional Development classroom simulator, the educator will practice Using Medically Accurate Terms When Teaching Sex Education with the student avatars. In this scenario, the educator will soon be starting a unit on puberty with their students. One of the points they want to stress with their students is the importance of using medically accurate names for body parts, including reproductive anatomy and external genitalia. In this simulation with five students, the participant will need to demonstrate the ability to use medically accurate terms and explain the benefits of teaching these to students.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Demonstrate the ability to use medically accurate terms for sexual and reproductive anatomy, including all external genitals. (S)
Addressing Trafficking in School
In this eLearning unit, learn how, as an educator or school employee, you can identify signs that a student may be experiencing or vulnerable to sex or labor trafficking. This unit employs stories, interactive dialog, quizzing, and video to promote learning. Suggested prerequisite: Human Trafficking 101.
Through Healthy Teen Network’s partnership with the University of Maryland School of Social Work’s Prevention of Adolescent Risk Initiative, we are pleased to share resources on human trafficking. Although these resources are focused on specifics for the state of Maryland, anyone from any state can learn about human trafficking as well.
- Indicator 1 (K-12): Describe three distinguishing characteristics between healthy and unhealthy relationships, involving family, friends, and/or romantic partners.
- Indicator 6 (K-12): Explain three ways that LGBQ+ youth are at disproportionate risk for health disparities.
- Indicator 7 (K-12): Identify three credible, medically accurate, youth-friendly resources that can provide information or support related to sexual orientation.
- Indicator 8 (K-12): Explain why it is essential to include positive portrayals of LGBQ+ people in lessons.
- Indicator 9 (K-12): Demonstrate three strategies that can be used to include positive portrayals of LGBQ+ people in lessons. (S)
- Indicator 6 (K-12): Explain three ways that transgender and gender expansive youth are at disproportionate risk for health disparities.
- Indicator 7 (K-12): Identify three credible, medically accurate, youth-friendly resources that can provide information or support related to transgender and gender expansive people.
- Indicator 8 (K-12): Explain why it is essential to include positive portrayals of transgender and gender expansive people in lessons.
- Indicator 9 (K-12): Demonstrate three strategies that can be used to make lessons affirming for transgender and gender expansive people. (S)
Virtual PD - Culturally Responsive Instruction When Teaching Sex Education
Virtual Professional Development is a simulated classroom where teachers can practice teaching student avatars using short scenarios and support from an instructional coach, so they can quickly learn and master the skills they most need to be effective. With upper elementary, middle and high school classrooms, Virtual PD has scenarios for teachers of all grade levels across a wide range of topics aligned with the Professional Learning Standards for Sex Education (PLSSE). You can watch the video here (link is external) to learn more about Virtual PD.
Using the Virtual Professional Development classroom simulator, the educator will practice Culturally Responsive Instruction When Teaching Sex Education with the student avatars. In this scenario, the educator is teaching a lesson on different kinds of families with their students. After allowing students time to list their own ideas, the educator asks students to engage in a think/pair/share activity to see if they can add to their lists. They then facilitate a brainstorm activity about different kinds of families. In this simulation with five students, the participant will need to demonstrate three strategies for creating culturally responsive classrooms.
- Indicator 2 (K-12): Demonstrate three strategies for creating culturally responsive classrooms. (S)