I was assigned this position specifically because I can say "penis" in front of large groups of kids. Really. The other candidates would only commit to saying "pee-pee".
SMART GIRLS is fundamentally centered around maturation, rape, abuse, drugs and how to choose good friends. Oh yeah, with a little bit of self-esteem thrown in for good measure. I have a teacher's lesson manual to provide guidance.
A few weeks ago the 4th and 5th grade girls and I embarked on Lesson #1: The Puberty Game.
First I had to hand out a printout that looked like this:
The girls had to name and draw arrows to the things that happen to your body during puberty. They got a point for each correct identification. Then we had a discussion about it.... It went as you would expect:
Me: What happens during puberty?
Girls:
-pubes
-your chi chi's get bigger if youre lucky
-that thing where blood comes out of your thingy
-B.O.
-special feelings about boys
-you grow a mustache
-you have to talk about sex at the boys and girls club
-you might get a baby in your stomach
I explained that babies don't automatically get into your body, you have to try to put them there.
They asked where you got little babies and how to put them in.
I told them that you have to have sex.
Also, at the beginning of the class I told them that if they had any questions they didn't want to ask out loud, they could write them down and I would answer them at the end. The questions all looked like this:
I bluntly told them.
Then the entire class stared at me and pregnant stomach like I was the biggest slut ever.
amen.
