Should States Mandate All Middle and High Schools to Provide Sex Education?

Did you know that 3 in 10 girls will get pregnant before they turn 20? The numbers have continued to rise over the past few decades, although now they seem to be leveling off. You might think that teen pregnancy doesn't relate to schools, but it does. According to DoSomething.org, a non-profit organization that promotes positive social changes, the number one reason why teen girls drop out of high school is because they become mothers, and more than half of them never earn a degree. In this day and age, a high school degree can barely get you a job anywhere, so when they don't even have that, it is essentially setting them up for failure. This brings school officials, teachers, and parents to a controversial question: should middle and high school be required by state to provide sex education? Would the teenage pregnancy numbers maybe decrease if students were properly educated?

Currently, there is no law requiring students to be taught sex education in school, as it is up to each state. According to the National Conference of State Legislature, 22 states require sex ed to be taught to students, and 33 states require parental consent if they cover the topic in health classes. An interesting question is: why do parents not want their child to be educated?

As Roland Martin, a reporter for CNN, said in an article in 2011, many parents don't want their child to learn about sex because they are in denial that their child will have sex. Even if they are not having sex, students should still be educated, because it is bound to happen eventually. It is best to teach them the risks of sex, including STD's and pregnancy, how to use protection, etc. so down the road, when they do become sexually active, they can take preventative measures to remain safe and healthy. If parents are in denial about their children growing up, then who is going to accurately educate teens? People are also against sex being taught due to religion. While some curriculums teach abstinence, others teach how to be properly sexually active, which might seem like they condone it, even if they are not. I can see why this would be a problem for people, especially for those that have sex before marriage going against their religion or beliefs.

to add a little humor --
cartoon relating to parents regarding their kids' sex lives

On the flip side, we hear the benefits of sex education in the classroom. In an interesting Time Magazine article titled "How to Bring An End to the War Over Sex Ed," we hear about how a simple sex education class changed a girls life. Sixteen year old Jewels Morris-Davis had a family history of teenage pregnancy, but because of the sex ed class, she was the first in her family who did NOT become pregnant at age 16, which impacts her future positively in a tremendous way (Don't get me wrong when I say "positively;" I love babies, but balancing school and not having a high paying job will make it hard for teenage mothers and their futures). I think that if sex education because mandated in middle and high schools, more students can be changed, like Jewels, and that pregnancy and STD rates among teens can be reduced.

In conclusion, I am a practicing Catholic, but let's be real: its 2014. As much as everyone wants to believe that all students are waiting until marriage to become sexually active, they are not. Times have drastically changed. If schools are truly all about keeping their students safe, they should keep them safe sexually, too.

*Feel free to share your opinions, too, as I am always open to hearing them :)

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

In The Future.. Professionally and Personally

       I did the question about what my future looks like, on both personal and professional levels. In each of the four corners of my collage are pictures related to teaching. Two of the pictures are inspirational quotes and thoughts, and the other two are a teacher helping a student, as well as a teacher help other teachers. I want to be a teacher that students and faculty members feel comfortable asking for help and confiding in, and I want to make a positive difference in people's lives. I think these two pictures show that I will always be willing to help others, an important thing that teachers should do. Personally, I want to get married, have multiple children, own a home, and travel to different parts of the world. The picture in the center is a family that looks as if they are loving life and having fun, and that is important to me regardless of where I live, my income, etc. I think that this collage truly represents the person I want to be, both personally and professionally, and I hope to accomplish all of these "goals" in the future.

Why Teach?!?

      Many people have career goals and dreams that they want to pursue in life. Some want to be football players, writers, police and firemen, or even president of the United States. Wanting to become a teacher is completely different than all of these careers. We've all heard the saying of people putting “blood, sweat and tears” into their work, and it definitely applies to teaching.Teachers put in hundreds of extra hours outside of the classroom each year lesson planning, gathering needed supplies, decorating, planning, and more, but never do they get compensated for these. With all this extra work, people might wonder, well, why do teachers teach?

Adding a little humor :)

     As I said before, teaching is unlike any other career, as are the teachers that perform the job who are motivated to teach for many different reasons. People teach because of their love for children, they teach because they were inspired by one of their own teachers and want to have an impact on students like their teachers did, and teachers certainly teach for the rewarding feeling of helping a student grasp a concept they previously struggled with . Teachers don't teach for the pay check, as it is not that large. Teachers teach because they have a real passion for what they do.

      I recently read an article on CNN titled “Why They Teach Despite It All,” and it was extremely inspiring. Profiling a family from California with a mom and a dad who are teachers and professors. While I can not relate with the budgeting aspect of their life, I can relate to many things that Renee said throughout her interview. Renee Longshore said she decided her career path when she was in second grade and knew that no matter what life threw at it, that was her destined career. I feel the same way, having dreamt of becoming a teacher since around that same age, having also been inspired by former teachers.

     Another article that I have read about this topic was titled "21 Reasons to Quit Your Day Job", and a couple of these reasons stood out to me in particular. The second reason “to positively IMPACT THE FUTURE of our world” popped out to me because it not only do teachers teach math, reading, and writing, they teach students many rights and wrongs over their educational journey. I also liked the fourth and eighth reason, which in sum said people like to teach because it is rewarding, and not in the materialistic type of way. When a teacher receives a note, card, letter or even just a simple “thank you for helping me,” it shows that the teacher has made a positive difference, and in my opinion, that in itself is worth teaching. There is no greater feeling than being appreciated by a student or parent and knowing that you were able to help someone. “To experience the JOY of working with kids every day,” was also on the list as number 16, and because I have grown up with little kids around me all of my life, I can relate to this. Although they are children, teachers learn something new from their students each and every day. Children are also very cute and say some of the craziest and funniest things, which is a reason why I personally love to work with them. The final reason of why to become a teacher that I enjoyed on this list was the third to last one “to prove that ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.” People don't realize how much of an impact a teacher can have on a child. Teachers truly care about their students, and many are willing to help them in any way they can.

     Teaching in this day and age is a lot of work, and many teachers are not valued by parents and others around the country. However, there are still numerous amount of reasons why people become teachers, with the biggest reason being because they have a passion and a motivation to inspire. It really is a rewarding career. 

All About Me!

A photo of my brothers and I in Honolulu :)

Hi! My name is Brianna and I am currently majoring in elementary education. I have dreamt of becoming teacher since I was five, which is crazy because many do not have a chosen career path when they enter college. I have always loved kids, and have been babysitting for many different families since 7^th grade. During my senior year of high school, I was in a second grade classroom all day, three times a week, and absolutely loved every minute of it. When it was over, I was actually sad that it was summer, which clearly says something! I honestly can not imagine pursuing a different career other than teaching.

Some of the things I aspire to do as a teacher are encourage the kids with everything they do, including hobbies and dreams, to help them with anything and everything that they need, and to be a role model for students to look up to like many of my teachers were for me. One of the things I am most excited for when I become a teacher is decorating my classroom. I have pinned SO many ideas on Pinterest (completely addicted to it!) and I can't wait to finally create some of the things I have seen and use them with my students.

Various other things about me are that I:

• love all Boston sports, especially the Bruins and Patriots
• love traveling with my family
• have been a vegetarian my entire life
• enjoy playing volleyball with my friends and former teammates

The first topic I have chosen to share a link about favoritism and fairness within the classroom. This links give six reasons why favoritism is bad, and six easy solutions about how to avoid picking favorites. I think it is important that students are all treated fairly and feel just as important and liked by the teacher as all of their fellow classmates. Happy Reading :)