For Educators During Covid-19

In grades K-3, children learn about: the correct names of body parts, personal boundaries, handling feelings and emotions, families, and identifying the safe adults in their lives they can go to for help. For more suggestions and ideas, email education@mainefamilyplanning.org.

Check out these resources for remote learning:

• AMAZE Jr. has a set of diverse videos on a variety of topics for younger children to watch with their parents.
• Coloring pages are available for these ages at the Children’s Safety Partnership and at AMAZE Jr.
• Contact your local sexual assault resource center to see how they can support you in your work.

Grades 4-6 focus on the physical, emotional, and social changes of puberty and building healthy friendships and relationships. With the global focus on Covid-19, now is also an excellent time to have a robust hygiene lesson that includes information on regular and thorough hand-washing. For more suggestions and ideas, email education@mainefamilyplanning.org.

Check out these resources for remote learning:

• We can help you adapt our Puberty Happens curriculum into online activities and worksheets. For example, here is an adapted Puberty Changes Lesson Handout.
• Amaze.org also has diverse videos that can help you teach topics such as hygiene and male and female reproductive anatomy. Scroll down on the AMAZE pages to see conversation starters for parents and educators that accompany each video.
• Kids Health has information pages and videos on topics such as puberty for young people to learn accurate and age-appropriate information. 
• Being stuck at home is also a great time for self-reflection. Check out this article for some fun goal-setting activities. 
• Students might not all have the same opportunities for discussions with family members or guardians at home. But this activity, “the interview,” might be fun for some young people. Be sensitive to the individual situations and needs of your students.

Middle school is an appropriate time to cover an assortment of topics including adolescent development, identity, healthy relationships, consent, and sexual risk reduction. For more suggestions and ideas, email education@mainefamilyplanning.org.

Check out these resources for remote learning:

• Covid-19 can be stressful for everyone. KidsHealth has some great resource pages on topics such as mindfulness and yoga to help youth get through this challenging time. 
• Amaze also has a new video on feeling isolated during social distancing.
• While many people are feeling anxious at home you might want to offer some creative art projects as well such as these healthy relationship coloring pages.
• For LGBTQ+ youth, OUT Maine has moved their youth group online. Young people can get connected by contacting OUT Maine’s youth group facilitator.
• You can use AMAZE videos to start talking about topics such as sexual health or body image. Be sure to scroll down on the AMAZE pages to find questions and prompts for educators and parents. 
• At TeensHealth.org, share sexual health content, and offer an option of making a persuasion map or PSA on a sexual health topic for students to explore the topic in a creative way.
• We can help you adapt lesson activities in the Middle School Scope and Sequence resource, which offers a variety of lesson plans and web resources by topic and grade level. 

It may be challenging to adapt your typical sexual health unit to remote learning. Here are some suggestions for addressing sexual health topics while also being sensitive to the shift to at-home learning. When you do start this topic, it’s still important to establish group agreements to help students feel safe while learning this content from afar. For more suggestions and ideas, email education@mainefamilyplanning.org.

Check out these resources for remote learning:

• Covid-19 can be stressful for everyone. Here is a resource from LoveIsRespect.org on self-care with a quiz to think about how you are taking care of yourself.
• Sex Etc is a great website for youth to get information and ask questions online. Youth can search by topic, read blog posts, see frequently asked questions, and get links to other relevant and age-appropriate resources. 
• We can help you adapt activities from the Best Practices curriculum, including ways to modify activities into online worksheets or quizzes to teach through virtual classrooms or asynchronized learning. 
• We can provide suggestions for online resources such as videos and this web-based condom line-up activity.
• Asynchronous learning is a great time for student research and reflection on a variety of topics such as learning about birth control, STIs, and abstinence. If students feel safe to do so they can also engage in conversations with their parents or caregivers, using this interview guide about sex and relationships.

We know that education is a partnership between school and home. As you address topics such as puberty and sexual health with your students, you may also consider providing information and resources to parents on topics you will cover through remote learning. Contact us at education@mainefamilyplanning.org for ideas on how you might inform and involve parents. 

You might want to reach out to parents with a note:

The Covid-19 pandemic is stressful for everyone, and has created many challenges for students, teachers, and families. As your child receives information related to topics like puberty and sexual health they are likely to have questions. As a parent or caregiver, you are the primary source for sharing your values with your child. You play a key role in their development: in understanding and taking care of their physical, emotional, and social health; learning to respect themselves and others; making healthy choices; and navigating relationships. 

As we try to address these important topics in health class, we want to offer you the following resources:

• Specifically related to our current health crisis, this resource has some great online tools for parents during the pandemic.
• Here is a general tip guide to talking to your child about sexual health.
• You may find this podcast to be a helpful resource for having discussions on sex education topics with you kid.
• The website AMAZE has videos you can watch with your child and then scroll down on the pages to see conversation starters for parents.
• For information on a full range of health topics for parents and youth of all ages, visit KidsHealth.org.

This is a challenging time for everyone. Students might be sad that they can’t see their friends right now or that their sports activities and other extracurriculars have been canceled. Their family might be stressed about work, finances, providing food for their families, and staying healthy. Your students are out of their normal routines, may feel disconnected, lack motivation for school work or physical activity, and may be feeling bored or lonely. Below are some resources for connection, support, and crisis that you can share with your students.

• Common Sense Media has a list of online apps and tools on topics such as meditation and mindfulness. 
• For older LGBTQ+ youth, Maine Transgender Network has moved their support groups online which can be accessed on their website. OUT Maine has also moved their support group online, contact their facilitator to get more information. Equality Maine is offering online gatherings for youth, you just need to fill out this online Google form. Gender Spectrum also has some online groups available.
• Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, providing access to free, 24/7 support and information via a medium people already use and trust: text. In the United States text 741741.
• Maine Family Planning clinics are open to new and current patients with adapted hours of services and expanded telehealth options and Virtual Visits. Students can go online to chat, or call (207) 922-3222.  
• If a young person wants to process questions or experiences with sexual harassment or sexual violence they can call or chat with an advocate online. 
• Young people who may be experiencing domestic violence can reach out to a local resource center. Advocates are mandated reporters and will report if the child is experiencing abuse or neglect in the home. 
• Youth experiencing mental health distress can call, text, or chat through the Maine Crisis Hotline.