sex ed

The book phrased something in a way I never quite thought of it. "When puberty is not a rite of passage, the community typically does not acknowledge the event; instead, more private responses seem to be emphasized" (p.37). I completely agree. but I'm not saying that we need a ritual with dance and feasting for the grand events. I'm saying that puberty, sexual education, and the normalcy of adolecense must be talked about from early on in school. Parents don't want to talk to their children about it (and though they often do) and really leave out a lot of importants items on that talking points list. Why not take that pressure off the parents and make sure it is tastefully talked about( I am not suggesting a whole unit on oral sex) within our schools at a grade level that is early enough where nothing has happened yet. Talking to elementary schoolers with ensure that they know what to expect.

Looking at the "Others"

After reading the Kumashiro article, I have some concerns as a future educator, mostly in regards to the "now what" of the situation that as defined as problematic. I will say that his definition of the "others" is by no means a thin and narrow one(students of color, from under/unemployed families, female, underly masculine, and queer). In fact, if you put together all the students in a classroom(considering that we are being taught about urban education) I believe we will see that the "others" are no longer a minority but the majority. So as I asked before, "now what"? So who are we really marginalizing, when we realize that ALL students become the "other"?