Did I do the right thing???

Frick, frick, frick... so I may have screwed up...

Today, I was visiting the school where I taught last year. It was on work time, as I had to both pick up and drop off paperwork for one of the programs we do with the school. My 6th grade teacher friend (whom I like a great deal) asked me if I would talk to her girls about puberty & "girl issues" and the like. I (foolishly???) agreed, and she took her boys off to the library so I could chat with the girls alone. (Fortunately, *this* at least is legal, as I am still certified K-8, and can thus be alone in a classroom of kids.)

Well, I talked to the girls for about 20 minutes about some uncomfortable topics... We discussed periods, tampons, STDs, and so on. I was shocked to discover that most of the girls had NO idea that a period means their body is ready to conceive a child. No clue!! A few girls asked me (independent of one another) if two women who are intimate together could get pregnant. Oy!! I tried to be as honest and open (and patient) as I could through the whole thing, and I think I did a good job to that end.

HOWEVER, panic set in once the girls were off to lunch. I spoke with my teacher friend alone in her classroom, expressing my concerns that I might have overstepped some boundaries. (After all, we did briefly discuss condoms and birth control.) Eek!! I didn't talk at all about abstinence or abortion, so that might be helpful... but we talked about a lot of uncomfortable stuff about which the girls were curious. Anyway, the teacher friend she'd watch out for me however she could. I left feeling very nervous.

I spoke with a friend and with my mom, both of whom said I did the right thing. At the time, I didn't question that what I did was right. I figured I was giving the girls crucial information that they needed, and that they weren't getting elsewhere. (Currently, the school has NO form of sex ed, the nurse doesn't give talks, etc.) I just was upset that by doing what I felt to be right, I could get myself fired. Sucky.

Back at work, I told my 2 coworkers what had happened. I think they both thought I was pretty stupid for doing that, and proceeded to tell me why. I'm all FOR information, though, and it's the parent's job to help their children make informed decisions. Parents can ALWAYS counter what is taught in schools; teachers don't have the same luxury (of countering parents' ideas). In the public school arena, unfortunately, parents have the ultimate say. Who cares if teenage pregnancy is rampant in the area? Who cares if STD rates are skyrocketing? I do. And I did something about it. And now I might get in trouble for it. It just SUCKS.

Anyway, I eventually told the whole situation to my boss, who wasn't thrilled. She told me, "You need to learn to tell people 'no.'" Maybe, but I also believe that if you keep your mouth shut on important matters, that's dangerous and unjust, too! Sigh.

I guess I can just imagine the whole thing being blown out of proportion... I see angry parents calling the school tomorrow, demanding to know who the hell told their kids these things. I see my name getting mentioned, the health department looking bad, and me having to fight to keep my job. I see a nasty court case, where I tearily remark on the stand, "But I was doing what was right! How else can we enact change if we don't spread good information??" I see the judge and the jury shaking their heads in disapproval. I see me flipping burgers until I'm old and gray. I see my life turning into a Lifetime Original Movie that has a conclusion at the end: "Marybeth and her landmark case in fighting teenage pregnancy turned out for the worst. To date, she has appealed her case twice, and is $500,000 in debt from lawyers' fees."

Now I'm second-guessing my decision, but I still feel in my heart that I did the right thing. We'll see within the next week if the parents agree...