We had our last real CCD class last night. I’d like to tell you we ended on a high note, but I would be less than truthful.
I was a little nervous about this lesson because it stuck its toe into the water of sexuality. The lesson started out with a discussion of love in its various forms, including a reading from 1 Corinthians 13 (“Love is kind…” etc) However, about half-way through the chapter, the text included a two-paragraph section on sexuality.
After addressing the importance of respecting their own bodies, as well as the bodies of others, it included sentences such as these.
“As we grow towards sexual maturity, we are to follow the example of Christ and practice chasity.”
“Chasity is a virtue that helps us express our sexuality in ways that are proper for our time in life.”
“…we do not engage in sex before marriage.”
I expected a slew of questions, most of which I wouldn’t want to answer without parents around, however I really didn’t get many. This was a subject the students really did NOT want to discuss.
I admitted that I wasn’t sure exactly how to approach the subject, because I wasn’t certain how much the students had already learned. They assured me that they already “knew it all.”
One student raised his hand and announced, “At my school, we already watched the puberty video.” I guess that covers it.
I talked about the importance of having good communication with their parents, as they will have lots of questions and issues in the coming years. One girl told me that she would never talk to her parents about something like that. “I’ll just get my answers from Google. That way I’ll know I’m getting straight answers.” Yikes! (Oh, yes. We did discuss this.)
Finally, I ran up the white flag and surrendered, when one student asked, “Can we please talk about something else now?” and the entire class agreed. I didn’t argue.
Next week will be the final class for the year. We will not attempt to teach a lesson. It will be mostly social. Parents are invited.
St Peter the Apostle CCD- 5th Grade 