Consider the following when preparing lessons for teaching gender-based violence prevention education:
- Inform parents/guardians about what their child will be learning and its relevance to Healthy Living education and student mental health and well-being. Sharing this information with parents/guardians enables them to work in partnership with the school to promote follow-up discussions at home. It also builds stronger connections between home and school to support student learning. Consult your school’s preferred method of communication (e.g., email, letters to send home) when determining how to share this information with parents.
- Inform your administrator about what your students will be learning and its relevance to student mental health and well-being. This enables your administrator to work in partnership with you and all parents/guardians to provide students with the best possible educational experience and support their mental health and well-being.
- Enlist the support of guidance counsellors, social workers, and mental health support professionals to provide students with additional knowledge and support in discussing personal matters if they feel the need to do so.
- Search out local community partners to determine the resources and supports available to support student learning. Community partners are an important resource for a school’s health and physical education program. Relationships with public health units, community Elders, Métis Senators, knowledge keepers or knowledge holders, community mental health organizations, sexual assault centres, social service agencies, and other community organizations, such as Kids Help Phone, can provide valuable support and enrichment for student learning, mental health, and well-being.
- When students feel safe and accepted in inclusive school environments, they will sometimes share personal information or discuss personal matters with their peers and educators as they become aware of, acknowledge, and reflect on their feelings, emotions, and experiences. Providing students with safe, inclusive spaces to engage in respectful dialogue and reflection supports them in developing their social-emotional living skills and understanding of self and others. Let students know what supports are available and how to access them. Consider generally providing the class with a list of available people, resources, and services that students may access for additional support.
