Exploring my own values

Key messages

• It is essential for teachers to reflect upon their own values, attitudes and beliefs before teaching RSE. 
• Some reflective questions are listed to assist teachers in this process.

What are my own values?

It is essential that educators who deliver relationship and sexuality education (RSE) reflect on their personal values relative to the school and community values¹.

Every individual is influenced by their own set of life experiences, backgrounds, cultures and influencers. 

Reflective questions before beginning an RSE lesson

• Who am I in this? 
• What do I value?
• What moves me, stirs my passion? 
• What triggers me?
• What makes me feel uncomfortable?
• Am I comfortable with my own sexuality? (Remember, sexuality is a lot more than sexual identity and behaviours).
• How do I feel about diverse sexualities?
• How has my life experiences influenced my view on gender roles and stereotypes?
• How will I react to potentially confronting content?
• How do my values align with the school's values?
• How do my values align with the local community's values?

There are no right or wrong answers, however, being unaware of the answers to these reflective questions has the potential to negatively affect how RSE is presented to students. 

There is a possibility of creating bias and preference, consciously or unconsciously. There is also the potential for the classroom values or the values of the educator to be at odds with home values.

Strategies for understanding your own values

1. Know that educators who are not adequately trained in RSE may have difficulty in dealing with cultural and social attitudes.
2. Acknowledge the diverse range of influences on human sexuality – family, religious, cultural, community – and the underlying value systems for each.
3. Invite colleagues and team teachers to examine their own values in order to be aware of them, pose hypothetical questions relevant to the learning activity to open up dialogue and explore ways to navigate these values.
4. Respect the educator as an individual with their own values and belief systems (this may include teacher support officer, school nurse, school psychologist, chaplain etc).
5. Share personal beliefs and values on topics with other colleagues before engaging with students in the classroom.
6. Examine the role RSE teacher as providing opportunities for students to examine the range of values relating to sexuality issues.³
7. Resolve any differences between personal values and avoid imposing values upon students either implicitly or explicitly.

Read next

Diversity and inclusion

Cultural considerations

References

1. Department of Education, Science and Training. National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. 2005. 
2. Ollis, Debbie, Lyn Harrison and Claire Maharaj. Sexuality Education Matters. Victoria: Deakin University. 2013. 
3. Family Planning Alliance Australia. Relationships and Sexuality Education in Schools: Position Statement.