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Nest's Middle/High School Prevention Education Curriculum

Teacher Preparation

Step 1: Learn About the Curriculum

At this point, you have already participated in a Nest Teacher Training and are now ready to access materials to teach the Nest Curriculum. Below, you'll find material we covered during our training that is included here for reference. 

Step 2: Awareness and Self-Care

Acknowledgment of any personal experiences a teacher might have had as related to traumatic issues and feelings that could be triggered by the content of the clips, discussions, and activities is important.

For some teachers, it might be beneficial to consider consulting a counselor or other mental health professional before beginning to work with this curriculum––in order to prepare for personal responses and/or to be open to the variety of student responses, conversations, questions, and possible disclosures that could arise.

Nest also recognizes the tremendous role that teachers play in the lives of their students. We encourage you to develop a practice of self-care and to regularly check-in with yourself as you teach this and other material in your classroom.

Below are some suggested self-care resources:

Step 3: Preview Lessons

In order to effectively serve your students, it is important for you to be familiar with all of the lessons and videos prior to beginning your work with the program. 

Please be aware that some of the activities contain sensitive language and graphic material, which may be difficult and/or triggering for some students.

As you review the materials, you may find it necessary to make some changes, additions, or deletions to meet the needs of your class.

Step 4: Contact Your School's Principal and Counselor(s)

Be certain to contact your school counselor and your principal before implementing this curriculum. It is important to obtain approval and support. If possible, invite a counselor to the classroom during the program to support students, should they need to discuss sensitive information.

It is also important to check in with your counselor or principal to make yourself aware of any history or relevant details regarding students in your class who might be particularly sensitive to the information provided in the film and curriculum.

The following items are suggested questions:

  1. Have any students or their family members been impacted by sex trafficking?
  2. Have any students or their family members been victims of sexual abuse/assault?
  3. Have any students or their family members been associated in any way with the criminal justice system?
  4. Have any students been in the foster care system?
  5. Are any students currently in the foster care system?

Step 5: Review Mandatory Reporter Laws, Rules and Regulations

It is possible that a student might disclose sexual assault or other experiences that have been triggered by the material in this curriculum. Before beginning your work with the curriculum, it is vital that you review mandatory reporter laws and any reporter training you have experienced within your school or district.

In addition, it is essential that you consult appropriate school staff, as well as any required district staff, for clearance of this curriculum and discussion of school, district, local, state, and any other laws, regulations, and rules relative to mandatory reporting or other required action relative to disclosure and presentation of the content of the film and curriculum.

If you are working with other teachers, facilitators, and or/counselors, review the procedures together, and clarify your team’s response to any student who might disclose.

How to handle Student Disclosures:

Prior to beginning work with the film and curriculum, be certain to tell students that if there are personal items they wish to discuss during the curriculum, they will be put in touch with the counselor. You should avoid any disclosures in the classroom so that you can fully attend to any child’s needs.

We suggest you post the following information in your classroom for the duration of the curriculum if possible:

  1. Counselor’s name:
  2. Counselor’s contact information:
  3. Open office hours:
  4. Local agency providing aid and support:
  5. Teen Line (to talk about anything): Text: TEEN to 839863

Step 6: Prepare an Opt-Out

Be prepared for the possibility of some students opting out before or during clip viewings and lessons. Due to the nature of the topic, we suggest offering an alternative to the classroom work with the curriculum if it is not feasible for a student to participate. Please prepare an alternative activity for such students while you are covering the curriculum in the classroom. 

Be certain to note signs of discomfort or uneasiness that students might communicate as they view the film clips or work with the discussion and activities. In advance of beginning classroom work with the curriculum, make provisions for an alternative setting (such as the media center) for students who need to be excused from the classroom setting as the material is being presented. Make certain to direct those students to the alternative setting as seamlessly as possible, so as not to draw attention to them. ​​

Alternative Project Suggestion:

Assign a research project related to a social justice/humanitarian issue or suggest volunteer work with a local organization. Students who opt-out may be invited to provide to the class, at the close of the curriculum, a presentation that includes the following:

  1. A discussion of the knowledge the student has gleaned from the alternative work 
  2. An explanation of how and why this knowledge has empowered the student
  3. A detailed recounting of the steps the project has inspired the student to take to make a difference in the school, the community, the nation, and the world at large.

Step 7: Inform and Prepare Parents/Guardians

It is important that parents and guardians be informed and prepared so they will have the opportunity to opt out of the curriculum if they believe it might be too mature for their children. It is also important to give parents as much information as possible about the topic so that they can continue to have open conversations at home to support their students as they explore this topic.

Ultimately, you know your students and school community better than anyone so please use the sample letter in a way that best supports you, including making any modifications that you need to.

Nest staff can also help you organize a Nest Family Night to share the goals of the curriculum and/or screen PLAYGROUND or other media.

You can download our permission slip as a WORD document below, however, this is only a sample.
Please consult your school administrators (and if required, district administrators) to determine whether this permission slip is acceptable and will comport to school and district requirements.

Step 8: Take the Teacher Questionnaire

Surveys are a critical part of the Nest Program and allow us to ensure the effectiveness of the curriculum, fine-tune our materials, and better respond to your needs and to those of students.​​

We appreciate the time you will take to complete this brief survey before you begin the curriculum.