Introduction to RSE

This introduction to RSE (relationships and sex education) is for participants who want to deliver relationships and sex education or advice. It’s relevant to teachers, youth workers, online educators, counsellors, social workers. It’s also open to anyone wanting to experience good relationships and sex education for the first time.

This is virtual training

I’m running this course online via Zoom. I will try to make it as close to an in person training course as possible. This means that it’ll be happening in real time with other people, who you’ll be talking to. I’ll be facilitating large and small group discussion and I’ll ask you reflect on your own values and experiences. There will be a group agreement discussion at the beginning, I’ll explain every task and activity before we do it, and there’ll be time to check in at the end of each session.

You will need:

• To be available for every session, which will be Monday to Friday from 4.00 – 5.30 pm (UK time). The first session is absolutely mandatory.
• Access to a quiet and private space
• A computer (or a smartphone), a webcam, headphones, and a reasonably okay internet connection
• Zoom – which is a video conferencing program. You can just install the free version. It’s really easy to do. It works on smartphones too

Once you sign up I’ll send you a Zoom meeting invite. Simply click on that just before 4 and you’ll see me there with everyone else.

About the course

Relationships and sex can feel like a very big topic to talk about. It’s very personal: it’s about values, emotions, personal experience. Our own experiences of relationships and sex, and relationships and sex education, means some people can speak about these topics with ease, whilst others might feel inhibited and a bit uncomfortable.

When we are teaching or supporting people around RSE, we are asking them to reflect on areas that we are also reflecting on for ourselves. We are always learning what is expected of us and how to do us when it comes to sex and relationships. Being mindful of this – yet also keeping a professional boundary when facilitating these topics – is difficult but crucial.

It can be difficult to teach, train, or support people if we haven’t had the chance to reflect on these topics for ourselves. This interactive and participatory course asks you to:

• Think about your own sex education
• Reflect on your own values and to listen to other people’s
• To think critically about the messages we receive about relationships and sex
• Understand power and privilege and the importance of inclusion
• To explore the links between how we feel about ourselves and how we do sex and/or relationships
• Take part in activities where we explore how we communicate and how consent feels
• Understand how to approach sex and sexual risks inclusively and effectively

This sounds heavy and at times it can be quite serious, but it is also fun I promise. I try to use different kinds of activities and learning methods and there might even be an opportunity to eat chocolate at some point!

There is a lot in this course – unlearning and relearning a lifetime of sex and relationship education is a big task. You will (hopefully) leave the course with lots of new ideas and will feel more able to teach and support people around relationships and sex. I will also send you a pack of resources for you to use with the people you work with, or just with yourself.

Dates

April 20th – 24th 2020, Monday to Friday 4.00 – 5.30 UK time.

Maximum of 16 participants.

Fee

£50 per person (introductory rate whilst I figure out how to actually do this)

How to book

Just email me via the contact page (or directly justin at bishtraining dot com) to confirm your place. I’ll then send you a link for payment when I know I have enough participants for the course