Please watch the training videos in their entirety before moving on to the next step.
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.
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:
Source: Association of American Educators
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.
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:
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.
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:
This curriculum is opt-in by Texas law. You must acquire permission from guardians before teaching. It is important that parents and guardians be informed and prepared so they can opt their children into this incredibly vital curriculum. 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.
You can download our opt-in letter/form below, however, this is only a sample.
Please consult your school administrators (and if required, district administrators) to determine whether this opt-in notice is acceptable and will comport to school and district requirements.
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.