Anatomy for/of Toddlers

Picture this. A 1st grade class in a school for children with learning disabilities. These are actual people and actual events. Names have been changed to protect the guilty.

I was teaching a science lesson. We were studying a unit on biology and the section that we were learning about was human anatomy. The text that I was using was very age and grade appropriate. We were studying from a Kindergarten text and in this text they were introducing organ systems and the organs in which they were associated. Each page was a coloring page. After introducing the organ, student were invited to color the different parts as instructed. Well, here comes the fun part. After learning about the heart, lungs, kidneys, etc. we got to the reproductive system. YES. . . you heard me right. The REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM. And of course, being the uber responsible and mature teacher that I am, I did not skip this section (I'm so glad I didn't or else I would not have this story to share).

The text introduced these organs as organs that would "help you become parents one day". And that was it. We did the ovaries and the uterus without incident. Then we got to the male reproductive system. On the coloring pages, there is an outline of a little person showing where the organs are found. After I taught the lesson, the students began coloring. Then out of the blue. . . in the middle of a quiet class. . . one of my boys jumped up. . . and screamed at the top of his lungs, "MS. *********, I FOUND THEM. I FOUND MY TESTICLES. LOOK! THEY'RE RIGHT HERE. " As he grabs ahold of his genitals and proceeded to shake them in front of the entire class.

Of course, laughter wanted to erupt out of me, unmercilessly, but I had to hold it in and I calmly responded, "Yes, Jack. Those are your testicles and you can only grab them in the privacy of your bathroom or bedroom."

That was one of the best days of my career.