How can we feel prepared for the feelings and issues that may come up when addressing difficult and sensitive topics in the classroom?

• Need to address own fears and anxieties first.
• Identify support for ourselves and learners specific to the topic (e.g., hotlines, community centers, relgious organizations, etc.).
• Remember as teachers, we are not counselors. It's important to get the support we need.

Not having a background in health education, there may be times when we feel unsure, overwhelmed,or not sufficiently informed teaching certain health issues.

• Work with health educator/counselor.
• Identify and include money in advance for these partnerships with health professionals.
• Use students as resources for one another.
• Bring in speakers.

We don't know enough about our students' cultures and their attitudes to health.

• Incorporate learning about one another's culture into lessons (interview one another, write stories).
• From valuing a learner's past will come trust and willingness to share information.
• Have learners evaluate materials in terms of appropriateness to their cultures.

Our students come to learn English, get their GED, for skills training, etc.; they don't want to learn about health.

• Learning English can include health topics such as filling-in medical forms, talking to doctors, understanding communications, etc.
• GED tests primarily are based on reading, understanding, and interpreting information; so is negotiating health care.
• Skills training can include workplace safety, health insurance, and environmental issues.

We don't have enough time.

• This teaching does take more time; build in time in scheduling work and writing grant proposals for planning meetings with learners and health educators.
• Build in time and money to work in partnership with people from other agencies-speakers, nurses, health educators.