This week I taught a lesson on ethics and started with a sponge that asked the students to write 6 -8 sentences related to their parents dying wishes and/or desires. The students started muttering almost immediately about the fact they do not think about dying and they do not talk about it. “Who wants to think about dying” was one of the statements. (I felt I had made a terrible mistake with that sponge!) I challenged them to create the sentences based on the small pieces of information they remembered about someone in their family, or that was said in someone else’s family to get them started. I circled the room, read their sponges and highlighted words related to wishes and desires. I thought this class was not going to work; however, as I had the student call out the words underlined in their sponges (i.e. pain free, peace, and family getting along) the students were able to transition into the parts of a living will and the importance of healthcare workers respecting the dying wishes of others.
I had a student who was emotional because of recent deaths in her family. (I had to provide personal comfort…this class was a bomb!…my thought). We were able to work through the process that this class is more about living well, dying with dignity and having all family members feel good about the decisions they make and having no regrets/no guilt. The students asked questions and we decided as a group to make it a homework assignment to ask their parents using an example copy. Death and dying is always a hard topic even with adults. However, because of the laws governing patient’s rights, the question “do you have a living will or durable power of attorney?” is asked when a person is admitted to the hospital and many people have stated , in my experience, “you must think I’m going to die”. I had a visitor in class during this session and she shared that because of a certain situation in her life, she has a durable power of attorney in place. The visitor in my class stated she “loved the class” and felt I had helped the students understand the reasons for a living will on their level and made it something important to do while everyone is feeling well and in good health.
I believe as teachers we have to be honest with our students, and that includes dealing with uncomfortable topics. Some families do not have the communication skills to talk about tough topics. Our classrooms are often the students first time hearing and having to think about tough issues. I'd rather make the students feel a little uncomfortable, than having them walking around life with blinders on. Great Lesson!
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