The Isle of Inorgasmia

When I found out that I had been assigned to teach an undergraduate course called "Marriage and the Family" this quarter, I just about died. So many college kids hate the thought of being told anything about relationships, but there were other problems with my teaching assignment.

For starters, I never was your typical teenager and I have a hard time relating to them--even some young adults. I'm hypersensitive to any signs of rejection from them because I felt rather rejected by my peers when I was younger. The second problem with teaching undergrads is that I'm not used to teaching kids who aren't serious about learning the material in the same way that graduates in clinical programs are. And I've never had teenagers of my own. Add the Generation Y entitlement and cockiness in the classroom, and you can see why I dreaded this class. It didn't help that this course is also seen as a general education "filler" class. Take it if you need to get a few more easy credits to graduate.

The first class period was painful for me and they seemed unimpressed. Four girls giggled and whispered together the entire time. When I asked them to "Keep it down" one looked deeply offended and two rolled their eyes at me. It was as if I had done something wrong by setting limits on their behavior. I went home steamed.

We are now six weeks into the course. I've learned that if I become more conversational and ask them what they think as a way to stimulate discussion, they are more attentive and seem to not mind being in class. Of course, no one looks interested per se, but at least now they are quiet and look like they're at least listening to me.


Tonight our topic was about sexual aspects of marriage. Half way through my PowerPoint presentation, I suddenly noticed that hands were flying up all over the room and kids could hardly wait to weigh in with their opinions. As we discussed various terms related to sexual dysfunction, I asked the class if they knew what the word inorgasmia means.
One guy in the middle of the classroom, Mr. Popularity, volunteered, "It sounds exotic, like some kind of Paradise vacation island." Laughter erupted all around him. Pleased with himself, he looked around the room at all the impressed, nervously chuckling students. When I heard his comment, I had laughed out loud.
"So what is it?" The whole class went quiet and looked at me.
"It's an island that I don't think you'd like very much." Inorgasmia is the inability to experience orgasm. After explaining this and gently teasing Mr. Popularity, the whole class was one happy good-spirited uproar.

After class, two girls--one of the eye-rollers, and one who is consistently loud in class--stayed by to ask me all sorts of questions about sex. I'd answer a few questions, we'd walk a few steps and they'd ask me something else. "Oh...oh yeah! I wanted to ask you one more short question..."
As I turned to leave half an hour later, we had managed to get out of the classroom and but only to the end of the hall. The girls didn't thank me for my time, but both smiled broadly at me when I said goodnight. Walking down the stairs I overheard one girl say, "Geez! I just love this class!" They went one direction and I turned a corner of my own.

I can't wait until next week.