A-STOP Wise as Serpents Curriculum
EVALUATION REPORT

Appendix 7: Open-Ended Responses from Teacher Evaluation of Wise as Serpents Curriculum

INITIAL COMMENTS

Most of the following comments were taken from the 21 Teacher Curriculum Questionnaires which teachers completed and sent to Amy Hartman, Project Coordinator of Wise as Serpents. Three additional teachers answered identical questions over the phone with Amy Hartman. These teachers' comments are identified as being phone interviews. In addition, one teacher described her/his experience with the curriculum, and Amy Hartman matched the responses with similar questions. This teacher's comments are identified as phone interviews, and are followed by an asterisk.

(Phone interview)

• I felt very informed by the content and directions of the material. It was easy to utilize. I felt well prepared.*
• There's too much!
• Curriculum as a whole and the layout -- found it very easy to choose activities -- best for my group.
• The themes and stories became repetitious after about the third session. Could have had more skill development. How to say "no," how to handle angry people, how to recognize and resist manipulation, etc.
• The themes for each session were not clear and clearly developed through the activities. Materials were very easy to use.

(Phone interview)

• Useful information to students: these were suburban kids, and this material really opened their eyes.
• Curriculum layout: we used a class structure different from that outlined in the materials.
• Very easy to set up lesson plans each week.
• Useful skills to students: Yes! To hear the propaganda & to know how to respond. Curriculum layout: Yes! Very easy to use -- I changed during the course.
• There was more material than I could really use per session. I stretched the 6 sessions over about 9-10 weeks. This probably got a little long, but I felt all the information was good!
• I intend to use this program every way possible -- there is so much information and it can be utilized in many different formats. Thank you…

(Phone interview)

• Useful information to students: They were made more aware. It's not just bad kids who get involved, but also good kids from small towns.
• Useful skills to students: I didn't think they could walk away from the course and stay away from it. The written materials developed skills more than the video.
• Curriculum layout: We had a little trouble at first trying to fit the video in an figuring out a system for when to use what.
• It really opened the eyes of the kids to what's going on around them.
• Some of the discussion we had was about how to react and keep yourself safe in certain situations, whether it be at the State Fair or at parties. We had good conversations about these topics (useful skills).
• In the curriculum as a whole, sometimes it was difficult to make a connection, or transition between the scripture lesson and the rest of the discussion. All of it was worthwhile, but just not as smooth as I'd like it to be. Part of that may be because it's my first time using the material.
• The curriculum layout was really good; well designed; I knew what was coming. The teacher and student materials fit together nicely.

Item 5: COMMENTS ON VIDEO.

• It was extremely helpful and beneficial. The students were always very attentive.

(Phone interview)

• The video wasn't too adult for them.*
• Good real-life testimonies and stories; eye-opener.
• Very well put together even if mostly "talking heads."
• Parents appreciated it too.
• Seems too "adult" for 7^th graders.
• We didn't use it -- I probably would another time.

(Phone interview)

• The video was by far the best part. You can't use the rest without it.
• Did not use.
• Some of the sections could have been shorter, students lost attention at times.
• It had the format of music and beat to catch their attention.
• The video was real good at holding their attention. I like the down-to-earth approach.
• We did not use the video with the students because of class time constraints, but I thought it was excellent.

Item 6: COMMENTS ON WRITTEN MATERIALS

• There was a great variety of material; I enjoyed the choices.

(Phone interview)

• Some of the scenarios in the vignettes were unreal, so we skipped some for that reason. They felt forced.*
• Bible studies lacked freshness.
• Lots of choices and good use of scripture.
• Contents page in front, not back.
• They were clear and simple, but repetitious and unfocused.
• Great.
• Somewhat too much detail; students balked when they saw the length of some activities.
• They were plentiful and I could use whatever seemed most appropriate.
• Good, practical applications. Real-life situations.
• Provoked good discussion. The questions were open-ended. The material was relevant and important for their lives now and in the future.

Item 7: COMMENTS ON CURRICULUM AS A WHOLE.

• It was done very well. The issues were straightforward and well worth discussing.

(Phone interview)

• Wise as Serpents was very good. I was very pleased. The blend of material worked well. There was plenty of material and it was flexible.*
• Crucial need, some good information, but needs tightening up, more focus.
• Clear goals and follow through. Tougher to draw out male students!
• Very much needed in today's world, especially in small towns.
• Had good application. See #4 (curriculum layout) above. At first kids said, "We know this", but after awhile they were more responsive.
• Real worthwhile course.

Item 8: PLEASE DESCRIBE THE FORUM USED FOR THE CURRICULUM, INCLUDING AGE AND NUMBER OF STUDENTS

• Retreat; grades 6-9; approximately 40 students.
• It was used as a youth forum for students 12-15 years of age. We met on Sunday mornings and attendance varied, but usually averaged around 10 with sometimes a parent present.

(Phone interview)

• Used Wise as Serpents as 8^th grade retreat. That worked really well for us, and we had a good mix of kids. We had a male and female leader, and the class was co-ed. We planned to use all six sessions, but ended up only going through four. Session one lasted two and one-half hours, because of the good discussions we had. That caused us to get off schedule for the rest of the time.*
• We had 24 students in the 7^th and 8^th grades. We did seven sessions on Sunday morning, each 1.5 hours long. There were five teachers, and the classes were co-ed.
• Friday night/Saturday afternoon retreat; 8^th and 9^th grade confirmation classes; six students (4 girls and 2 boys); the senior pastor and myself (youth director).
• Six Sunday school class sessions - grades 7-9, about 12 students.
• Lock-in retreat; 10 people; 5^th -- 12^th grades.
• Six consecutive Wednesday night sessions; 12-13 students; two teachers (one was pastor); students in 7,8, and 9 grades; pastor taught workbook; trained volunteer adult worked with video and questions.
• Seventh grade confirmation; 6 one hour sessions on Wednesday evenings; 15 students.
• Confirmation, mid-week sessions; 31 - 7,8,9 graders with small group guides (adults).
• Confirmation class, 7-8 graders; was used as an interim curriculum during Lent in place of regular curriculum.

(Phone interview)

• We did an overnight retreat with 40-50 students in grades 7-9. We did three sessions Friday night and three Saturday morning.
• Confirmation class.
• 7^th grade Sunday school class; 9 students, 3 boys and 6 girls.
• I used portions of the curriculum with my 7-9^th grade students & adult small group guides (about 65 total).
• Grade 8 students, age 13 + 14 -- used during retreat for three hours
• Seventh and eighth grad Sunday school; also they are in confirmation classes during this age.
• I used it for Sunday morning teenage bible class. Unfortunately the kids' attendance really dropped this year, because of their job schedules. Only one boy was in attendance for all sessions.
• Sunday school class; 35-40 minute sessions each Sunday morning; 14 students in 7-8 grades.
• Youth group -- 7^th through 12^th; 10-14 students
• Adult forum -- five people
• First we showed the video to our high school Sunday School class of 10 students in grades 10-12. They shared their opinions about the video with us and recommended that we show it to the younger kids. We then used the course for seven weeks in the 9^th grade Sunday school class, about 20 kids.
• Wednesday confirmation class for four ninth graders.
• We used it with 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th graders in confirmation class on Wednesday afternoons. There were 12-15 students.

Item 9: WHICH PORTIONS OF WISE AS SERPENTS DID YOU USE?

• Different classes used different portions. Most groups saw the entire video and made use of 25-33% of the written materials.
• Video and written material.
• All of it. Teachers chose the activities they wanted to do, and they had time to do most of it.
• Video and written materials.
• Covered two sections at a time in a 1.5 hour session; we had 3 sessions and then ended by watching and discussing the video.
• We did not use the "table talk" or the "take home" stuff, because we were a small group.
• Sessions 1,2,3,5,6.
• All of video and discussion questions; portions of all other segments except journaling. We got very little response or feedback on Table Talk; pastor didn't pursue it.
• The entire video and 2 or 3 worksheets per class period.
• Sessions 1-4. We terminated the course for a number of reasons, mostly because we were not finding new material in the sessions. Also, we were getting into May and running out of energy.

(Phone interview)

• For each session, we used the entire video with 3-4 discussion questions, the Bible story from the "Count the cost" section, plus 2-3 other activities. The last segment of the video we showed by itself.
• So far we have given pretest, lessons 1 and 2, trip to A-STOP, viewed video with parents, and incorporated some material on lesson with 10 commandments.
• Video and written worksheets, handouts, Table Talk, Count the Cost, Put it On.
• Lesson 1;That Face; Boys will be Boys, Mixed Messages.
• Video, concentrated on commandments and Bible studies, used 1-2 projects from each section every week.
• I used portions of sessions 2 & 3 as it related to the Lord's Prayer (which was our topic of study last year).
• Pre + Post Test, Mixed Messages, 15 minute video of 20/20, Shield, That Face, Boys Will Be Boys, Lies, What's It Worth? Trick's On You.
• I used the whole program; I didn't always have time to use all the worksheets.
• Video, discussion questions, Table Talk.
• Video, some worksheets; I sent home Table Talks but did not ask for feedback on them; we did not keep journals, but it is a good idea; I wish we could have spent more time on "faith Connection."
• Sections 1,2,6,7 with youth group; entire video with adults.
• We watched the whole video and used the discussion questions. For each session we used some of the activities/worksheets. These were determined by the teacher. We had three teachers. Girls and boys had separate classes. (It's always that way.)
• All.
• We did all six lessons, two activities from each. We did these in addition to our regular confirmation material. We chose the activities which seemed to be best for our youth.

Item 10: WHAT DID YOUR STUDENTS SEEM TO LIKE ABOUT THE COURSE?

• The directness. Some preferred the concluding portion on reconciliation.
• When we were successful in getting them to talk, they really seemed to enjoy the openness of the discussions.
• The more active exercises where they had to get up and move. They were intrigued by the video early on, but it got old for them.
• The stories and situations presented in the video surprised them and opened their eyes to what is really going on out in the "real world." Some of the activities were fun and kept things interesting.
• The video.
• Video; handout activities.
• It was something most of them never thought about; responded well to the story examples, Count the Cost and Put It On.
• The video, hearing from people who had "been there." The "Put It On" sections -- real life situations.
• They liked discussions about the cases presented and the exercises in saying "no."

(Phone interview)

• They got a lot out of the discussions; kids were really thinking.
• Could easily identify with all sheets used; seemed to enjoy filling them out.
• Video -- very attentive, it made them think. Less effective with worksheets.
• The worksheets, but they had good answers to situations presented.
• Real life stories.
• Some enjoyed sharing memories or experiences; boys versus girls opinions.
• The role play -- the voting game on morals by moving -- the drawing of Jesus.
• They joked about a lot of it, which is normal for this age group. They said they liked the way it all ended; that there was hope for those people.
• The format and the sincerity of the speakers.
• Video; the "Put it On" stories of young people; also, a lot of the personal sheets, such as pp. 19, 32, 50, 63, 71, etc.
• The reality of the video caught their attention. Small town, normal person -- the fact that it can happen to anyone! The up forward verbiage of the video and the honesty was truly an asset.
• They liked being able to share, not necessarily about themselves, but about somebody else. Sometimes kids would say, "That would never happen to me." Then I would say, "What about someone else you know?" Then they'd say, "Yes, I can see that happening to them."
• The down-home quality of the people on the video- not typical of what they would think of prostitutes and pimps.
• Vignettes in lesson materials and the video.
• It was different from what we normally do. They made connections to their own lives -- not being taken advantage of, self-esteem issues. They could apply the material immediately to their lives.

Item 11: WHAT DID YOUR STUDENTS SEEM TO DISLIKE?

• Some thought it was too long; too much of the same thing.
• At times they appeared to be somewhat uncomfortable. This, however, would be expected considering the subjects.
• The length of the course. Some of the vignettes were appropriate and the kids related to them well. Some vignettes seemed off the wall. Kids judged some of the characters as being "stupid," but could see some people they know doing that. We asked follow-up questions such as, "What could you say to them? Who could you tell?"
• We tried to cram a lot into an overnight retreat. Several students didn't get much sleep and thought the sessions were kind of long when they were just plain tired. The video was last and several youth had trouble staying awake-again that was due to lack of sleep. It was a little heavy on the prostitution side for most of them.
• Discussion-that is not a fault of the material.
• Not applicable.
• Table talk, journal, sharing their inner feelings verbally - better results written anonymously!
• The videos were too long sometimes to keep their attention.
• They seemed already familiar with the messages.

(Phone interview)

• Having to learn something, but that's their general attitude. "Do we have to learn something?"
• Teacher #1: For boys, the material seemed irrelevant. They didn't connect very well.
• Teacher #2: I never heard any negative comments from my small group.
• Teacher #3: Beside the fact that they don't really enjoy confirmation, I felt they were uncomfortable discussing this topic in our small groups. I wondered if they discussed more among themselves. When asked they knew the material and seemed to be generally more aware.
• Nothing.
• If the subject was too close to home, for example porn magazines, they all clamed up.
• Hard to say since we didn't use the entire curriculum.
• Too many handouts in compression -- Next time I'd use them as role-plays.
• They didn't like all the worksheets, and also the parent talk.
• Maybe it seemed too open and too much information for some of them.
• Worksheets, not the content, necessarily, but the number of them. We did not use any role playing as I had a very quiet group and they were not receptive to it.
• That we didn't have enough time -- and from the beginning of the tape they wanted to know how it ended -- would she be alright.
• They had the attitude "W know this already." Or they said, "We learned this in school." We teachers hear that about everything, though.
• The pimp on the video. Some questioned his remorse…conversion.
• Writing things down, but that's always an issue.

Item 12: WHAT ARE THE OVERALL STRENGTHS OF THIS CURRICULUM?

• A taboo subject comes under the light; plus, prostitutes and pimps are seen as real people loved by Christ.
• It is very straightforward. That, in my opinion, is the best means of addressing our youth.
• The variety of material: video, activities, and information. It was interactive -- the kids got involved in the materials. Well-organized; extremely easy to administer, even for teachers not as familiar with the issue.
• Easy to use; options, options, options; can lengthen or shorten each session to fit your needs; confirmation or regular youth group; very informative.
• These are vital issues, which we need to discuss, not only in a sexual context.
• Its honesty -- direct nature.
• The written (notebook) material can stand on its own and should be encouraged without the video -- our Pastor felt the video was more important than I did.
• Information is excellent. Helps to dispel the "myths" surrounding prostitution.
• Non-sensational approach that is nevertheless honest and biblical and catechetical tie-ins.

(Phone interview)

• It gets the word out and creates awareness. Kids don't realize what could happen -- they need awareness. We need to name the evil.
• Video; age appropriateness.
• Teacher #1: Exposed a serious issue; very straightforward approach; a little too long with the video.
• Teacher #2: Relating to what God says in the Bible; Count the Cost worksheets; everything ties together with the video, then related to the Bible with Count the Cost and then with the other sheets brings them back to what they face day to day; it is very encouraging.
• Teacher #3: The video; most all felt that this was powerful. Also some of our students saw the 20/20 piece and were able to relate what they saw in class to life outside of class.
• Pick and choose parts; good information will out.
• Straightforward facts, open discussion.
• It's flexible, user friendly; The faith connections with the Small Catechism -- able to adapt; Addresses very important issues from a solid faith perspective.
• WISE -- PREPARATORY -- Truthful, varied.
• If the kids aren't aware of these kind of things going on, they will be after the video. It also gives good ideas of what to do if you are approached.
• Sincerity and truth.
• Video; up-to-date information, such as the abuses of the Internet.
• The honesty -- truth, up-front verbiage, to go straight to the point of things with a video, visual accent. And we can have hope and forgiveness with Jesus.
• See questions 5 and 6.
• Video and lesson materials bring the realities home.
• It is really well put-together. It's easily teachable. It introduces kids to some things they need to keep them safe. I don't know of any other material that does that.

Item 13: WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT OVERALL?

• I would be a plus to include a picture portrait of a john. There is a great deal of john bashing in the video.
• No comment.
• Seven weeks was too long. It was too heavy for that length of time.
• It would be nice to have access to more real-life stories to share with the youth. This would especially be helpful with rural community churches, where many youth still see this as a "large city " problem that they'll never be involved with.
• Parent involvement-that is my goal for the next time I use it.
• More people should know about it.
• There is so much material, it could easily cover 8-10 weeks rather than the 6 weeks we used.
• Perhaps a bit more on skill development exercises -- being assertive, say "no," etc.
• Tighten up the themes of each session.

(Phone interview)

• A better title for the course.
• Teacher #1: More forceful witness to Christ; a more effective confession; less detail to their former lives.
• Teacher #2: Nothing I can think of at this second. More in-depth questions. I wish we would have had more time to cover all the curriculum!
• Teacher #3: One comment was that the video people were "too old." Younger people to relate to younger people. As with many things "give us people with 20 years of experience who are 20 years old." I personally felt this was and is an excellent presentation.
• Too much material, too many lessons.
• Need more suggestions on how to encourage students to share the table talk with an adult. My students were very apprehensive to open up on these subjects.
• I can't say at this time -- so far, I'm impressed!
• I as a facilitator need to learn WAS more thoroughly and plan better.
• Young people or kids that have been involved with prostitution what have or haven't gotten out for video.
• Parents should see it first.
• All the information was good and curriculum well written. After teaching once I'd be better able to choose what to use next time, and adjust to the students in the group.
• There is so much I wish I could utilize the entire format to give it justice.
• An introduction which spells out what to do with a one-sheet outline for a class. How to do an hour class.
• You could add more real life persons via an additional video.
• The transitions between scripture lessons and other activities.

Item 14: DID YOU INFORM THE PARENTS OF YOUR STUDENTS BEFORE USING THIS CURRICULUM? IF SO, HOW DID YOU INFORM THEM? HOW DID THEY REACT?

• Yes, by letter, which included an invitation to preview the material. The reaction was extremely positive. We received their encouragement.
• An informational letter was sent by the pastor. The parents were encouraged to contact either co-leader or the pastor with any questions or concerns. They were also encouraged to view the video or written materials. They were left at the office for their convenience.
• I sent a letter to parents and offered them a chance to view the video, but no one showed up. There was no reaction.
• We mentioned it to a few of them, but we've had serious lessons/meetings about subjects like sex/abstinence and homosexuality in the recent past and it wasn't a big deal to dive into this.
• Yes, by letter, with little reaction or participation.
• Parent letter sent, parent meeting held; good reception by parents.
• Had parents' night at church with preview of notebook material and two segments of video. Most if not all felt this was appropriate in a confirmation class setting, but some felt their kids were too young to handle it. Knowing those kids, I agree!
• Yes, sent letter and invited them to a parent session prior to student sessions.
• Yes, we sent a letter describing the course (the sample letter was helpful in writing this) and inviting them to examine the materials and attend the sessions.

(Phone interview)

• We sent out a letter to the parents and had a special information session for them. Four out of 24 attended, and we were surprised that so few did attend.
• Yes, invited parents to watch video with youth; positive responses, no negative responses.
• Teacher #1: Yes, no reaction.
• Teacher #2: Yes, via letter; some were concerned and asked questions about the program.
• Teacher #3: Parents were informed by letter. Not many said anything. A few asked to see the curriculum prior to its use with students. The reaction of these parents was very positive.
• No.
• Yes, the form letter did not get responses back pro or con.
• No
• Yes -- with a letter. No problem! They welcomed it!
• Yes, I used form letter and also called each.
• Used phone calls. Next year I will have a parent night. I did show it to one set of parents because I didn't know how they would react. They thought it was good.
• Yes, letter enclosed. I heard no objections to it and no one asked to preview video or look at curriculum.
• No -- that is why I only included parts and talked about each section to make sure they got the proper message. I conformed the powerfulness of each message to the age of the group that I presented it to.
• We put an announcement in the church newsletter and bulletin for two months. We sent a letter to parents of all the 9^th graders. We told them they were welcome to ask questions and view the video, and we held a special video viewing time for them. About 25% showed up to view the video, and they were favorable to having it shown. Parents felt they themselves were naïve and need to be aware of what kids are up against.
• We held a meeting prior to beginning the course. We viewed the video & introduced the materials.
• I had verbal conversations with the parents. Everyone thought it was a good idea. I talked with them about one young person from our church who had gone to college and gotten into a cult. I thought this was very similar. Parents wanted to prevent their kids from getting sucked into something.

Item 15: WHO ELSE DID YOU INFORM (PASTOR, COUNCIL, CONGREGATIONS, ETC.) ABOUT USING THIS CURRICULUM? HOW DID YOU INFORM THEM? HOW DID THEY REACT?

• Brief information was printed in the bulletin and shared by pastor at church service.
• Church councils; positive.

(Phone interview)

• An opportunity came up unexpectedly for us to have a retreat, and we decided to use this material. We didn't talk to parents or others much before we did the retreat.
• I notified the council and showed them part of the video. They also looked through some of the Wise as Serpents materials. They were supportive. No one expressed disapproval. I also put information in the church newsletter and gave a sermon on teenage prostitution before the course began.
• The pastor was present for the entire retreat. We let the youth board know that we'd be trying it out on the confirmation class.
• Pastor, council, congregation, and I went over it with the education committee and they were very supportive.
• Pastor and I discussed this before ordering; he was grateful to find such a program.
• Pastor taught workbook segments; she has been in favor since its inception. Council was given a preview too -- and through WELCA the content and context were explored. All approved.
• Had the Education Committee review the materials and sought their recommendation to use it, which they did.
• The Education Committee first approved the course and was very enthusiastic.

(Phone interview)

• Told the church council that we were planning to use the course at a retreat; there was no reaction and no opposition.
• Council meeting, sermon -- responded positively.
• Teacher #1: Supportive.
• Teacher #2: Pastor, parents.
• Teacher #3: Pastors and youth director and parish nurse were involved; this was discussed at a staff meeting.
• I made the decision and ran it by a few parents.
• Our council made the initial decision to implement the course.
• Pastor was instrumental in leading. He like it + agrees it should be taught.
• It was pastor's idea for using the curriculum.
• I showed it to the homemakers group and to the Ladies Aid at our church.
• Pastor and an article was also written for our church newsletter, mailed to the whole congregation. This was similar to parent letter. Several parishioners gave positive encouragement!
• Pastor, Council, in a newsletter and monthly report -- positive -- very supportive.
• Everyone. Those who commented to me thought it was wonderful that kids are aware of what they face. Christian Education committee and the church council were supportive all the way around.
• Council meeting and Board of Education -- both endorsed.
• I informed the church council. Our church has supported A-STOP financially in the past so they were familiar with the work of A-STOP. The council had also approved purchasing the material.

Item 16: WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS CURRICULUM TO A COLLEAGUE? WHY OR WHY NOT?

• Yes, it is very appropriate for today's youth.
• Certainly. It deals with life and death issues in relationship with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Yes, I already have. It's deep. It has integrity as a course. It's the easiest, most complete resource that exists on this topic and doesn't shy away from an important issue.
• Yes, because it is high quality, easy to use curriculum dealing with serious subjects that many people are uncomfortable discussing.
• Yes, good and necessary material.
• Yes, needs to be talked about.
• Yes -- it is very valuable as a means of imparting a sense of moral values tied to faith issues.
• Yes, good combination of biblical material, essential information, and practical skill building.
• Not in its present form.

(Phone interview)

• Yes, awareness and talking about this issue are important. The media and our society are highly sexed; we need to be reminded of God's Word and the value of our bodies.
• Yes, it is necessary to help our youth identify persons who might manipulate them.
• Teacher #1: Not sure.
• Teacher #2: Yes.
• Teacher #3: Yes, I thought the message was powerful. Kids see sex all the time and don't realize how it affects them. I felt this brought out many areas kids don't really think about.
• Yes, you bet.
• Yes, the better informed parents, community people, and especially youth are, the better we can prevent trouble.
• Yes. Do more preparation with parents than I did.
• Yes
• Yes, - Needed!
• Yes, I think it is a subject that needs to be discussed.
• Yes, basically it informed the students! The safeguards and warning signs were well received and students took them seriously.
• Absolutely!! So important!! It can never be said enough that this message needs to be put across to everyone.
• Yes. People need awareness that this is an issue for kids. Kids are going off to college unprepared. It's a very positive thing, and we're going to continue with it.
• Yes. It works. It wakes us up.
• Yes, I already have. It's necessary for kids to know about it and how the view of sexuality has been skewed by our culture.

Item 17: PLEASE STATE BELOW ANY OTHER COMMENTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ABOUT WISE AS SERPENTS.

• We had two co-leaders. We split the material up by sections. We used the tag-team approach. Having someone to jump in was very helpful. It was also helpful, as we did need to address a disciplinary problem and assisted in not completely losing control.
• I commend the members of the organization (A-STOP) for living out their faith-baptismal promises-in this provocative manner.

(Phone interview)

• Giggling wasn't an issue. We've been through these kinds of discussions before, such as with the 6^th commandment. The kids know he's serious about discussions.
• One of the most valuable parts of the course was the discussion about safe places. I learned from the kids about some things happening in town.
• I really appreciated the skills -- knowing how someone sets them up, grooms them by being nice. Very worthwhile. I wish I had it a few years ago. The teachers who led the course also see some things differently now in how they are raising their children.
• We really liked it.
• Our classes were enhanced by 2-3 other teachers, who sat in on some of the classes.
• Would love to receive newsletter.
• In future use, we would enroll only 8^th grade and older students. We are a very rural congregation and I feel our junior high age kids are less mature and less "world-wise" than city kids. They watch little TV compared to national averages. Several parents preferred to withhold their kids after viewing the video and previewing material from handbook -- all were 7^th graders.
• Could you do more to base your approach on a christologically-based theology of the body instead of on the ideology of individual rights. In other words, could we have less of "your body is yours and no one has a right to use it for their own ends" and more of "your body belongs to God as a member of Christ's body, so offer it to God as your spiritual worship."
• One of our leaders thought video section 1 should be watched more than once. We showed it on our retreat and again night with parents. One leader remarked how much she had missed the first time.
• Teacher #2: It is great to see all of your hard work put together through the course of Wise as Serpents!
• Teacher #3: During Lent each year we set aside regular curriculum and do something different. This year we did Wise as Serpents. I like the curriculum but would like to try it under a different forum. I felt our students felt pressured to be there. Many were not comfortable. I would like to try it again with our youth but in a different setting.
• I will use 1-2 lessons in my class each year, but I feel most of our kids seem not to need it, but I don't know if that's a put on or real.
• I hope to adapt additional parts of the material as it fits into our current program.
• The 20/20 video is very powerful and delivers a big message in short time. Parents thought six sessions were too many and too repetitive. I want to see if I can teach this in 2 hours -- for retreat or one-evening session-
• It would be nice to have more ideas for the leaders. Things to say to the kids. The video made me cry. I came very close to this when I was a child. I also think that kids are much more aware of things than I realize.
• It is vitally important for small town parents and kids to realize that planned conspiracies are out there to capture their children to be victims of greed and slavery.
• This was very rewarding to the students and also to myself. Although discussion was minimal the students were very receptive and couldn't help but be impressed by the video. And in quiet rural Minnesota this subject is something we shouldn't overlook even though not faced with it often. Hopefully there will be an opportunity to use the video and materials for adults in our congregation. Some have expressed interest! Parents of children should be as informed as their children.
• This video was so professionally presented. The message is vital to each and every parent, child and leader to be aware of the dangers and the ease at which anyone could become prey to this GAME! DON'T STOP the MESSAGE!!
• I would like to bring these youth to Minneapolis to get a closer look at your ministry.
• It helped the kids become wise as serpents. It was a really good curriculum, and I was glad I was able to use it.

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