Think back to your own school experience. How much did you really learn about periods? If you’re like most of us, it was probably a rushed biology diagram or an awkward “girls-only” talk in a classroom that smelled faintly of dry erase markers. Nothing that really prepared you for the moment your period showed up unannounced in math class. That’s the state of period education in schools today.
They’re obsessed with math, science, and exam marks. And sure, those matter. But what about the real-life stuff, like how to understand your body without shame? That’s where schools usually drop the ball. Which is exactly why menstrual education in schools feels like such a revolution! It’s about teaching for life, not just for exams.
It’s about dignity, confidence, and equality. And teachers are the ones who can flip the script. So this Teacher’s Day, let’s talk about what teachers can say to truly change the culture around periods.
“This is nothing to whisper about.”
Think about it, for years we were trained to hide pads up our sleeves like contraband. That’s not biology, that’s culture, and it’s broken. If someone even mentions the word ‘period’, students giggle, blush, and whisper.
Teachers have the power to shift the culture simply by naming things as they are. By saying “period” out loud, by refusing to treat it as a shameful secret, they set a tone that dismantles stigma. It signals something powerful: this isn’t shameful, it’s normal.
Picture a teacher shutting down the awkward giggles in class by saying, “Yep, periods are just part of life. Next slide.” Instant shift. Shame thrives in silence, but openness kills it. When adults normalize the word, it gives permission for students to do the same.
Lesson #1: Start by naming ‘periods’ openly. Use correct terms instead of euphemisms like ‘that time of the month’. Bring it up in everyday classroom language, like mentioning period products when listing school supplies, so students see it treated like any other basic need.
“Everyone in this room deserves to understand how bodies work.”
Too often, period education for students has been divided into “girls go here, boys go there.” That split is part of the problem. A strong menstrual health curriculum includes everyone because stigma thrives in exclusion. When boys learn about menstrual health, they stop seeing it as something mysterious (or worse, laughable) and start understanding it as a normal human experience (more on this here).
There’s also a ripple effect: when boys understand, they’re less likely to tease, and more likely to become supportive partners, brothers, or friends. Imagine a classroom where a boy says, “Hey, I’ll grab you a pad,” with the same casualness as lending a pencil. That’s culture shift in action.
And here’s the bonus: teaching everyone together sends a message that menstruation is human, not a “girl problem.”
Lesson #2: Use inclusive language like “students who menstruate.” Encourage group discussions where everyone can listen and ask questions. Use interactive activities (like myth-busting games) that break down stereotypes and misconceptions for the whole class.
“If you need a pad, you should never have to ask twice.”
Menstrual hygiene in schools should never depend on luck, generosity, or a friend with a spare. Yet countless students still find themselves bleeding through clothes because there weren’t supplies in the bathroom, or they were too embarrassed to ask. That shouldn’t be happening in 2025, but it does. Constantly.
No student should have to whisper-beg for a pad in front of 20 classmates. No student should miss algebra because biology happened. A simple policy shift, like teachers keeping a supply basket in the classroom or administrators stocking restrooms, can erase that fear. Menstrual hygiene in schools is more than cleanliness, it’s a matter of equal opportunity and dignity.
Lesson #3: Keep a stash of pads and tampons in your classroom, just like chalk and pencils. Push your school to budget for products the same way it does for soap and toilet paper. Ask students anonymously what products they actually prefer (spoiler: not everyone wants a pad).
“You get to ask every awkward question.”
Students are full of questions, some whispered, some googled at 2 a.m., and most of them never get answered. Can you swim on your period? Why does the blood sometimes look brown? How to use a menstrual cup? If we don’t make space for those questions, the myths win.
One of the most radical ways to teach menstrual health is to create a safe zone for curiosity. Students carry myths, fears, and rumours from playground talk or social media. If no one corrects those, misinformation sticks. Or worse, shame fills the gap.
The best classrooms are the ones where a teacher says, “Ask me anything,” and means it. Even if the answer is, “I don’t know, let’s find out together.” That honesty builds trust.
Lesson #4: Do anonymous Q&A sessions. Let students drop questions into a box and tackle them one by one. Share legit resources, not just textbook diagrams. Even better, have students fact-check wild Instagram period myths and present what they learned.
“Your body isn’t a problem to solve, it’s power to understand.”
The way schools frame menstrual health curriculum shapes how students see themselves. If it’s reduced to a diagram of the uterus, kids miss the bigger truth: periods are part of a lifelong relationship with their bodies. They’re messy, unpredictable, sometimes painful, but they’re also a sign of resilience, fertility, and cycles of renewal.
Imagine a student hearing for the first time that cramps can be as painful as a heart attack (it’s true, here’s the research). Suddenly they know their pain isn’t “dramatic”, it’s real. Telling them it’s normal to leak sometimes? That’s validation, not shame. That’s what teaching menstrual health with empathy looks like.
Lesson #5: Mix science with real talk. Pair the uterus diagram with stories and videos from real people. Bring in the school nurse or local health advocates to answer questions. Encourage cycle tracking, not as a “problem to fix” but as a way to understand your moods, energy, and body better (more on that here).
“No one should miss school because of their period.”
Here’s the brutal truth: millions of students miss school every year because of periods. Sometimes it’s the lack of menstrual products, inadequate hygiene facilities, or stigma. Sometimes it’s no bathroom breaks. Even in well-resourced schools, sometimes it’s cramps so bad they can’t concentrate and no one takes them seriously.
In Kenya, studies showed that providing free pads and menstrual education reduced absenteeism significantly. This is a devastating problem with a clear solution.
Lesson #6: Watch attendance patterns, are students missing the same week every month? Push for flexible bathroom breaks. Make sure the sick room isn’t just a cot in a closet, but an actual safe space. Partner with local nonprofits that provide free products.
“We’re rewriting the story together.”
Here’s the magic: every time a teacher says “period” without whispering, every time a student grabs a pad from a classroom basket without shame, every time a school installs free dispensers, something shifts. Slowly but surely, the story changes.
This is how culture moves. Teachers spark conversations, students bring them home, families rethink the way they talk, and communities evolve. That’s why a menstrual health curriculum isn’t just science, it’s social change.
Lesson #7: Work with other teachers to weave menstrual health into different subjects. Biology, yes, but also history, social studies, even art. Invite nonprofits to run workshops. Send resources home for parents to keep the conversation going. Organize a “period positive week” with projects, talks, or awareness campaigns.
Beyond the Classroom
When teachers teach menstrual health with honesty and empathy, they’re not only improving attendance or reducing shame. They’re raising a generation who will speak about their bodies without apology, advocate for equity without hesitation, and build a culture where no one ever feels small because of a period.
That’s more than education, it’s liberation.
