Tomorrow Woman and Tomorrow Man acknowledge that our offices are on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nations.
Acknowledgement of Country
Tomorrow Woman acknowledge that our offices are on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nations. We pay respect to elders past, present and future, and all First Nations people.
Teaching Respectful Relationships can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. This guide will give you the tools, strategies, and support to move beyond awkward silences and into meaningful, transformative conversations that really connect with your students.
Teaching respect sounds simple until you’re standing in front of a classroom, navigating complex topics like consent, gender dynamics, emotional safety, and power. For many educators, Respectful Relationships education is essential but also deeply challenging.
It’s not just a curriculum requirement. It’s a moment of vulnerability. A balancing act between doing justice to important topics and not knowing exactly how students or staff might respond.
If it feels uncomfortable, you’re probably doing something important. And you don’t have to do it alone.
This guide offers the structure, strategies, and emotional support to move beyond tick-the-box teaching and into transformative connection.
Respectful Relationships education isn’t just about curriculum content. It’s about creating a space where students feel safe enough to ask honest questions, explore identity, and challenge harmful norms. It invites you to show up not only as a teacher, but as a facilitator, listener, and sometimes, co-learner.
Students are growing up in a world shaped by social media, peer pressure, family dynamics, and inherited beliefs. When we open these conversations, we’re not just teaching values—we’re often unlearning them.
Yes, it’s complex. But it’s also one of the most powerful ways to support a young person’s wellbeing, safety, and sense of self.
Respectful Relationships Education (RRE) is a national initiative designed to foster respect, empathy, emotional literacy, and gender equality. While the goals are consistent, the approach varies across states and territories.
Victoria has led the way in embedding RRE into every government school since 2016. The Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) curriculum spans Foundation to Year 12 and is deeply integrated across wellbeing, school leadership, and teaching culture.
More info: vic.gov.au/respectful-relationships
Queensland’s Respect program aligns with the Australian Curriculum from Prep to Year 12. It focuses on building the skills students need to form healthy, positive relationships.
More info: education.qld.gov.au/respectful-relationships
In NSW, RRE is delivered through the PDHPE curriculum. Schools are encouraged to take a whole-school approach to gender equity, student voice, and respectful culture.
Tasmania supports schools with curriculum-aligned, evidence-informed resources for Years 11 and 12 that cover consent and respectful relationships in depth.
More info: Tasmanian Education Department
These programs focus on consent, power, communication, emotional literacy, and gendered norms—with the goal of early prevention of violence and long-term cultural change.
Delivering RRE means holding space for difficult, sometimes confronting conversations.
You’re not just teaching content. You’re navigating disclosures, resistance, emotions, and expectations - often without formal training or structured support.
It’s normal to feel unsure or overwhelmed. Many educators worry about saying the wrong thing or opening up conversations they can’t fully support. That fear is valid.
What’s needed is more than curriculum. Teachers need care. Time to reflect. Language that feels safe. And partners who can support, not just instruct.
Frameworks like the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework, Be You, and Victoria’s FISO 2.0 all push for the same goal: whole-school wellbeing, with respect and inclusion at the centre.
But policies don’t change culture on their own. People do. And that starts with you.
You don’t have to be an expert to teach Respectful Relationships well. You just need the willingness to co-create, the confidence to show up, and a few tools to make it feel possible.
Co-create a class agreement
Ask your students: What makes a conversation feel respectful? What helps you feel safe to share? Build your space together.
Try circle-based check-ins
You don’t need a formal circle or special moment—just a structure where everyone has a voice. Try one-word check-ins, emotion wheels, or short reflection prompts.
Use real-life scenarios
From social media dilemmas to friendship fallouts, students are already navigating these topics. Bring them into the conversation.
Give permission to pause
Silence can mean thinking. It can also mean fear. Don’t rush to fill it. Hold the space gently and invite students in when they’re ready.
Model what you want to see
Respectful Relationships isn’t a worksheet. It’s language, tone, body language, and boundary setting. Let students see it in action.
Keep it low-stakes and consistent
You don’t need one “big talk” to create impact. Build in regular, low-pressure touchpoints that normalise respect and reflection.
At Tomorrow Woman, we help turn these frameworks into real, lived experiences.
Our workshops create space for students to explore who they are, how they communicate, and how they relate to others. We use storytelling, reflection, and student voice to unpack gender expectations, emotional literacy, and power dynamics in a way that feels relevant and empowering.
We work with educators too. You don’t have to hold these conversations alone.
If your school wants to align with Respectful Relationships or deepen its wellbeing and inclusion work, we can co-create programs that build on your strengths and goals.
“The thing I found most valuable about the workshop was the impact that it has immediately on students. This was noticeable within the girl sessions with students noting that they had confirmed or repaired friendships and through the workshop, it provided them with a safe space to do so.” - Teacher, Tomorrow Woman workshop
Start where you are. These small actions can transform your classroom over time:
You don’t have to get it perfect. You just have to start.
Teaching Respectful Relationships is about moving through the discomfort, not around it. With care. With curiosity. And with the belief that students are more ready than we think to lead this work with us.
Let’s co-create a space where respect isn’t just taught—it’s felt.
Explore Tomorrow Woman’s school workshops and connect with our team to tailor something for your students and educators. You don’t have to do this work alone. And you shouldn’t have to.
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Tomorrow Woman is a social enterprise in partnership with Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow Architects. Our offices are located in Sydney and Melbourne – and we travel everywhere across Australia.
Acknowledgement of Country
We respectfully acknowledge the first custodians of the land on which we live and work, the Wurrundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. We pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging and to all First Nations People. Sovereignty was never ceded and treaties were never signed.
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