Home Economics is a valuable subject to teach because it covers three essentials in life: food, clothing and relationships. I believe that these three essentials are often downplayed in the school system, but they provide necessary skills for the development of students into mature adults. Home Economics teaches us to use our skills to maximize on our resources. A good grasp of Home Economics can potentially prevent future problems in life. In Brown’s (1994) article, she states Home Economics’ central emphasis as “the practical problems of individuals and families in their everyday lives, the functions of families in meeting the needs of their members for food, shelter, clothing, and nurturance, and the pursuit of human happiness in a democratic society” (p.21). Home Economics education can enhance students’ everyday lives. My goal as a teacher is to equip students with preventative measures and to help the students develop skills that will assist them in their life by being wise with their time and money.

One part of Home Economics education is Food and Nutrition. Teaching students about Food and Nutrition is critical, because of the rise of obesity which “affects virtually every organ system and, according to a recent study, increases the risk of premature death” and “adversely affects self-esteem, academic accomplishment, and future earning potential of children” (Lichtenstein, 2010). Eating poorly decreases life expectancy and increases the risk of diseases. Healthier students are more alert, mobile and capable of learning. If students are more aware of how their dietary choices affect their bodies and future, they can think more critically about their food choices. Furthermore, teaching students to plan and cook nutritious and delicious meals can help them economically. Buying food at a restaurant is expensive and often not very healthy. Learning to be a smart shopper at a grocery store and making food can save a lot of money.

Family Studies, another part of Home Economics, is also valuable to learn. Knowledge gained from Family Studies can prepare students for potential future relationships and life experiences such as pregnancy, raising children, marriage, or divorce. Time spent cultivating good relationships with family members or a spouse decreases strife or hardships in the relationship. Additionally, knowledge in the area of Family Studies can also prepare students to help friends or family members. For example, if a student’s friend is pregnant, the student can help prepare his/her friend with knowledge.

Teaching Textiles to students can also enhance their lives because it saves money and time. Gaining the skills to mend clothing saves time and increases the students’ independence; instead of paying to have the item mended, students can save money and mend it themselves. Having the skill to mend clothing increases the clothing’s longevity and reduces waste. Often, when an article of clothing is torn or has a missing button, it is quickly discarded. Furthermore, making clothing from scratch compared to buying clothes is usually cheaper; in particular, making your own customized article of clothing, such as a wedding dress, is far more affordable than buying a customized article of clothing.

In terms of my teaching philosophy, I firmly believe that firstly, as a model to the students, I should practice what I preach. Much of teaching can be in my actions and nonverbal communication. Because I believe that Home Economics is a valuable and a worthy pursuit, I also strive to use my money and time wisely. I do not think we should be stingy necessarily, but to invest our time and money on what is more important, such as investing in people, instead of carelessly throwing money away because we failed to plan.

As a teacher, I also strive to be the student I wish to see. Good teaching and learning is not stagnant, but is a continual process of gaining more knowledge, understanding and wisdom through research, personal experiences and conversations. Inspiration for lesson plans and improvements can come from fellow teachers, students, or personal experiences outside the classroom. I believe that in order to be a good teacher, I must be adaptable and in constant communication with my students. I also think that teachers should be relatable, authoritative, caring, and should set high expectations for their students.

I believe that my relationship with students should be dialogic. There is so much more to learning in the classroom than just the subject material; it is a place where students can learn how to socialize, solve problems and work through challenges. Each student is unique and has many creative ideas to offer. Therefore, I believe that students and teachers can learn from and teach each other. Furthermore, it is important for students to feel safe communicating to their teachers when they do not understand something in the classroom. As a teacher, I hope to be able to create a safe space where students can be open about their problems with one another and with me as well. One way of nurturing that environment is to be a relatable teacher.

Teachers who are relatable to their students can breathe life into the classroom. They can make class more interesting and customized to the particular class. I remember being in classes where I felt like I was just another number, having no relevance or influence on teachers, learning the same material in the same way as classes from generations past. Some ways I would like to become more relatable to students is by keeping up with pop culture and the news. We live in a unique and transient time. The time we live and teach in is in transit and always changing, with new trends and technology. As teachers, we can take advantage of these advancements. For example, many teachers encourage students to use smartphones and tablets as part of their lesson plan as a tool for researching, interacting with the teacher through polls, or building an online portfolio of their work.

Ideally, teachers should be authoritative. To keep the students safe and to maintain order in the classroom, a teacher should establish rules and hold students accountable to following the rules in the classroom. However, I think that teachers should allow the students to have a certain amount of autonomy in the classroom, especially when it comes to creativity: “children are more intrinsically motivated when they have a sense of self-determination, a belief that they have some choice” (Woolfolk & Perry, 2012, p.496). In my classroom, I would not allow bullying or disrespectful behaviour or language because I believe that respect for one another is vital. Inductive discipline, which involves disciplining the student and explaining why, is a great method because it fosters a sense of understanding that the act done was wrong: “[administrators of inductive discipline] also help children to understand why their actions are hurtful or unfair” (Woolfolk & Perry, 2012, p. 352). The student will understand the logic behind the teacher’s discipline and will less likely assume that the teacher is making worthless rules to restrict the student’s freedom.

Teachers should care about their students and be interested in helping them. To be effective teachers, we need to know where the student is coming from; we need to learn what their prior knowledge is. The myth of meritocracy is that all students can achieve the same greatness if they only try harder; the truth of the matter is that students come from all different backgrounds and privileges, and they cannot be expected to reach our perfect standard or to perform exactly the same as their peers. However, we as teachers should encourage the students to do the best they can with the abilities and means they have, be it time, talent, or effort. I think it is important for teachers to have high hopes for students and to never give up on the students. We should seek creative new ways to teach students and try our best to meet them where they are at.

With only a few taps on the keyboard and a click of a mouse, we have access to a wealth of knowledge on the internet. I think it is our duty as teachers to do our research and be as much of an expert of our teaching field as possible. We can talk to experts in the field such as other teachers, look up information online or in the library, visit museums, and do our own experiments as well. Conveying background information and context adds depth to the lesson, broadens the students’ minds, and makes the lesson more exciting for the teacher and the student. Children “admire models they perceive are competent and powerful” (Woolfolk & Perry, 2012, p. 352) and teachers who are incompetent lose the respect and admiration of the students. If teachers want to be a guide, they need to know where they are going before they can guide the students. As much as possible, I think we should be prepared to answer deeper questions from the students so that we can more effectively help them build skills for their own lives and to help others as they pass on knowledge and skills.

In conclusion, Home Economics is a worthwhile subject to teach and to learn because it helps people with managing their own personal lives; after the students have been equipped with knowledge, they can then positively influence and teach those around them. Applying Home Economics can help people with saving money, time and relationships. I strongly believe that Home Economics offers skills that every person needs and my hope is that my students can take the skills with them well beyond the classroom.

References

Lichtenstein A.H., Ludwig D.S. (2010). Bring back home economics education. JAMA,
303(18), 1857-1858. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.592.

Thomas, J. & Smith, G. (1994). Toward an ideal of the person educated in home economics.
Canadian Home Economics Journal, 44 (1), 20-25.

Woolfolk, A. & Perry, N.E. (2012). Human Development, Learning, and Diversity. Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education.