Modern Home Ec: Stitching Together Key Life Skills  

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Originally published in TEACH Magazine, September/October 2022 Issue

By Martha Beach

Carrie Clarkson took family studies when she was in Grade 12 and, after becoming a teacher herself, volunteered to teach it to Grades 6, 7, and 8. “It was then I realized that I could actually teach family studies as a career,” says Clarkson, who now teaches Grades 10–12 with the Halton District School Board in Ontario. “It’s a passion. And that passion really started when I was in school taking these types of courses myself.”

The courses that Clarkson teaches are very different from what we might think of as traditional home economics courses. Gone are the days of learning to repair a torn shirt sleeve or traditionally set a table. Clarkson remembers her mother talking about taking home ec courses: “They taught her how to properly section an orange.”

What we might think of as “home ec” now falls under an umbrella term called “family studies” in Canada. It covers a wide variety of topics, like fashion and textiles, food and nutrition, food and culture, human development, hospitality services, housing design, and more. While most other classes involve a screen, today’s take on “home ec” intertwines life skills, social responsibility, environmental discussions, career prep, basic economics, tactile activities, hand tools, creativity, and group work. No oranges in sight.

These are skills and ideas everyone can utilize and build on to become a successful part of society. “These courses are all-encompassing. They deal with all areas of students’ lives,” Clarkson points out. Everyone eats, everyone lives somewhere, everyone has some sort of family and friends.

“We give [students] things to help them be successful,” says Clarkson. To borrow an over-used social media phrase: it’s all about adulting. “All the courses tie into so many careers you’d want to be in.”

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Martha Beach lives and works in Toronto as a freelance fact-checker, editor, and writer for a wide variety of publications. When she’s not working, you’ll find Martha on her yoga mat or hanging out with her daughter and husband.

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Martha Beach
Martha Beach
Martha Beach lives and works in Toronto as a freelance fact-checker, editor, and writer for a wide variety of publications. When she’s not working, you’ll find Martha on her yoga mat or hanging out with her daughter and husband.

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