SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 4
Hi there and welcome back to another edition of Sundays with Celia Vol 4 this time. As I’ve been doing for a month now, I’ll be sharing a bit of this and that, various and sundry discoveries I’ve made this week.
Things Worth Learning on Sunday
If you’ve been following along you may know that I am a Home Economist with a secondary school teaching credential, and at one time taught high school Home Economics. Sadly, this has become quite an obsolete field, and those schools that do still offer Home Economics education now call it Family & Consumer Science. Same thing, different name. When I was in school Home Economics was a required class for both boys and girls, and it taught kids very important life skills. On ATTN.com they recently posted a very telling video on the subject. Here are some clips from that video…
Image Via Getty Images
The fact of the matter is we are failing to teach our school children basic life skills.
From basic sewing skills…
It’s a Stitch Up | Alex Ward | Dailymail (2012) Getty Images
to simple meal preparation…
Ellen Branagh|The Independent (2011) | Kitchen Nightmares Fox 2014
to applying for a job and balancing a checkbook.
The Mindy Project 20th Century Fox Television (2015)
All things that every adult human being needs to know, but often are not taught at home.
Jeff Bennett | The Wall Street Journal (2014) | Getty Images
So what’s the solution?
I say bring back cooking classes…
bring back financial literacy…
bring back Home Ec Classes!!
Things Worth Watching on Sunday
On a similar note I thought I’d tell you about a documentary Brad and I recently watched called For Grace. It’s about one of America’s top chefs, Curtis Duffy. Cameras follow him over the course of more than a year as he builds his dream restaurant despite the nightmarish state of his personal life. Now a 3 Michelin Star Chicago Restaurant called Grace, I hope to eat there in August when I go to Chicago to install my son into the University of Chicago Law School. What makes this film especially interesting to me, beyond the food and restaurant design, is the peak into Curtis Duffy’s difficult childhood that was immensely shaped by, of all things, the support of his Home Economics teacher. Watch the trailer by clicking below. The film is available for rental or purchase here. I recommend it!
Things Worth Knowing on Sunday
So it seems that today I’m on a roll when it comes to education. The subject is top of the mind for me because my son Taylor just finished his last day after a two-year stent with Teach For America. Taylor was assigned to an inner city high school in Philadelphia where he taught Spanish to minority students, most of whom came from low income, fatherless families and lived in a nearby public housing project. While Teach For America is a most admirable organization that is doing its best to teach kids to learn and thrive despite unimaginable obstacles, the school my son was assigned to was little short of a disaster. In fact, it was so poorly administered that Teach For America pulled out, and after my son’s 1st year, decided the situation was so bad they would not be sending any further teachers into the school. Despite that realization, they left Taylor to finish off a second year teaching at a school that holds little hope for even existing in the near future.
Last Friday was Taylor’s last day with Teach For America, and although I know he grew as a person and hopefully helped underprivileged kids grow as well, I must admit I am so glad it’s over for him. I know it will forever be the biggest challenge he will face career wise, and will go down as the most difficult job he will ever have. Now it’s on to law school! Ironically, on Sunday, 2 days after Taylor’s final day of teaching, 60 Minutes did a great feature on The Resurrection of Saint Benedict’s, an all boys Catholic school in Newark, NJ that has beat the odds when it comes to successful schooling in the inner cities. It’s a fascinating and hopeful story which proves that it’s not impossible to teach kids coming from the most challenging of situations. Click on the photo below to watch it. You’ll be glad you did!
I hope you enjoy a wonderful 4th of July celebration with your family tomorrow!
So there you have it: SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 4
Express Yourself!
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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Unless otherwise credited, all photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission. This post contains an affiliate link.
