Teacher — Secondary School — Home Economics

You would inspire and motivate young people to learn about food and nutrition. You would also help pupils understand the connections between what they eat and their health.

You would teach young people from 11 to 18 years old, in state and independent schools. You might also work in a college or learning centre.

As a home economics teacher you’d help your pupils develop their practical skills in choosing and preparing food. This will help pupils make informed decisions to maintain and improve their physical and mental health.

You could teach about different aspects of lifestyles including:

• managing money
• family relationships and parenting
• textiles and fashion
• food technology
• health and food policies

You’d prepare all young people to go on to make positive choices. This may also help some pupils go on to careers in the health, food production, hospitality, catering or textiles industries.

You’d teach students of different ages and abilities. Preparing young people to take National Qualifications and Highers in this subject is also part of the role.

There is national guidance for Curriculum for Excellence health and wellbeing and National Qualifications, which you would use when planning your teaching.

You would:

• prepare lessons and teaching materials
• assess students’ progress and mark their work
• set homework
• manage classroom behaviour
• discuss students' progress with parents and carers
• organise study trips, social activities and sports events.
• You’d encourage the students to take pride in their achievements inside and outside school. You’d support them to build good relationships with other students and teachers and play a positive part in the life of the school and the local community.

Sometimes you will need to deal with challenging behaviour. It may be difficult to get some teenagers to study so you’d need to be imaginative and enthusiastic to keep them interested.

You’d need to attend meetings and training courses. You’d work closely with colleagues to plan the school’s timetables, and work with other professionals, such as education psychologists and social workers.