What the Family Studies?
What the Family Studies?
Dynamics of Human Relationships:Connection Matters!
Ever watch students struggle to make eye contact or endure a moment of silence without reaching for their phones? You're not alone. In this revealing conversation with Lisa, a Family Studies department head in Hamilton, we explore the fascinating world of teaching "Dynamics of Human Relationships" - a course she believes should be mandatory in every school.
Lisa's journey from social worker to educator provides her with a unique lens through which she approaches teaching relationships to today's digitally immersed teenagers. "I feel like so many kids don't know how to have a conversation with someone else," she shares, attributing this skill gap to smartphones being "put into kids' hands far too young." Her classroom becomes a rare space where students practice face-to-face interaction, emotional regulation, and mindfulness.
What makes this course exceptional is its accessibility to students across all academic levels and abilities. Lisa recounts how even students from special education classes find meaningful connections, creating natural opportunities for empathy development among diverse peer groups. Her culminating assignment - where students plan wellbeing activities for classmates - showcases this inclusive approach. She tells the moving story of a chronically absent, disengaged student who transformed when given the chance to share his passion for parkour with peers.
Working with a social worker, Lisa incorporates elements of dialectical behavioral therapy through "Skills for Everyday Stressors" workshops, teaching practical coping mechanisms for life's challenges. Her teaching philosophy embraces authenticity over perfection: "I always take the approach that we're in this together and I'm very authentic with them. I'll say I've never taught this before... so we're going to figure it out together." This vulnerability creates a collaborative classroom where students become invested partners in their learning journey.
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