Tuesday, June 8, 2021
Charlene Kelly, a family and consumer sciences and health teacher for the Bloomer School District, was recently named an American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) 2021 Teacher of the Year Program National Merit Finalist. Kelley is a 2020 Wisconsin Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher of the Year, which put her in the running for the AAFCS honor.
Because Kelley knew she had a chance at a national honor, she worked with a mentor and spent the extra time and effort completing her application. “When I submitted the application in January, I felt really good about it,” Kelley said. In the past, the process at the national level has been to announce the top 10, then the Merit Finalist, and finally, the AAFCS National Teacher of the Year. After hearing they announced the teacher of the year, Kelley was disappointed, thinking it was done, but shortly after, they contacted Kelley, letting her know she was a Merit Finalist. The call ended with a 30-minute conversation with the national president. “I felt star-struck,” Kelley said. “I was very happy to share about my program.”
One of the many things for which Kelley was recognized is her Food Insecurity in Our Community program, which combines local socioeconomic data; the student council food, clothing, and hygiene products room; and her culinary arts class.
After learning 41% of families in the community are either at the poverty level or in an asset limited income constrained employed household, she created a lesson on food insecurity for her students, which required them to take inventory of the foods available in the student council room, purchase (with school funds) some of those same items, and create a nutritious recipe with minimal additions. Students learned how to write a standardized recipe for another teenager to follow. “They were good at creating unique dishes,” Kelley said, “They worked hard to write them out as readable recipes.”
Kelley touts the many dual credit class opportunities at Bloomer High School and notes the school has a high school graduate this year who already earned 24 credits. She is also proud of the collaboration between family and consumer sciences and business, with their required financial literacy course, which also addresses the complexities of poverty.
Even during the pandemic, Kelley continues to promote opportunities for students, noting that the foundation to any good programming begins by building quality relationships with students. With the building having to close for a period of time and quarantines, Kelley found that virtual study halls provided one outlet to support students' social and emotional well-being. “Students often wanted to talk. I sat on a screen sometimes while students cried. The social and emotional side was one of the most valuable things I could give them as a teacher in the moment--recognizing this is a hard time and that we can get through this.”
Kelley’s enthusiasm for her students matches her love of family and consumer sciences education. “I think it is needed now more than ever. I’m watching families change...so much is shifting, and I think that family and consumer science is even more applicable to students’ lives.”