Modern Australian
Men's Weekly

.

How a year of trying to buy nothing made me a smarter shopper and a better teacher

  • Written by Ellen Heyting, PhD student in Education and Head of Years 11 and 12, Monash University

It started as a New Year’s resolution driven by guilt and a touch of sibling rivalry – but by the end of the year, it taught me valuable lessons as a teacher, including about the benefits of failure.

At Christmas dinner 2018, my sister declared she would buy nothing for a year. After living in Bangladesh for two years, she had seen how the world’s fashion industry was wreaking havoc on the country’s people and environment.

I decided to follow her lead. As an Australian living in Finland, I still can’t imagine going a year without a flight home to see family. So buying nothing (apart from groceries) would do something to offset all those carbon-costly air miles.

I’m also a high school humanities teacher, and realised what I was learning while trying to buy nothing could prove useful in a classroom.

Modelling behaviour

The effectiveness of “modelling” – demonstrating a behaviour, which is then observed and imitated by someone else – as a teaching strategy has long been known in education literature. There is recent evidence to suggest modelling is an effective strategy in education for sustainable development too.

Given this research, I thought modelling sustainable and ethical decision-making while teaching could prompt some interesting discussions, without needing to preach to my students.

This is known as education for sustainable development 1 (ESD1), where the goal is to raise awareness and change students’ behaviours. ESD1 has also been called instrumental ESD. It’s widely used in teacher training courses and school curricula around the world. It involves encouraging students to learn how their behaviours impact the environment, and what behaviours they could substitute or modify to reduce their ecological footprint.

However, some researchers argue this type of education for sustainable development is not enough, and advocate also including emancipatory education for sustainable development, or ESD2. Its goal is to build students’ capacity in more innovative, critical thinking about sustainable development.

Read more: Involving kids in making schools sustainable spreads the message beyond the classroom

How I applied modelling in my classroom

As I began my year of buying nothing, I was about to start teaching Year 7 students a unit called “Progress: At What Cost?”. It examines the parallels between the first industrial revolution – a time of extraordinary change, but also labour exploitation, colonisation and huge increases in pollution – and the challenges from progress today, including from climate change, structural inequalities and the technological revolution.

How a year of trying to buy nothing made me a smarter shopper and a better teacher Year 7 International School of Helsinki students pitching ideas at their innovation fair. Author provided

A combination of humanities, English, science and design, the unit culminates with an innovation fair. The students choose one of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals to solve, and at the fair, students, teachers and parents walk around with $1000 in pretend “seed money” to “invest” with the students whose solutions they like best.

How a year of trying to buy nothing made me a smarter shopper and a better teacher Students trying to win ‘investment’ for their ideas at the innovation fair. Author provided

I’ve come to see these two strands of education for sustainable development as complementary. The first, more concrete ESD1 – learning about the global supply chain, our ecological footprints and low-carbon alternatives – allows students to see the impact of their actions today. ESD2 encourages students to imagine the challenges they might face in future, as well as new solutions.

Read more: Climate explained: why some people still think climate change isn't real

My failures produced the best lessons

If I think about what improved in my classroom because of my new year’s resolution, the biggest gains in my students’ and my own thinking came from discussing my failures.

How a year of trying to buy nothing made me a smarter shopper and a better teacher In a 24 hour tech-free challenge, the author discovered she was more hooked on her phone than her students. EPA/Etienne Laurent

I didn’t make it the whole year without buying anything. I bought four things: food containers so I could avoid plastic wrap, new running shoes when my old ones began falling apart, a secondhand bike after mine was stolen and a secondhand phone when mine died in a storm.

I went about a week without a phone. It turned out I was as addicted to it as the teenagers in my class. This sparked a conversation about smart phones, screen-time and social media addiction as added costs of progress, and a class challenge to go tech-free for 24 hours. Two students out of the 36 in my class made it. I didn’t.

I decided to buy a secondhand “new” phone. I talked to my students about my checklist of sustainable consumption questions, which helped me buy almost nothing all year:

  1. Could I go without it? (No, as it turned out with my phone: I am an addict.)
  2. Could I repair what I had? (I tried drying my old phone out in a bag of rice for two days, but it didn’t work.)
  3. Could I buy a secondhand one? (Yes! I got one from Swappie.)

What I saved and learned

As my year of buying almost nothing in 2019 came to a close, I had no motivation to hit the post-holiday sales. I’d also saved at least few thousand dollars, which instead went towards paying off my mortgage and more meals out with friends.

At the beginning of this new school year, I don’t pretend to have all the answers about living sustainably. But as a consumer and as a teacher, there’s a lot I can do. I can support my students’ activism, including if they choose to join a Fridays for future school strike for the climate. I can support – and challenge – their critical reasoning capacity in our classrooms the rest of the week. Each of us can make a difference – and we can all start by practising what we preach.

Authors: Ellen Heyting, PhD student in Education and Head of Years 11 and 12, Monash University

Read more http://theconversation.com/how-a-year-of-trying-to-buy-nothing-made-me-a-smarter-shopper-and-a-better-teacher-128624

Refurbished iPads Are Better Than New Ones (Here's Why)

Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik Apple's refurbished iPad program has quietly become one of the best deals in tech. While everyone obsesses over the ...

Your Guide to Finding the Right GP: What Perth City Doctors Offer Today

Choosing a General Practitioner (GP) is one of the most important health decisions you’ll make. Luckily, Perth’s vibrant CBD now hosts a new ge...

Why Every Mining Operation Needs a Robust Safety Management System

Mining is one of the backbones of the Australian economy, particularly in Western Australia. Back in 2019-20, mining contributed 10.4% of Australia...

Australian Classic Literature Enjoys Resurgence

Welcome back to the good old days of storytelling! As the modern world becomes increasingly more demanding, returning to childhood favourites offers...

Building a Governance Model for Headless Content Management at Scale

Image by pch.vector on Freepik There's never been a better time to implement a headless content management system (CMS) to gain the flexibility and ...

Understanding Trade Insurance: Essential Protection for Businesses

Image by Drazen Zigic on Freepik In the current economic environment, trade insurance is an important element for companies trading both locally an...

Choosing the Right Timber for External Cladding

Timber cladding is one of those finishes that pulls double duty: it makes a building look warm and welcoming, and it quietly shields the frame from ...

Top Services Offered by Diesel Mechanics in Brisbane

Keeping a diesel vehicle running at its best takes more than the occasional oil change. When you invest in regular specialist care, you protect the ...

Top 5 Benefits of Hiring Professional House Removalists

Moving day should feel like the start of a new adventure, not the end of your patience. Yet once the settlement papers are signed and the champagne ...

Navigating the Digital Landscape: Managed IT Solutions and IT Services in Townsville

As technology advances at an unprecedented pace, companies must adapt to embrace the transformation ahead. With an evolving technology landscape, mana...

Types of Catering You Should Consider for Your Next Event

Choosing the right type of catering service can elevate your event from ordinary to unforgettable. Whether it’s an elegant wedding, corporate func...

Understanding the Benefits of Split System Installation for Your Home

Climate control is essential to maintaining comfort in your home, especially during the extreme temperatures that many regions face. Whether you’r...

Best Aluminium Window Sliding Designs for Natural Light and Airflow

Bringing natural light and airflow into a space is one of the most efficient ways to create a healthy and comfortable home. In Sydney and across Aus...

Maximising Operational Efficiency: Electric Winch Hire Australia and Hydraulic Power Pack Hire Solutions

Image by jcomp on Freepik From urban construction sites and remote mining operations to coastal maritime facilities, specialised equipment solutio...

Navigating the System: Your Guide to Support Finding Work with a Disability Around Melbourne

Image by freepik Finding the right job can be a challenge for anyone, but it can feel particularly daunting when you're also navigating life with a ...

Say Goodbye to Draughts and Hello to Savings: Your Guide to Perth Window Replacement

Image by prostooleh on Freepik Are your windows looking worse for wear? Are you paying a hefty power bill due to sneaky draughts and poor insulation...

How to Choose the Right Horse Trailer for Your Riding Needs

Many horse owners travel long distances for riding lessons, competitions, or to move horses between properties. Having a safe and reliable trailer i...

Sydney Turf Installer for Instant Green Lawns and Long-Term Performance

Having a green lawn at home makes everything look better. Whether it’s the front yard, backyard, or a small patch beside the driveway, people in S...