Electives Teacher Urges Students to Embrace Challenge

By Leslie Cranford, section manager

When Delacy Bruggeman was attending Texas Tech University, she worked as a student aide for Texas Tech K-12. She thought the faculty and staff were absolutely wonderful. Since then, she had always wanted to work at least part-time for the school. Now, with real education experience, she does as its Family & Consumer Sciences teacher.

After earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Family & Consumer Sciences, she taught food science and culinary in a traditional classroom for two years. Although her full-time work now is in the education technology space, she also teaches many different courses for Texas Tech K-12, including Child Development, Lifetime Nutrition & Wellness, Career & College Exploration, Introduction to Culinary Arts and Interpersonal Studies.

As a Career & Technical Education (CTE) teacher, Delacy’s goal is to prepare students for real-world challenges while fostering a passion for lifelong learning.

“I value hands-on and experiential learning, allowing students to express their creativity and knowledge in practical settings,” she said. “Creating an inclusive classroom environment is a priority for me, ensuring that all students feel safe to explore their career interests and develop applicable skills. Equipping students with real-world career skills is especially important in today’s dynamic job market, and I am committed to providing them with the tools they need to succeed.”

Accordingly, one of her favorite parts of teaching for Texas Tech K-12 is seeing all the creative work her students turn in as well as helping them through their educational journey. For example, in Lifetime Nutrition & Wellness, students plan a themed family night. This includes preparing a dinner, family activities, assigning tasks to each family member, etc. Delacy enjoys seeing what students come up with from this assignment and the picture of their themed family nights. In Introduction to Culinary Arts, students film culinary labs of themselves performing knife cuts, first aid practices, proper sanitation and more. She likes these assignments because the student’s creativity and personality shine through. 

One of the most challenging aspects of teaching online students, she says, is maintaining student engagement and connection. This was also a challenge even in a traditional classroom. Students today have many distractions, and it can become easy for them to become a “passenger” in their educational journey.

“To overcome this challenge, I always provide clear communication and try to resonate personally with students to build positive relationships,” Delacey explained. “In the courses, students have discussion boards with one another, and I always encourage them to really create conversation with their peers.”

She urges students to always keep the lines of communication open whenever they need assistance, and she provides regular office hours to do so. But she also has advice she consistently passes along to them: embrace the challenge.

“Education is a privilege, and your educational journey will only be as successful as you allow it to be. Embrace curiosity, ask questions, make mistakes, seek opportunities for growth and take ahold of the steering wheel. Everyone comes to the table with unique perspectives, and there is always something we can learn from one another.”

Outside the classroom, Delacy’s interests include spending time with family and friends, traveling and running, a newer hobby.