Timeless Lessons

The previous post may have brought back some memories for readers around my age, but it probably doesn’t resonate with too many of today’s high school students; most school systems dismantled wood and metal shops years ago. Our town was fortunate for a while to have a Tech-Ed instructor who understood the value those classes offered when students were encouraged to work through problems first hand. I had the privilege of serving on the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Committee with this man, and I was able to learn of two remarkable ideas he put into motion.

The first began when several students wanted to take Wood Shop even though the course was no longer offered. The shop still existed, but was mostly being used for storage. Some of the equipment had been removed and the machines that were left were in a sad state. Instead of abandoning the idea, the instructor turned it into a learning experience. He had the students clean the shop, and, he had them work with the school officials to relocate the items stored there so they could reclaim the space. He created a new Tech-Ed class around the recreation of Wood Shop and he spent most of the first year guiding those lucky students through the resurrection of the shop. He taught them how to repair the machines, reassemble the work benches and to clean, sharpen and tune the tools. They didn’t make anything but they learned more than most of them realized at the time.

Once reassembled, the shop was still missing the requisite tools to complete most furniture projects. The instructor changed the class again and began teaching kids the basics of home repair. They would build sections of wall, install wiring, outlets and switches, insulate stud bays and install drywall. Then, they would tear it all down. He collected construction debris from local contractors and used it to create new lessons. An abandoned panel box became a lesson in how circuit breakers work. A discarded window became an exercise in framing a header. An abandoned door became an opportunity to learn how to properly hang a door.

In addition to the shop class, this same instructor taught an Illustration class. Along with teaching the features of Adobe Illustrator and the mechanics of a small print operation, he added a critical element to this class. He volunteered his class to produce playbills and posters for the school play, handouts for the Fire Department fund raising effort and brochures for the Senior Center These projects saved the town a few dollars but, more importantly, they offered the students a chance to understand customer requirements, estimating and deadlines.

This instructor knew that while your parents may cherish the bird feeder you made and they may still have your first drawing hanging in the family room, you will move beyond those projects. He understood that training should be structured to make the most out of the time spent learning. The best lessons you can teach are the ones that transcend your subject, the lessons your students can apply over and over again.