Why does it keep coming up that tradesmen and trades teachers are ‘different’ and as such are valued less than academic students and teachers…that we are incapable of the same achievements or outcomes, or that we certainly could not understand…?

I would argue that trades and academics are no different than are men from women.  While this statement would elicit a slap or two from a feminist, the majority would agree with me that while each are capable of all things (childbirth not included), some things are better performed by one sex over the other….generally speaking and allowing the exceptions to play as well.  This ties in with the trades dichotomy like this…we (tradesmen and trades teachers) have a brain and are fully capable of using it…the only thing separating you and I is the desire to pursue one subject over another, and a bit of a hard wired tendency towards the hands on.  Mankind would perish without both men and women working together and your material world would fall apart without a healthy blend of tradesmen and academics; like a healthy marriage, we need to work as an evenly yoked team.

• We critically think about our each and every action from the beginning of the project to the end…if we didn’t, we would loose a hand, ruin our material or some other catastrophe would result from our actions…if we didn’t think critically, a concept could not move from rough sketch through finished plans through machining and building…and if we did not think critically, we could not figure out the affordable means of production and how to improvise when the customer (you) want something unique and you want it now.
• To the prof who said that ‘without at least 6 credits of fine arts, one is not educated’…I am sorry, but I do not have the time to take an arts appreciation course…after spending years learning how to build and create eye pleasing and functioning things using tools much more dangerous than a paintbrush or a violin bow, there was no time left to take art 101…although I am sure it would be an enjoyable experience to play a guitar while sitting on the furniture that I built.
• To the prof who suggested we were incapable of comprehending the assigned text without the help of an English major…grow up and think about your words before you speak them…all of your students (English majors included) struggle with that poorly written text and I wonder the value in studying it.
• and to those who honestly think that you are better than your mechanic, good luck fixing your own danged Hummer

It is time to start valuing your tradesmen and trades women. 

The age of the backyard mechanic is gone due to the complexity of today’s vehicles and bylaws will soon prohibit anyone who has not been to trades school from working on their own home.  Every thing that you academics take for granted, from the vehicle you drive to the home you wish to remodel, was designed, built and maintained by people like me and the trades oriented students in your classroom…be nice to them for one day you will require their help.

We both have a valid and necessary place in today’s world; one group is no better or lesser than the other.  It is time to stop treating trades as a less esteemed career choice as it is these people who make the physical part of this world run…we need tradesmen in a desperate way.  Unless we start encouraging more people into the trades, the labor market will continue to be flooded with a gross imbalance of academics while labor costs in trades fields continue to rise due to an extreme shortage of skilled workers.

Building a teacher, like nurturing a child, is a personal experience and no two experiences are the same…. I know, that is not a rocket science grade of statement, but the truth is really hitting me as to the uniqueness of each of our experiences.  As I scan through some of my colleagues blogs, it becomes clear that the ‘teacher project’ is as unique for adults as the identity project is for adolescents; while the experiences are similar, what we are getting out of these experiences is vastly different.

I am very much the kind of person that likes to have all their ducks in a row before taking the next step…I like to succeed on the first attempt and am less likely to try if I am not convinced within myself that my first attempt will be success. I am sure that that is not a unique position, but I do know many who just want to leap in and problem solve later. I now realize that jumping in getting the feet wet is the only way to learn to teach.

That said, I am ready for this semester to be complete, and although I have my reservations, I am ready to get the feet wet…after all, that is what these last 3 1/2 years have been about.   I cannot say that I want to stand and deliver as much as I need to do so…I have heard some say that teaching is not a career that we choose as much as it is a career that chooses us.  For me too stand and deliver is a natural (albeit large) step from my previous life as a door shop supervisor.  Instead of teaching 1 on 1, I will be teaching 1 on 30…instead of evaluating for the sake of raises, I will be evaluating for report cards…the only real difference from my past life is the level of liability and the fact that I cannot fire those who do not live up to my expectations.

Have a great week,

Greg

To Build a Teacher. 

Who would have guessed, back when my jr. high English class studied Jack London’s ‘To Build A Fire’, that I would someday be looking forward to my practicum.  Back then I wanted nothing to do with school such that I failed my second and third course that year.  I guess you could say that I was a bit of a trouble maker and, can you believe it, I am now getting set to teach students like I once was.  Why?  For the love of literature, Why??? 

Although too late to get any academic credits for my graduation, I smartened up in my grade twelve year, and if I hadn’t done so already, I fell in love with the high school shop.  Mr ‘T’, my high school metal and drafting instructor, encouraged me in my passion for the trades and I finished that year with honors and the distinction of top Sr Wood, Sr. Metal and Industrial Ed student.  Al ‘T’ also encouraged my desire to come back to the high school shops as a teacher. 

I look at the course that my life has taken oven the last thirteen years and I can honestly say that I am grateful that I didn’t go straight to university.  Not only would it have meant moving to the coast, but I believe the practical experience I gained in the meantime will add to a shop class experience…I can see the real world experience add to my ability to foresee hazardous situations, make lessons personal and I can also see my trades experience assisting in the prioritizing of my hidden curriculum. <<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

From the frying pan to the fire, I left a secure career as an underpaid shop lead-hand in ’94 and leapt into university studies.  My family has been very supportive, but my studies have none the less taken their toll not only on myself, but on my wife and my kids as well.  Thankfully, our parents have been great by helping the kids get desires of their heart…namely Aric and his hockey and keeping the three of them enrolled in a private school.  They have also pitched in now and then for dates, holidays and other ‘nicessities’ of life.  I have to say that, financially, we haven’t really been in want for anything and we are forever indebted to our folks…the greater impact has definitely been relational. 

So, with three and some years of education, and ten years of industry and ‘real’ life behind me, I am now into my final year looking towards my practicum with excitement, trepidation and reservation.  Is this for me?  Will I be the teacher that students will migrate towards?  Will I gain their respect…will I enjoy this career?  I suppose the questions are as numerous as the stars in the sky…and I know that none of them can be answered with surety until I am there…but WOW, what a lot to chew on and digest while still cramming new stuff into the weary ol’ brain. 

I recently erupted on a professor criticizing the lack of this, the omission of that and the inclusion of the useless…for that I apologize…I now realize how little about teaching can actually be taught.  Having spent the last week in high school classes, I have so many questions that I wouldn’t know what to ask the university to teach me first.  I guess the reality of building a teacher is that it boils down to one thing……experience.  The only way to learn to teach is to, as Nike says, just do it.I met some great kids this week.  One in particular is a very motivated grade ten in a 4 grade split metal class.  This student thrives on helping, working, learning, teaching…defeating cancer.  And then there are the hockey kids…the ‘my dad is forking out 100G for me to be in the academy and make the NHL’.  Many of these hockey academy kids appear to have little use for school as they are set on making a career out of hockey…the reality is that I will have beaten the odds if any of my ‘kids’ ever make it famous.  What will these students do when they realize they didn’t beat the odds?  If I can give them just one thing while they are in my care, what should it be? 

Another class I sat in on was a keep-em-busy science credit course.  The students in this class are either living on their own, on drugs, pregnant, beaten….  While much of me wants to stay as far from these kids as I can, another part of me is inclined to get personally involved…I know I can do neither, but what can I do? 

To build a teacher….          ………to play the game. 

I have a heart for student success….what will I do when my student fails? I have a desire to equip for life…for career…for future…what if they won’t hear me?If I can keep them safe, show some skill, make my course sexy…I will have a career, but what can I do to have a success? 

….to be continued I am sure. 

If my worst fear as a shop teacher (next to student injury) was the removal of shop programs altogether, then the runner up fear would be the combining of four or five grades into one trades class.  Having spent the last couple of days in my sponsor school, and seeing the probable courses that I will teach, I would have to say that my fears are coming true.  I will say, however, that I could not imagine a better sponsor teacher to apprentice under.

What makes him great? For starters is his willingness to share and assist, not just because he is my sponsor teacher, but because he wants to help whoever and wherever he can.  For instance, I shared the idea of a master website for shop teachers;  Mr. ‘A’ feels that it will never happen as too many teachers stuff is not loaded into a computer, and those that are, are trying to sell their product.  He condemns this practice on the grounds that teachers created their work while on a payroll, and therefore, the material technically belongs to the government who paid the teacher, or the taxpayer who supports the government.  The material was created for the benefit of the children and the salary paid for the benefit of the teacher.  (fits well with my philosophy)

Mr. ‘A’ has left the options of what I teach relatively open to discussion.  He is currently teaching two four grade split technology education and industrial education courses, a four grade split drafting class and an earth science/science and technology blend for grade elevens.  I have option to teach all, or to ask for other courses.  While my first inclination is to run away screaming (not that I would), a part of me desires to rise to the challenge.  If I could succeed at his current course load, I feel I would be well on my way to a solid career.

I came across an article in Teacher.net/gazette that I wanted to share.  I’ve pasted only a small amount and included the link to the origional for all to paruse.

“The control students need is self-control and the discipline needed is self-discipline. The reward–punishment system simply cannot produce self-directed, responsible, independent students. Classroom management, classroom control and classroom discipline are absolutely essential if students are to achieve our educational goals. But, those educational goals must include the promotion of autonomous, responsible, self-disciplined, independent, productive, problem-solving, decision-making, intelligent-thinking, self-directing, continuously learning individuals. I know of no way schools and teachers can accomplish these goals except to create democratic learning communities at every level from the classroom up so students can participate in the decisions that influence their lives.”

by Bill Page http://teachers.net/gazette/NOV02/page.html.  Oct 25, 00

I have to agree with Page that reward/punishment is not the greatest system.  Like Robert Owen, I would suggest the the intrinsic bennifits, that is learning and wisdom, should infact be the prime motivators of a students education.  While this may sound idealistic, these students are the successfull students.  In my grade twelve year, as well as in my college years, I was no longer at school for the grades, or because I had to be, but rather, for the value of knowedge and personal growth.   While it will be a challenge, I think it important to attempt to instill some of this within our students.  To empower them to take controll of thier own life and look for the intrinsic rewards rather thar than the extrinsic bennifits and punnishments.

It appears that teachers, the ones that continuously yell the importance of citing your source, are amongst the worst copyright breakers around.  This Wednesday, for instance, I watched ‘Teacher Bob’ go to a common file drawer expecting the third file from the front to be unlabeled but contain an assignment that he had created.  Instead, he finds the third file to be labeled ‘Ms. Jane’s assignment XYZ’.  Curious, teacher Bob opens the folder to see the assignment that he had created reprinted with Ms. Jane’s header and title attached.

On the flip side, when I have approached teachers and asked if they might be willing to share anything with an up-and-coming shop teacher, all of them have been most helpful.  Although they have given little as of yet, they have all indicated that when I ‘get out there’ and know what I am teaching, I am more than welcome to swing by and I can borrow or copy anything that I want.

What I have found, both in person and on-line, is that most teachers want to share what they have learned, created and/or worked with and share of their successes and failures.  However, I have not yet met a teacher that wants to publish their projects or findings under another’s banner such as our group web project.  Perhaps this is because too many others have done as Ms. Jane did and not give credit where credit was due.

As our major project this semester, we are assigned the task of creating a shop teachers survival guide.  Essentially, a shop teacher should be able to turn to our website and find everything they need to succeed in an unfamiliar class. While I think this is a great concept, I wonder if we can do it justice in the short amount of time that we have together this year.  I also wonder why this has not yet been done….or has it?

While searching the web today, one of my group members stumbled on the jackpot; the ‘any subject teacher’s survival guide’.  We now have three websites that will cover anything that a high school shop teacher could need to know.  So now what?  Do we continue to build our site based entirely on links to these other sites?  Do we recreate the wheel and call it a tire?  Or do we go back to the drawing board and try to redraft the stone wheel?

Personally, I am not big on duplication, and since these sites are so comprehensive, what do we gain in trying?  I suppose we gain the experience of learning where these sites are and sharing them with our colleagues, and perhaps we could create the webpage of best links, but beyond that…..?  After all, if the wheel already exists, who am I to steal it and call it a tire?

October 10-17, 2007 

I’m back!!  The new and improved ‘Sticks’ has returned to the wonderful world of edublogging.I want to start this weeks post by apologizing to anyone who has found me stepping on their toes over the last month; it has never been my intention to offend or criticize my peers and/or instructors….I am, after 17 years, finally free of a pack-a-day habit and I have no doubt offended some in the process of quitting…if this is you, I am sorry. 

The last week has been a good one!  Following a short week, I had a wonderful weekend with my family and have managed to climb the foothills ofHomework
Mountain.  Wednesday’s class opened my eyes to the potential benefits of home education/home schooling and Friday’s class began to address some key areas of succeeding as a teacher.  While I am still catching up on some lost sleep and was not 100% with it last week, I feel that I learned a fair amount. My musings this week have centered around teacher survival.  What is required to become an effective teacher?  What am I getting or missing in this portion of my education and how will it assist or hinder me?  How can I avoid chemical dependencies when I have heard how stressful being a teacher is?  Am I getting the required education…is it for me…will I survive…??? It seams that my education contains more question than answers some days, and my mind has been full of them this week … especially considering I feel like I have missed much of the last month due to lack of sleep and detoxification.  Since quitting my chemical addiction has been at the leading edge of many thoughts lately, I would like to address this in my musings.………………………………………….Teaching can be stressful!  Every teacher I have spoken to, every instructor that has stood before my class, every professional I have bumped into have all talked about the stress level of teaching.  While I appreciate their desire to present the realities, I have heard enough of the negatives!  You guys are going to drive me to drinking! OK, while I won’t resort to that, with a lack of positives in ones life, it is easy to fall down that dangerous spiral.  Addiction starts when one turns to a chemical to counteract the physical.  While I agree that there is a time for prescription medications to help in acute circumstances, turning to cigarettes, alcohol and other chemicals is a disastrous move.  Stress is real and I have no doubt in my mind that teaching carries a heap of it.  For this reason I think that it is vitally important that we as up-and-coming teachers learn how to control the anxiety level before it beats us.  Here’s a few suggestion in no particular order. 

Number 1- – Look for the positives!  I have begun asking teachers who focus on the negative aspects of teaching to tell me the positives.  The question catches them off guard… “…Yah…um…it’s the best job around and I wouldn’t trade it for the world…”  It seams that most people start with the bad news and assume you are already well acquainted with the positives… …fair enough, but being human, I would like to hear some good news now and then. 

Number 2 – - Don’t neglect yourself!  Nutrition and exercise are vitally important to reduce the amount of stress that we feel.  Vitamins C and B are promoted as an award winning combination stress reducer.  A good workout at the gym, on the rocks or trails, or even walking around the block counteracts many of the negatives this world throws our way.  Spiritual beliefs and spending time meditating are also proven at reducing anxieties. 

Number 3 – - Don’t stuff it!  Find a good friend and vent!  Of course, anonymity of students is vital. 

Number 4 – - Find a hobby and make sure you get enough sleep.  We all have deadlines, but we are more efficient when we learn to set boundaries and take a little time for ourselves.   

While these are only a few suggestions, and in no particular order, it is important to realize that we are humans and we have limits.  For me, I have a quiet time that expect my family to honor and I also appreciate regular exercise.  While it does take time out of the day to make some of these things happen, we are more productive when we have taken a few minutes for ourselves. 

The most important thing to remember for avoiding addictions is simple; DON’T DO IT.  Subscribing to the attitude of just once or just for a while is the start of a vicious spiral that is hard to break.  You are worth more than that and we need you here…sober and ready to teach our children.  If all else fails, talk to your doctor…there is no shame in admitting when you need some help getting through something.

Five weeks into our fall semester and we have moved our reflections to the web.  It is a risky move for some, but for others, no sweat. 

This week was a great week…at least as far as I am concerned.  All STEP students (secondary teacher’s education program) visited elementary schools this week.  For the life of me I could not figure out why elementary and felt that there was little point to the exercise.  As it turned out, I rather enjoyed the experience and found that I left there more comfortable with children that when I arrived (funny considering I am a parent of three).

Three times this week it has been reinforced that children of all ages are dying to have adult friends.  The grade fives and sixes at the elementary school were all very welcoming and wanted to have fun and play, the cub scouts in the group I volunteered to help were hanging all over me last night and a teacher closing on retirement stated that he still feels eighteen…just one little step above those that he teaches.  I’ve come to the conclusion that, while a teacher must keep their professional distance, the kids will gravitate to the teachers that have fun with them.  (boy am I glad I chose ‘shop’ teacher)

I have noticed that the classes that are kept under tighter reigns not only stay focused and turn out more work in a day, but their work is of higher quality.  While I could not begin to hypothesize how much of that is the students individual talents or other variables, it comes up time and time again how important it is to run a tight ship.

“Get a hold of the reigns from the start because they are impossible to grab when you are at full speed”.

Back to my great week…..

From the beginning of this year I have been questioning my career decision and I am sick to death of hearing the negatives of becoming a teacher.  While I appreciate the realistic input that many have given us, I am tired of hearing of red tape and limitations; I want to hear someone say “teaching is great”, “most rewarding career ever”, or “would change a thing”.  We have been bombarded with so much negativity that one naturally will question their decision.  I was questioning mine to the point of not paying my tuition because I was not sure if I wanted to carry this through.  Don’t get me wrong….I am not a quitter and I have a lot riding on this one…but the negativity has got to stop!

This was a great week to put my focus back where on track.  The teachers at the elementary were all excellent, although I don’t know if I will ever have that kind of energy;  I didn’t run into a single sourpuss in the whole school…It was awesome!

Friday the trades specialty spent the day with three shop teachers who love their jobs.  Sure they have their annoyances, their red tape stories and all of that junky stuff, but they have found the most rewarding career imaginable and they wouldn’t change it for the world. 

You know what…that is the kind of reality story we need to hear.  “Yes, first year is hell, and second year may be a close second, but once you are through those (and they will end quickly), you are in the best job there is.  It doesn’t even feel like work.  What could be better than sharing of what you love?”

Thanks to all of the encouragers out there,

Greg