Home School Woodshop classes?

[Dave Sharpe]

I have some good friends who are homeschooling their two boys, and have asked me to participate by teaching a woodshop class. I'm a serious hobbyist blessed with an understanding wife and a nice-size workshop full of tools (including a sawstop!). I've never taught formal classes in woodworking, but I'd like to develop some sort of class outline with reasonable goals and lesson plans - at least to some degree. My general idea is to begin each session (one per week for now) with a demonstration of a particular tool, or discussion of wood characteristics, etc, then let each of the boys work on a personal project for the remainder of the class time. Perhaps we could even incorporate a field trip or two - Edensaw is just across Puget sound from us.
Anybody out there ever done anything like this? I know there's some shop teachers in the group - any tips for me? Any resources for lesson plans? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

[Steve Kohn]

You probably should define how old these students are?

[harry strasil]

I am what's called an adjunct teacher, (a person who has worked in his/her field for numerous years), and even tho I was a high school drop out, but have a GED certificate, I can teach college accredited courses within my field, Blacksmithing, Welding, Machine Shop Practice for VO-Tech colleges, but I would never teach a class in my own shop because of the liability involved. I always instructed the classes at a place selected and certified by the Vo-tech College.

The first class should be on shop safety and fitting the youngsters with proper safety equipment, ie, safety glasses, ear plugs etc.

You might want to contact your lawyer and have him prepare a waiver of liability if one of them gets hurt.

[David Giles]

You may have better success than I did. First, it was Mom's idea, but the boys were ambivalent. Good kids, but it's tough to learn woodworking skills unless you really want to do so. Second, woodworking skills take a long time to develop and hone, let alone master. An hour class could easily be spent just learning to saw a straight line or run a pocket hole jig. After 2 months of weekly classes, they would only have eight basic skills. Now if they spent the same amount of time woodworking that they spend on video games, they would excel quickly. But their priorities are different, not necessarily wrong, just different. Then they need to learn to add fractions.

For a more holistic approach, consider picking a simple project from the Popular Woodworking "I Can Do This" series. Teach them the skills that they need to complete the next step. Different projects need different skills. The class outline consists of asking, "What's the next step? How are you going to do it?" And be sure to teach them the first rule of woodworking: "Mom, I could build that for you if I only had a _______."

[Josh Reet]

The liability issue is something that shouldn't be discounted. If you've got any lawyer friends, you might ask them about it and if there is any reasonable way to protect yourself from liability via signed contracts or insurance.

Getting sued because a kid lost a finger would be no joke.

[harry strasil]

The Kansas City Woodworkers Guild has a written and practical test you have to take before you are allowed to use their shop. FWIW, and if you got to their website and click on safety, you can see the tests.

[Greg Magone]

I wouldn't worry about the liability if you have good homeowners insurance, assuming that you aren't getting paid for the instruction. You can call the insurance company to make sure that an incident would be covered but if they are invited guests into your home for non-business purposes, your insurance will cover them.

If you're doing it for pay, then it's a business and that's a different ball of wax. I'm pretty sure that you're doing this to be neighborly and not for pay.

[Greg Magone]

I learned to do woodworking in 4-H. Here are the things that I did and that I thought were fun.

- Tour a sawmill that takes trees and cuts them into lumber. Big mills are the most fun for kids.

- Tour a forest and have a forester discuss what the various tree species are, what the wood might be used for and which trees are good for cutting and what makes those trees valuable.

- Make projects in woodshop

Simple projects
Tic-tac-toe board (uses drill press and hand sanding only)
Lap board that can be used to do homework in front of TV
Scroll saw tree ornaments, etc

More Complicated projects
Breadbox
Chess board
Curio box

Kids up to 14 probably do best with hand tools and maybe bandsaw and drill press. Kids 15+ seem to be skilled enough to use machinery with guidance.

[Robert Reece]

Hi Dave

I would pick a project that you think the three of you can accomplish in the alloted time. Something simple like a footstool (I did one that was in a Fine Woodworking some years ago, It's a nice stool). I made it out of southern yellow pine from the lumber yard.

I would start the class by asking what they want to make and then steer them into a reasonable size project. Then everybody had a hand in choosing the project so they'll feel attached to it. Then discuss how this project will be made, what steps required, what tools required. This is all before any power tools get turned on. In fact, a foot stool can be made with hand tools if you want to go that way (depending on what you have available). I would lay out what will be accomplished in all the classes before any wood hits any machine. This will help you stay on track and everybody will know what is going to happen when.

Whatever you do make sure they leave your class with a completed project, no matter how small. They will feel accomplished and probably come back.

Please post back what you do and how well it works. We homeschool our kids and I know what you are doing is coming up soon for me. Not only for my kids but for the group of homeschoolers we work with.

As for the liability thing, that is a concern. Having a sawstop is a great step (don't ever tell them the saw blade will stop if you touch it...). You also need to look them in the eye at the beginning of each class and ask them how many fingers they have and how many do they like. Remind them that they can go to sleep while playing the Wii, but they can't go to sleep while running a power tool. So WAKE UP! Count your fingers and give thanks to all 10 of them.

I would never let them run a power tool without me checking the setup then observing. I think if you are all making the same project that will help in this area. Everybody will agree on the next step, then you will setup for that cut and do it in 3 pieces at the same time. The worst thing I can imagine is 2 inexperienced kids working independently in my shop.

Sorry for the long post, just throwing down my thoughts.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Dave, when I took wood working in high school, the only power machinery we were allowed to use in the first year was a drill press and band saw.

All other machines were only available for more senior classes.

We hand sawed our projects, first mini project was a bench hook. We hand planed the wood to make the hook, which taught us squaring, and making surfaces parallel, as well as cutting to length.

The real project was a lamp made out of solid wood that we hand planed.

We also learned how to make grooves using a backsaw, a chisel and router plane.

For a quick class however, you could provide material that prepped on all 4 sides, and the students could cut to length, bore, sand etc.

I also would second the liability issue.

Every two years I host a two session instarsia project for my wife's Pathfinder group. Insurance is provided by Girl Guides of Canada, based upon the approved plan of activities.

Regards, Rod.

[Dave Sharpe]

Wow - only a couple hours and lots of great info!

* Kids are (I believe) 11 and 12

* I agree with the post about skills taking a while to develop. One of the things I know about these kids is that they are "bored" with traditional school and feel they are ahead of their classmates. That's why Mom and Dad are doing more homeschooling with them. They are pastor's kids who have traveled around the world and had way more experiences than their peers, and so are a bit more "worldly" than others. That being said, I am a little concerned about what I perceive as ADHD in them - a bit undisciplined and apt to go ahead and do what they want instead of following directions. That's why I'm looking to set up a structure for the classes.

*Liability is certainly a concern, but these are friends and no - I'm not doing this for pay but out of neighborliness and a desire to teach some skills they can use in life.

Keep the input coming - I really appreciate the help! What a great resource you all are!

Dave

[Dave Sharpe]

Robert, We're thinking along the same lines, and I certainly will post my experiences on this group for others to use. (BTW - the footstool from FWW - was that the one with the angled through-tenons? I helped a buddy in making two of those for some kids he's adopting. We used cheap scrap wood and had a real bear doing the angled joints. This was a bit complicated for him as a beginning project, but we had a lot of fun with it.) My vague plan, as it stands now, is to certainly make safety the focus of the first class session, and then probably start each subsequent class with a safety quiz that must be passed before making sawdust. I'd also like to explain the various steps in making a project, from concept and planning to choosing wood and procuring it (dealing with expenses), hen on to milling wood, glueup and assembly, ending with finishing. The overall coursework would follow these general steps as they choose a project and work through each step, with clear goals for the whole project as well as each step in the process. I absolutely want them to leave with at least one completed project - perhaps more. I think a trip to Edensaw would be great to let them see the variety of woods available, as well as to calculate costs of materials themselves. I probably will ask them to hold off on choosing a prject until the third or fourth week, so we can spend some time doing basic skill building, but will definitely include "sawdust generation time" each week to keep their interest in the game.

[Josh Reet]

*Liability is certainly a concern, but these are friends and no - I'm not doing this for pay but out of neighborliness and a desire to teach some skills they can use in life.

I don't doubt that they are friends and I don't doubt your motivation, but I encourage you to look into the liability thing closely. We don't live in a society or a legal system where this sort of thing can be overlooked any more. Anyone can (and will) sue for anything. Friendship can go out the window when damage to children or money in the pocket is on the table.

As a professional photographer I have talked to others in my industry that have been taken to court by "friends" who they did wedding photography for as a favor. Anyone cans take you to court for just about anything these days. They might not win, but it's still going to be a nightmare for you.

[harry strasil]

a birdhouse is a simple first project, measuring, layout, cutting, planing, sanding, nailing, boring with a brace and bit, painting.

[Ron Jones near Indy]

I'm not trying to rain on your parade. I'm just bringing up issues that you might be faced with. You have been given some good, some great and some not so good advise.

Liability is a major issue. You can't negate negligence with a liability waver. Negligence is often defined, in cases involving ww tools, as what ever the judge/jury decide on a particular day. The legal definition is often combined with emotion. In some states the fact that the parents fail to pursue action after an accident is of little comfort. The student's right to pursue action is within the statute of limitations after reaching the age of majority. Liability insurance is a must. I'm not sure a private individual can get it for teaching ww in their own shop for only a few students.

It's one thing to invite a friend and the kids into your shop to jointly build a few simple projects. It's quite another thing to claim the title of teacher and have a curriculum to follow using your own tools/machines. Harry made his lively hood doing the skills he teaches as an adjunct professor. He would most likely be considered to have more/better skills/experience than a hobbyist.

Some state departments of education do not recognize woodworking as an appropriate course title at this time and do not recognize such courses for credit. In some home schools this is important--not at all important in others.

This is my 42nd year in the classroom and some of most of those years included teaching some form of woodworking. I'm more than willing to share experiences of interest with you if you wish. I don't want to get into a bigger discussion of this in this forum. Please send a PM if you want to further discuss your ideas. What ever you do, give this thought and planning. Don't rush your decision to meet someone else's time-line.