First day teaching High School Woodshop

[Mike Allen1010]

I’ve been retired from the corporate world for a few years, and recently started teaching woodshop at a local high school. It’s been a great experience. I thought I might share some of my observations and ask for some advice.

Some background: guy before had some physical issues, and seemed relatively checked out, and so the shop has been very poorly maintained/organized. we have incredible stationary power tool; three Sawstop 10 inch cabinet table saws, including sliding cross cut table that that’s never been installed,o(nly one of which that works) giant Powermatic 24 inch bandsaw (still on delivery palette), 18 inch thickness planer, two Powermatic joiners, 8 inches wide (only 1 is working), 2 CNC machines in crates (I have no idea how they work, and I confess and clearly intimidated by them.) and epic quantity of clamps and portable power tools, router/drills/sanders, etc.

The downside is handtools have been completely neglected; Benchtop and vices are in total disrepair – kids didn’t know what the dog holes were even for. No hand, saws, chisels, or planes. Most of the kids don’t know what an adjustable square is or how to read a ruler. My first rule is everybody needs a pencil.

Good news I brought some handtools from my home shop and the kids really love using the planes, saws and chisels – they immediately understand their advantages and are keen to learn how to use the most effectively.

I would appreciate suggestions for sharpening stones, that of course, do the job, but in this context need to be durable and not prone to gouging. So far I’ve been doing all the sharpening, but that’s not sustainable. If I have a chance to start a semester from the beginning, that will be a first place to start.

if you’re interestedw up happy to share some pictures and welcome any and all suggestions. Start of the advanced kids with a dovetail box – may be a little bit ambitious, but hey, if you never try, you’re never gonna learn – right?

Best, Mike.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Very best wishes to you! My Shop Teachers remain admired friends. I look forward to the occasions when I run into them.

My first memories of learning to sharpen things is from the Boy Scouts rather than from my carpenter dad, carpenter grand dad, or shop class. The Norton Tradesman Stone was part of our Boy Scout kit. Carborundum, 180 on the coarse side 220 on the fine side, with a red wooden handle. Don't you dare drop it!
My big brother who was more of a car guy (but also a great a carpenter), showed me how to use wet or dry sandpaper on a piece of glass to sharpen a plane, chisel, or knife.

[Cameron Wood]

That's great.

I had shop classes in jr. high, high school, and jr. college, & still have a couple of things made including the obligatory footstool.

Maybe you can assign projects that will help to get the shop working. How's the wood supply?

[Aaron Rosenthal]

Mike,you sure have your work cut out for you! My late uncle was a shop teacher in L.A., and how I miss his advice!
If I were teaching my 15 year old foster son, I might start with explaining the anatomy of a plane and each size's use; how to use a hand plane, then a quick picture of a bevel and why it's important.
Then machine use and safety issues.
What an opportunity to grow young minds!

[Kevin Jenness]

What a great opportunity and challenge!

Are you free to develop a curriculum? Given your interest in hand tool work it would make sense to start the students off with those skills to give them an understanding of the basics and gradually introduce machine processes. Perhaps you can get some advice from teachers at programs like the North Bennett Street School in Boston. You will need to budget for the non-existent hand tools though.

Sounds like a considerable investment has been made in machinery that is not in service. Tuning up neglected equipment will take some effort. Getting up to speed on the cnc gear will demand a lot of your time.

On sharpening, you might consider a Tormek system. It is reliable, though a bit slow, and hard to damage tools with it. For stones I would suggest diamonds for initial sharpening and novaculite (Washita/Arkansas) stones or ceramic stones for polishing. Waterstones are great but it could be a challenge to keep them flat in a school scene.

[Stew Denton]

Mike,

One thought I had is that the kids need to see the value of sharpening, so I would have a dull plane and a really sharp plane, and let them try each. The importance of sharpening will become immediately apparent.

Stew

[Jim Koepke]

Sounds great, and of course many of us want to see pictures.

You might want to look into getting some shop safety videos. That is very important for youngsters to get a grounding in before they get set in their ways or the wrong ways.

Some of these kids might have their dad's or granddad's tools sitting at home. This may be a chance to get any who are interested in building their own tools to class. Do they have lockers where they can secure things?

Good luck with this exciting endeavor.

jtk

[Andrew Hughes]

At the elementary school my grandson went to the wood shop they teach pen turning. Despite having bandsaws jointer planer big lathe all covered with abandoned projects and odd shapes of donated woods. They only offer pen turning.
I’m rooting for you mike. Hollow grind the blades and chisels and go straight to the polishing stone.
Good Luck

[Lee Schierer]

I enjoyed several years of shop during my school days at several different schools. You first need to establish shop safety rules and cover them in the first class periods. Violations of safety rules should have consequences, such as not being able to use that tool for a period of time.

Here are a few:
- No loose sleeves near power tools.
- remove rings and watches.
- safety glasses at all times
- no cell phones
- no talking to people using power tools
- use guards, hold downs and guides provided on tools
- use push sticks and blocks on table saws and jointers.
- clean up your saw dust and shavings.
- lay hand planes on their sides when not in use.
- return hand tools to their proper storage location.
- everybody helps clean up.
- no touching of other student's projects or materials without permission.

Projects need to be approved and require at least a rudimentary plan and list of needed materials and finishes. Teach them how to use optimizer programs to reduce waste and grain matching for show surfaces.

[Reed Gray]

Only class I ever got straight A's in was PE. I never had a chance for shop classes, unfortunately. I would guess that if you are going to teach sharpening, then you need stones. I started a thread "diamond or water' stones for sharpening. In a class situation like you have, I would suggest the diamond stones, but you could introduce water stones as well for those that can pay attention long enough to learn them. The diamond lapping plates are almost indestructible. Grinders, slow speed, high speed, and extra slow speed/Tormek, can be brought into the discussion, and stropping as well.

robo hippy

[James Pallas]

Wow, quite an endeavor Mark. You did not say whether the school is academic or vocational. I would imagine that the curriculum for each would be very different. Broad based exposure for one. In depth hands on practical for the other. Teaching hand tool skills is good but not so good for someone that will be going into a power tool dominated world. I wish you great success either way.
Jim

[roger wiegand]

Wonderful!

I'd see if you can recruit a knowledgable volunteer to take on the CNC equipment. You'll have a fraction of kids who will jump on the design and programming side of that and be much more involved in your class for having access to it.

[Mike Brady]

That is a wonderful story and refreshing in a social climate that that has not been particularly supportive of teachers.

Until recently, I lived in suburban Chicago. Right after retiring some years ago, I approached the local middle school (junior high) to see if some volunteer help could be used in the shop class. My wife is a retired teacher from the same district, so I wasn't a stranger. The first couple of weeks in the shop class went well, and the students appreciated another person to lend a hand or offer suggestions. There was just the one formality: I would have to submit to a background check so that I could be credentialed to be on the school property during operating hours. That was fine with me and I certainly understood the need for that. Then they hit me with this zinger: Since there was no budget for this position (it's non-paid), I would have to personally cover all costs of a background check and other required screening. This totaled in the hundreds of dollars. I was dumfounded when told this and withdrew.

[Daniel Culotta]

Awesome Mike! I’m sure you’ll put together an amazing experience for those kiddos. For the machines, is there any way you might hire out (or have a competent volunteer) to get them all working and tuned in one go? I know paying someone to do that might be a stretch, but trying to get that many machines repaired and running by yourself between other tasks could take a very long time. Getting someone else to knock it put over a few days might be the most economical in the long run.

For sharpening, good options would be a Norton India combo (coarse/fine, no idea what the grits actually are), and then a high grit diamond or buffer wheel with polishing compound for the final step.

Best of luck!

[Mike Allen1010]

That's great.

I had shop classes in jr. high, high school, and jr. college, & still have a couple of things made including the obligatory footstool.

Maybe you can assign projects that will help to get the shop working. How's the wood supply?

I’m still figuring it out how to buy shop materials work, so far I’m $300 out of pocket for screws and paint to finish projects that were in progress when I dropped in. We have Connex container for lumber storage -boards randomly everyone! We just finished Adirondack chairs for the beginning students out of 1x12 inch pine and we have a ready supply, which is great because if I’m not watching kids average 50% waste!

On the plus side there seems to be an institutional interest in supporting vocational/technical education. That’s what funded all the expensive stationary power tools in our shop. I hope I’m able accessible resources to fund hand tools- I guess we’ll see…

[Jack Frederick]

Frequently a teacher or any professional will have a wall full of diplomas and other things which do attest to completion of education and hopefully competence. In your case, Mike, you could wheel in that Federal Bar and set it on a table letting the kids look it over for a bit and then tell them you made it. They may not understand how accomplished you are because they don’t understand what it takes yet, but if they see it they will over time think of it and do as I do when I look at it. Wow, how do you do that…?

[Jim Koepke]

We just finished Adirondack chairs for the beginning students out of 1x12 inch pine and we have a ready supply, which is great because if I’m not watching kids average 50% waste!

Maybe there should be some percentage of the grade based on how efficiently the wood was used.

My potting benches made for sell at a farmers market were made to have minimal waste. The top used 19" long pieces that left about an inch of waste from the 1X4 cedar used to make the slats. The back legs were 5' and the front legs were 3', no waste from eight foot 2X4s.

A good design will consider the use of stock with as little waste as reasonable.

jtk

[Cameron Wood]

I did a few school projects when my kids were young. Birdhouses- lots of random scraps led to very creative and individual projects with colorful paint.
Tool boxes- young kids so wood pieces were precut. They assembled with nails, then made handle from EMT conduit. Cut, flatten and bend ends on anvil, drill, install with screws. The anvil part was a big hit.

For the jr college construction program, the final exam was to make a saw horse with hand tools. The results were later sold- I bought some of the better ones.

I think my best high school project was a tall stool with marquetry inlay on the seat, router beading, & turned rungs.

Here is a design for a shelf that I've done many times. A 1x2 rail of any length with shaped brackets notched to fit and screwed from behind. Shelf board fastened from above.
The trick is that the brackets can be placed at a pleasing spacing, and the whole shelf fastened to the wall studs through the 1x2, and with screws and button plugs it can be moved later- good for young folks.

[Tom Bender]

All those unnecessary machines - it may be that there was a budget to spend, 'if you don't spend it all this year you wont get as much next year...'

You really need advice from some experienced shop teachers. They know what works. And surely there are textbooks and lesson plans.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

FFA has a well established decades old curriculum. It might be worth taking a look at.

Nathan McDonald-SAE-Woodworking Lesson Plan - National FFA Organization (https://www.ffa.org/educator_resources/saes-turn-your-hobby-into-profit/)

Woodworking Archives - National FFA Organization (https://www.ffa.org/resource_tag/woodworking/)

[Lee Schierer]

We just finished Adirondack chairs for the beginning students out of 1x12 inch pine and we have a ready supply, which is great because if I’m not watching kids average 50% waste!

On the plus side there seems to be an institutional interest in supporting vocational/technical education. That’s what funded all the expensive stationary power tools in our shop. I hope I’m able accessible resources to fund hand tools- I guess we’ll see…

It sounds like an investment in a couple copies of Cut List Plus would be paid off pretty quickly by the savings in materials. It can be used on sheet goods or linear material.

[Mike Cherry]

Hey Mike, long time no see! By the way, I got a couple books of yours I need to get back to you. Listen, I am still up in Temecula and I’d be quite interested in volunteering to help you get up and running! I know you’ll be a great teacher because you literally taught me to sharpen hand saws in an afternoon haha!
I am still living my luxurious life of being a trophy husband so my days are wide open! Either way, we need to get together and catch up!

[Dan Sheehan]

Here is my perspective as a retired Wood Shop teacher. Just some suggestions to consider:

You don't teach woodshop. You teach students. It's about them learning about themselves first. How do they handle mistakes. What are their strengths and weaknesses. How can they help each other. Sharing resources. Clean up. Following directions. Being a good bench mate. Taking pride in their work... Above all safety.

Respect their uniqueness. Speak to every student every day. Use their name and ask their opinion about something. It doesn't have to be about shop. Just show interest in them.

Be generous with your praise. Recognize students for good work or acts of kindness.

Set up routines that demonstrate fairness, like sign up lists for tools or for your attention.

Doing nice work does not make you a good teacher. Read up on good teaching practice because you will be evaluated like the other teachers..

Teach measurement first. It will reduce scrap and bestow a life skill. I can share a great ruler lesson without math if you want it. It has a 100% pass rate.

Have a penalty system like hockey. Two minutes for no glasses, five for horseplay... etc. and call them like you see them.

DON'T bring in your own tools. They will break them. No doubt.

Teach one good skill building project at a time for intro classes. Advanced students should get more choice but limit the options with exceptions on a case by case basis. Some project ideas are just stupid, unsafe and bound to fail. A small success is better than a giant failure.

Reach out to the community for resources and recognize a helpful lumber yard or mill shop at the school board meeting. Ask a student to present a project to the superintendent. He or she will think of your program every time someone asks about it.

Invite the local newspaper into your shop for a public interest story and a picture. Eventually they will need to fill some space. Mention your supporters again. Have a student or two interviewed. Keep a copy for your wall.

Have a short lesson for the half days. I had great success with a hand tool Olympics. Sawing, nailing, boring with braces, maybe add a relay element. Drawknives are a favorite and teach grain direction but can eat up a lot of wood. BTW cleanup slackers are disqualified for the games.

And have fun. Students will thank you for watching their games, helping them build a set for their play, attending a concert, judging the cupcake wars in Home Ec.... Parents will meet you tell you that the Woodshop report is always a topic at the dinner table. It can a little humbling.

By now you might see that I loved my job. It ended when a new principal decided that shop class "was too outdated" and replaced it with robotics and Spanish. The room is now a massive junk closet I am told.

Anyway, it is rewarding to see my students years down the road and have them remind me of some thing I said or did for them and to hear that Mom still loves her birdhouse. And I see them all the time.

These are just some suggestions, worth what you paid for them. I wish you every success with this new adventure.

Dan

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Dan Sheehan, That is a lovely outline! "Tool Olympics" brings to mind the belt sander races some naughty boys would have when the shop teacher was absent. Some of he rural school districts around us have done away with hands on shop classes as well. Liability concerns and a lack of teachers are said to be the reason. 40 years ago Glasgow MO's AG shop produced professional welders right out of high school due to the collaboration between the shop teacher and the two big industries in town. Sadly, welding is now taught on a welding simulator in most schools. The former shop teacher is still very active in the community and oversees Training, Safety, FDA and USDA compliance for the handling of AG chemicals, which makes him a very important person.

[Mike Allen1010]

FFA has a well established decades old curriculum. It might be worth taking a look at.

Nathan McDonald-SAE-Woodworking Lesson Plan - National FFA Organization (https://www.ffa.org/educator_resources/saes-turn-your-hobby-into-profit/)

Woodworking Archives - National FFA Organization (https://www.ffa.org/resource_tag/woodworking/)

Thanks Maurice this is really helpful! It’s nice to have some flexibility and lesson planning, but a basic structure/curriculum is helpful as a foundation – appreciate the coaching!

Cheers, Mike

[Mike Allen1010]

Here is my perspective as a retired Wood Shop teacher. Just some suggestions to consider:

You don't teach woodshop. You teach students. It's about them learning about themselves first. How do they handle mistakes. What are their strengths and weaknesses. How can they help each other. Sharing resources. Clean up. Following directions. Being a good bench mate. Taking pride in their work... Above all safety.

Respect their uniqueness. Speak to every student every day. Use their name and ask their opinion about something. It doesn't have to be about shop. Just show interest in them.

Be generous with your praise. Recognize students for good work or acts of kindness.

Set up routines that demonstrate fairness, like sign up lists for tools or for your attention.

Doing nice work does not make you a good teacher. Read up on good teaching practice because you will be evaluated like the other teachers..

Teach measurement first. It will reduce scrap and bestow a life skill. I can share a great ruler lesson without math if you want it. It has a 100% pass rate.

Have a penalty system like hockey. Two minutes for no glasses, five for horseplay... etc. and call them like you see them.

DON'T bring in your own tools. They will break them. No doubt.

Teach one good skill building project at a time for intro classes. Advanced students should get more choice but limit the options with exceptions on a case by case basis. Some project ideas are just stupid, unsafe and bound to fail. A small success is better than a giant failure.

Reach out to the community for resources and recognize a helpful lumber yard or mill shop at the school board meeting. Ask a student to present a project to the superintendent. He or she will think of your program every time someone asks about it.

Invite the local newspaper into your shop for a public interest story and a picture. Eventually they will need to fill some space. Mention your supporters again. Have a student or two interviewed. Keep a copy for your wall.

Have a short lesson for the half days. I had great success with a hand tool Olympics. Sawing, nailing, boring with braces, maybe add a relay element. Drawknives are a favorite and teach grain direction but can eat up a lot of wood. BTW cleanup slackers are disqualified for the games.

And have fun. Students will thank you for watching their games, helping them build a set for their play, attending a concert, judging the cupcake wars in Home Ec.... Parents will meet you tell you that the Woodshop report is always a topic at the dinner table. It can a little humbling.

By now you might see that I loved my job. It ended when a new principal decided that shop class "was too outdated" and replaced it with robotics and Spanish. The room is now a massive junk closet I am told.

Anyway, it is rewarding to see my students years down the road and have them remind me of some thing I said or did for them and to hear that Mom still loves her birdhouse. And I see them all the time.

These are just some suggestions, worth what you paid for them. I wish you every success with this new adventure.

Dan

Thanks Dan for the guidance and inspiration – I value and appreciate all your hard won insight and advice! Thanks, Mike

[Jim Koepke]

Teach measurement first. It will reduce scrap and bestow a life skill. I can share a great ruler lesson without math if you want it. It has a 100% pass rate.


Not sure if Mike is interested. I teach woodworking to my grandkids and some of the neighbor kids and would love to have a plan to teach them about using a ruler.

jtk

[Adam Grund]

Off topic a bit- but I wish I would’ve taken more interest in shop class when I was in school. I only remember taking it in 9th grade, though I probably did take it in 10th too. Not only because I have a current interest in woodworking, but there was a lot of stuff that Is relevant in every day diy life too.
I just remember my projects being awful- poor fitting, never square, ect. And I thought I knew it all, knew It wasn’t really a skill I was going to need so no big deal on pursuing it to be better. Typical dumb kid!