I managed to catch a three-day assignment to round out my week. The last time I had subbed for this teacher he taught computer stuff (coding and such). But I knew he had moved into a new discipline in the career and technical education department. I thought he was teaching woodshop.
It's not woodshop, though. Now the class he teaches is called residential construction. And yeah, it is what it sounds like.
Residential construction 3, so the students in the third year of it, were building a shed for the activities director. Residential construction 2, second year, were building a tiny house. On the day I was there, a couple students were working on installing a toilet while a third was adding siding to the outside.
And the first year students were doing a small wall.
(Normally I would be stuck with them doing online work while their teacher was out, but the classes had instructional aides who could supervise, so they could actually work on their construction stuff.)
I'm calling it a small wall as that's kind of what it was. First they built a frame. Then into that frame they attached outlet boxes. And then they had to wire them.
Before they could move on, they tested the wiring. The IA plugged a bulb into the socket. They connected the wiring to a live outlet. And then they flipped the switch. If the light turned on, they passed.
Then it was time for drywall.
They had to cut the pieces to fit. Then they screwed it into the frame.
Some students were behind and just getting the wiring done. Some were ahead and able to drywall. But a few were in a holding pattern as they were just about out of drywall. (The teacher was going to bring more, but he's out for a reason.)
Well, they had online work, too. There's a website sponsored by Home Depot called Path to Pro. They have instructions on how to do all sorts of construction stuff. (The year two and three students were completing OSHA training stuff.) So, they had enough to keep them busy.
Of course, high school students, so some were more on their phones or on online games. But that's pretty standard.
Just in case you were wondering what they're teaching the kiddos in school nowadays.
I love this. Now that I'm on the condo board, I wish I better understood how stuff is made and then how it's supposed to work.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how many videos are out there. But yeah, a class is way better.
DeleteI think this is so practical and excellent use of their time!
ReplyDeleteIt's a great class. I'm glad to know it's there.
DeleteI'm glad they offer these classes. Even if they go into something else it will always be beneficial to know how to do it.
ReplyDeleteThey're offering more CTE classes nowadays. All sorts of great intros to amazing fields.
DeleteWow
ReplyDeleteWe need people for these fields and it's awesome that these classes are being given. My son did not take the college path; instead he works with his hands (and mind) and has been college debt free from day one. His favorite high school class was a welding course. But even those on the college path can benefit. P.S. I briefly looked at the Home Depot site you linked to, also.
ReplyDeleteI like linking to the websites they use when possible. It's interesting to see what's out there (and what we can utilize should the need arise).
DeleteWow, that is awesome. I took a wood shop class in high school and got to work with band saw's, grinders ect. But we only made a couple of wooden animals. lol
ReplyDeleteThat's totally the class I was expecting when I picked up the gig.
DeleteWhat an AWEsome, USEFUL class. Those kids are truly learning valuable stuff.
ReplyDeleteThey are.
DeleteHow nice! It's really a fun activity and quite beneficial to students, though it's an entirely different matter that they might not be aware or conscious of the benefits!
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of my Craft classes while in school. Every week we had two hours and we had a Craft teacher who was professionally trained. We worked on wood, like sawing and cutting and chiselling, etc. And we made small boxes, actually fully functional ones which were used in places like classrooms to put chalk and duster. We were assessed for our skill sets and given grades!
What a neat class! Useful skills for sure.
ReplyDeleteDid you get involved with the building process? I would've loved it. That was my career. I was an on-site project coordinator in commercial construction and an OSHA inspector. It was a lot of fun. I had to know all the trades and schedule them so they weren't working on top of one another, and at the end I inspected the building. So many funny and not so funny stories from that experience. - Kids today need these classes.
ReplyDeleteThey definitely do. Lately there's been a push to remind the kiddos of the trades in school. There are so many more CTE classes than there used to be.
DeleteI think this is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteSound like wonderful project.
ReplyDeleteThis provides a fascinating insight into what the kids are actually learning in school, and I honestly find it impressive that they are building real sheds and tiny houses. Do you think you could have passed the lightbulb wiring test yourself, or would you have been stuck on your phone like some of those students? Have a great and happy weekend! I also just shared a new travel post that you are invited to read at www.melodyjacob.com.
ReplyDelete