WT Forums

...Shop Classes in school.

I'm starting a small research project for an article I hope to have published in my Wood Worker's Guild newsletter, about the need for, and lack of shop classes in today's high schools, and what should be done about it.

To me, shop classes are where we apply to the physical and tangable world, what we learn in the classroom. Math is used in all of the shop classes I've taken. You also have to be able to communicate so that brings English into the mix. You also have to know the materials you are working with, wood, metal, oils, etc. so that also brings Science into the fray.

When I was a kid in HS, back in the early '70s, shop classes were geared towards a vocation. The only kids taking auto shop were the one's who wanted to be mechanics. In the 50's and 60's that was what industry needed. However, in the early days of the introduction of shop classes in education, they were intended as a way of building self reliance, attention to detail, and a desire to produce quality work. Values that seem to be all but lost in today's world of 'Make as much money as you can, as fast as you can and screw anything and everything that gets in your way, including quality and customer service.'

Anyway, I don't really want to climb up on a soap box here and now. I'd just like to hear from you folks. What kinds of shop classes, if any, are taught in your kid's schools? How do the kids feel about them? How do you as a parent feel about them?

Please feel free to add in any further info you might like. Vent if it helps.

Thanks,

_________________
Slow is Fast, Fast is Slow
Violence may not be the best option, but it IS an option

Shop was always my favorite class in HS.
I remember we built a drafting table and T-square, rockets (that we launched), electronic circuit testers, models, a stool... all sorts of stuff.

I also almost severed my thumb one year on a jigsaw becuase I was not paying attention.

I didn't know the class is not common everywhere. It should be. Hell of a lot more important that study hall.

Shop Classes were a \"Big Part\" of our Community HS.
Drafting, Auto/diesel Mech., welding, sheet metal work, Wood working.

The 1st year you had to take a \"4 part shop class on introduction\" to shop which covered each one and you had to get atleast a \"75% avg in the areas you wanted to do later.


Now the local HS here have cut out Wood Working, Welding due too \"Insurance reasons\" If a Kid wants to learn that skill they have to go to the County career Center which the local Unions help run.
Auto Mechanics is a \"Joke\" at the school you only get to touch the Schools \"Mock-up\", while we could bring our cars in and do whatever we needed to do plus we did all the Maintance on Drivers Ed cars.

They finally this last year due to the consolidation of School Districts get a Ag program going due to closing the small farming schools.

The Trades use to build a House Every Year using students in each area, you could take HVAC, Electrician, Plumbing , Heavy equipment operation and Mechanics and Framing and Wood Construction.
It was a 3 hour class during the week, but you could sign-up for Weekend and after school class too.I did the weekend classes during the \"Off season\" of farming on top of my during the week Shop classes.

So now theres a \"Big Push\" around here due to \"Shortage of Trade Skills\" and trying to get rid of the \"Illegals\" doing these \"High Paying jobs\".
They have built trade centers for those \"Who aren't going to College \"
Pipe Fitters just started one too due to all the new \"Refineries \" going up in the next 4 years plus the 2 airports they need \"Heavy machines OPERATORS .

These are things that use to be taught in school, but since they stopped its done nothing but hurt everyone and now we play Catch-up!.

I've used alot of that training in the USAF and after I got out so its needed.

I've been after them to start up a JR ROTC program too

Goose

_________________
\"Live Free Or Die\"

I went to High School was back in the late 70’s / early 80’s and in the location that I went to school it primarily center on agricultural mechanics. It consisted of a two-hour block (one-hour classroom & one-hour shop). In the classroom portion, we went over things such as drafting and learning how to read blueprints and wiring diagrams. In the shop (hands on) portion, we learned tear down and build up procedures for small engines as well as arc and oxysedaline wielding and woodworking. We also would bring in our cars to do tune-ups and minor maintenance.

I will agree with you about the loss of these programs being a major set back for today’s youth. For example, while I was still in the military we had troops who couldn’t identify some of the most common tool used in a maintenance industry yet alone attempt to read a blueprint or wiring diagram.

As for why the high schools got away from teaching these basic skills I would have to guess it had something to do with the technical / community colleges that popped up around the country in the early 80’s.

I’m not sure if our local high school has a shop class per say, but I do know that our local Technical College does offer them in Car Audio installation class which they can attend to during regular school hours.

_________________


Faugh ah Ballaugh ~ Clear the Way

Yes that was sad when you got a new troop in and you were wondering \"
Who in Hell put him for being a CrewDawg??????\"\"\"\"
When you spend half of their first day drilling \"Righty Tighty Lefty Loosey\" after they keep breaking apex's and stripping screws on panels and then you show them \"How to use a Speed Handle\" but you have to wait on the advance training till later \"Vise Grips and Dog Bones\" were too much for them.


But your right its sad, both of my Girls have taken a year of Shop in High School so they can \"Do things like fix a flat, change a air filter , etc... wire a switch stuff like that, besides the Ex is an Ex engine troop too so they have a good ifea.

Goose

_________________
\"Live Free Or Die\"

Because of the shop classes I took many, many moons ago, I wasn't afraid to tackle any job around the house, especially since my dad wasn't overly handy. 30MM Jr took a class in H.S., built an oak night stand with drawer and double doors from scratch/plans. One of his proudest possessions. Now he takes on DIY chores around his own place.

_________________
\"Those who hammer their guns into plows
will plow for those who do not.\"
- Thomas Jefferson

I was lucky, my dad was basically a self taught machinist so he passed a lot of stuff on to me long before I got into shop class. Most kids cant/wont work on much of anything so they just toss them and buy another ( I have a 24yr old nephew who cant do a THING mechanically and has to pay someone or have me or his dad fix things for him ). I didnt learn much from shop class except what a jerk one of the teachers was lol, but like I said, I was lucky.
Things I think should be mandatory in school:
Math
Music
Shop class
ANY foreign language because it teaches you so much about your own language.
History
English ( I USED to be against English, but I get text messages from teens once and a while and well............ )

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

First, thanks to all for the responces. Your insight will be a great help in writing this article.

Had to laugh at Gooses complaints at some of the kids out there. Kind of reminded me of my early day's on the line at DM. I'd never seen a speed handle before. At first I thought they were hand drills. I'd only taken one semester of wood shop in HS and the rest was drafting.

You've also raised some other great points though. Primarily that these classes can instill the confidence in our kids to roll up their sleeves and do for themselves instead of paying someone out the ass to do something for them. Weather it be fixing a flat, changing an air filter, un-clogging a drain, or building a shelf.

I'm also learning that the number of HS's that have dropped these courses is not as dismally low as I'd first thought. So there is hope. On the down side though, I heard just today on a Woodworking site, that one HS had closed their shop classes across the board when a young girl lost a finger in a table saw. While her injury is serious and a real tragedy, you have to wonder if that is the way schools operate, why have none of them dropped football or other sports when young players get seriously injured. It just doesn't make since to me.

Any way, thanks again for your help.

_________________
Slow is Fast, Fast is Slow
Violence may not be the best option, but it IS an option

That's an easy one, it's because sports programs generate revenue.

_________________


Faugh ah Ballaugh ~ Clear the Way

My Fondest memories are being sent home from boy scout Camp at 2 am at the age of 14 For nailing a Squirell with a Cross bow I built in Jr Highschool.


Twang! stuck on the tree right in front of the Chowhall!

Or maybe it ws because of the succesfull op i pulled off later that night after my Crossbow was confiscated, by Dropping snow down the Girl Scouts Lodge Chimney that very night.


It seems that sports injuries are ok, but Shop class accidents are Law Suits anymore.

My sons Metals class was closed for a month over a kid that got his finger cutoff. I think it was due to a safety standown and a lawsuit.

_________________
\"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week. \"

George S. Patton

There's not much these days, no. I did metalworking my freshman year. That was also the last year, so I wasn't able to take the second year of the class. What I did do was go to the technical school(\"career center\") and do brick and stone masonry. It replaced half the day, and was fun, despite the idiots that I was with. They offered auto classes(at the time, a small donation and materials could get you discount body work, for what it's worth), welding, small engine repair, and most of the building trades. They even had a small store where they taught supermarket stuff, for the people that wouldn't be able to do anything else.

_________________
Evil is evil, no matter how small.

I for one believe that cash register operation and change counting 101 is a "MUST" before starting any job as a teen.

Hell, now most can't make change, they wait until the \"Computer\" tells them what to give back and if they have to \"Do it by hand\" forget it you might as well just leave .

They never count out your change anymore either.

Hey Boomer, why would you make Music a must?????
I hated music class, the teacher was a \"Army WAC\" of 30 years and even wore her uniforms (without the rank) to school every day Green part of the time,blue the rest.
We had to learn \"As the Case ons go rolling along \" at attention and if you messed-up you got either your \"Hair pulled\" or you knuckles busted with a ruler( We had Nuns too for teachers)
So no with music for me, Now PE should be a must and every School should have a swimming pool or access to one to teach kids how to swim.

But every one should get the \"3 R's\" before they Graduate ,alot don't anymore.

Goose

_________________
\"Live Free Or Die\"

Ditto alot of what Goose stated...........I had Nun's as well and fell I came away from it OK!

They need the basics........and no more of this...well Steven can play basketball so lets give him passing grades.
Steven is now looking at graduation and moving on, but cannot spell his name, or count the number of zero's in the dollar amount the NBA is attempting to pay him to skip college.

Whats it matter......he has failed either way?