I have parent-teacher conferences tonight: AMA

"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
10/07/2015 at 17:19 • Filed to: AMA

I have parent teacher conferences tonight. As you may imagine, shop teachers don’t get a lot of ... action ... on parent-teacher conference night. So, as parents dribble in and out, ask me anything!

Muscle Truck for your time.

DISCUSSION (72)

bob and john > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 17:24

motorcycles, yay or nay?

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 17:24

what kind of shop?

Woodshop, Metalworking, or Automotive?

ly2v8-Brian > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 17:25

That truck is awesome.

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 17:28

How do you feel about state mandated standardized testing?

Future next gen S2000 owner > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 17:29

How do you sharpen a reel style lawn mower? Seriously.

Pretty sure mine needs a file taken to it.

uofime-2 > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 17:33

How is the mix of students in your class, percent taking it out of genuine interest vs. people hoping for an easy to pass course?

shop-teacher > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/07/2015 at 17:33

Yeah, I would guess a file. Or replace it with an electric mower (I’m assuming you’ve got a tiny lawn).

Future next gen S2000 owner > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 17:38

Yeah, very small. I can criss cross the whole thing like three times, rake, trim around the edges, and sweep the driveway and sidewalks free of grass in about 1.5 hours.

jariten1781 > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 17:41

You have them at night? Ours are always in the day which is mega obnoxious for working parents.

shop-teacher > uofime-2
10/07/2015 at 17:42

I teach middle school now, so I get every kid in the school. Most of them are pretty excited to be in my class. A few are terrified, but get over it. A few could not care less what I, or anybody else, have to say about anything. Such is life.

Back when I taught high school, it depended on what subject I was teaching. Auto shop and Wood shop classes are sometimes viewed by guidance counselors as dumping grounds for problem students. This varies a lot from school district to school district, but at the last high school I taught at, it was very much the case. CAD/Architecture/Engineering classes were almost exclusively taken by kids who really were interested, and so those were a lot easier to teach.

I did once have a high school senior in a CAM/CNC class who needed my class to graduate, who was doing absolutely no work and was not interested. After about six weeks I asked him why he took this class. He said, “My counselor told me to take this class, because there was no homework. I don’t do homework.” I replied, “Yes, there is no homework in here, but that means you have to actually DO the work in class.” Surprisingly that worked, and he did start making an effort. He fell one point short on the final exam from passing my class and graduating ... I gave him the point.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
10/07/2015 at 17:45

Personally, I have always been a good test taker, and have gotten 100% scores on exams which I couldn’t tell you one damn thing about today.

Standardized testing is a complete crock of bullshit, fed to us by the multi-billion dollar testing industry via the politicians they bought. If we spent those billions on making our schools and teachers better, we could make a real difference. If we spent half what we spend on prisons, on education instead, we could make a monumental difference.

shop-teacher > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
10/07/2015 at 17:46

Currently I teach middle school woods and sheet metal shop. As well as CAD drafting and 3D printing.

uofime-2 > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 17:47

Wow, a middle school that requires a shop class that’s really surprising to me. Is it a couple times a week type thing or daily?

shop-teacher > bob and john
10/07/2015 at 17:47

I like them, but I’ve never ridden one. Now that I’m in my mid-30’s and have little kids, I don’t think now is the time to start.

That said, I really want that Grom Scrambler concept to go into production. I want one for tooling around Road America.

shop-teacher > ly2v8-Brian
10/07/2015 at 17:48

I love that thing so much.

uofime-2 > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 17:48

I do not envy you having to make grading decisions like that it cannot be easy having to decide essentially what is best for the student.

shop-teacher > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/07/2015 at 17:49

The yard of the house I grew up in, you could mow it in nine minutes, including emptying the bag. Dad always kept an ICE mower around anyways.

shop-teacher > uofime-2
10/07/2015 at 17:53

Our program is pretty unique. Many middle schools have gotten rid of shop completely, and even fewer require every student to take them. I’m very proud of the program we’ve built here, I’ve put a ton of work into it. I get them everyday, but not for the entire year. I get 6th and 7th graders for six weeks, and then they rotate to another class (Art, Music, etc). 8th graders pick four out of five areas, and they stay for nine weeks. So, I get every 6th and 7th grader, and 80% of the 8th graders.

shop-teacher > uofime-2
10/07/2015 at 17:56

I didn’t agonize over that one too long. The way I saw it, what possible good have come from forcing that kid to come to summer school? None. What made the difference for me, was that he did put in an effort after I talked to him. He was also very nice and honest, no lies or BS from him. Had he continued to slack, I would not have given him that point. Although, had he continued to slack, his grade would have been so abysmal that it wouldn’t have mattered anyways.

Future next gen S2000 owner > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 17:57

I could but I don’t want to deal with gas going bad - Stabil only lasts so long, ethanol gumming up the carb. Not worth it to me. Plus it hangs on the wall. I would do electric but meh, I’m cheap.

shop-teacher > jariten1781
10/07/2015 at 17:58

We have them from 4-8pm tonight, and then from 8am-3pm on Friday. I only have 12 conferences scheduled for the entire day Friday.

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 17:59

I agree wholeheartedly. I’m on the board of our elementary school PTA (any Opponauts out there with kids in school who aren’t in the PTA are doing your kids a disservice), and I had a chat with our AP last night about the tests here in TX. The state is raising the standards at a time when the kids, on the whole, simply aren’t ready for it. My 4th graders get no instruction in penmanship because there is no time for it with all the STAAR test preparation that takes place. Anything that isn’t math, science or reading is pushed to the margins, given short shrift, or skipped altogether. What these tests never take into consideration is that while the tests are standardized, the students’ home life is anything but standard, and schools, especially public schools, are filled with kids from such a wide spectrum of home experiences that no single test could ever do them service or be diagnostic in any meaningful way. But the politicians need something to point to when they allocate money (and go after teachers they feel are underperforming), and the easiest way to do that is to institute a test and have the teachers teach to the test, with enormous ramifications for those teachers and schools who have kids that simply don’t have the support mechanisms to be successful. Perhaps there needs to be a standardized test for parents, because they are the ones who will determine the success of the kids, not a test.

shop-teacher > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/07/2015 at 18:00

That makes sense. The storage of the reel mower is pretty nice. I only buy one gallon of gas at a time because of the fuel issue, and I have a decent size lawn.

uofime-2 > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 18:04

That’s really cool I wish my school had a shop program would have gladly taken that over art or music.

What's your curriculum like?

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 18:04

nice! I took 2 woodshop classes back in Jr. High, and loved it!

I’m currently taking CSE (comp sci & eng) and we’ll learn how to use a 3D printer

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
10/07/2015 at 18:05

I wish I could give this a million stars.

We’ve done away with educating the whole child, to push push push those tests. Schools can’t win. We get crap for “teaching to the test”, but our nuts are help to the fire on them with legal mandates.

People also wonder why other countries test so much better. The answer is that we are the only country that tests EVERYBODY. Those other countries track their students very early on. If you’re on the “vocational” track, or the “laborer” track, you don’t get tested in other countries.

Future next gen S2000 owner > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 18:05

The weed trimmer is gas powered. I run through about a gallon every summer and most of that is for starting fires. I would bet I use ~ 1/2 a gallon all summer.

RallyWrench > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 18:07

What’s the dumbest thing you’ve seen a student do in class?

Conversely, what’s the best thing you’ve seen one make?

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 18:11

What’s your favorite planet?

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 18:12

You make another very strong point. Not every kid is college-bound, nor should they be. As important as college is, our society still needs mechanics and plumbers and construction workers. To test all these people the same way is ludicrous. Everybody has different gifts, and they should be encouraged to follow paths that will make them happy and successful. And even the definition of “successful” has to be flexible. When you have rich, mostly white, college-educated lawyers writing the rules, and not educators, I suppose this is the ultimate result. We end up marginalizing the kids with physical talents (other than football) and help create an epidemic of dropouts. I’m a trained musician. I know kids who are remarkable musicians who have trouble balancing an algebra equation. Should they be kept out of music on a no-pass-no-play basis because they can’t pass the state test? I don’t think so. The sad part is that the system is only becoming more entrenched. Hopefully things will be better for my grandchildren.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 18:14

Are torx bolts created by the devil? And how do I shim a starter on a chevy 350?

911e46z06 > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 18:20

You have 300 grand to build your ideal 6-car garage. What do you buy?

DipodomysDeserti > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 18:48

Do you have all ten fingers?

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
10/07/2015 at 19:02

Yes! Not only do we need mechanics and plumbers and construction workers and CNC machine operators, etc , but those are very good jobs. I’d argue that getting a certificate in CNC machining is a much better career path than getting a Bachelors in Business and using it to work retail.

shop-teacher > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
10/07/2015 at 19:03

Cool! They’re a lot of fun. I will say that my hatred for the Makerbot company grows deeper with each passing month.

shop-teacher > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins)
10/07/2015 at 19:04

Yes, clearly. Especially when they’re rusty.

Uhhhh .... with shims. Preferably metal.

shop-teacher > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/07/2015 at 19:05

My weed wacker and leaf blower are both gas. I barely get that gallon finished before the 3 month time period that gas is good.

Master Cylinder > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 19:18

How honest frank are you with the parents? If their kid is an idiot, do you tell them? (in a nice way, of course)

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 19:21

Do you have a 3d printer?

desertdog5051 > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 19:35

Where do they still have shop classes? When I went to school they had them but I have never heard of them now except at community colleges.

shop-teacher > 911e46z06
10/07/2015 at 19:36

I’m pretty sure I could spend $300k on the following:

- Blue CTS-V wagon, 6-speed, without the sport seats (I’m too fat for those)
- ‘70 Chevelle SS, matador red w/ black stripes, LS-6 454, M-22 rock crusher 4-speed trans, near stock (upgraded brakes and suspension, but still with 15” steel wheels).
- Mid 60’s Coupe Deville (whichever rear had the wicked peaked rear window)
- 3rd gen Camaro with an LS swap and a fully built suspension and roll cage ... and T-tops
- ‘59 El Camino, totally stock except for brakes and tires.
- Rally prepped ‘68-’72 Nova

Either those, or a Muira plus five beaters :)

shop-teacher > Master Cylinder
10/07/2015 at 19:39

Well, you never really see the parents of the kids you really need to see. Which is, of course, why you really need to see them.

I’ll talk about their strengths (I’ve yet to meet a kid who doesn’t have ANY), and the things they need to improve on. They’re only five minutes long.

shop-teacher > desertdog5051
10/07/2015 at 19:42

Most high schools still have shops, but the guidance counselors who sign kids up for classes, don’t exactly promote shop classes most of the time. Programs are definitely a lot “leaner” than they used to be. A lot of middle schools have gotten rid of shops, although some of them are starting to realize that was a mistake.

shop-teacher > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz)
10/07/2015 at 19:42

Earth! It’s the only place I can breath!

shop-teacher > DipodomysDeserti
10/07/2015 at 19:44

Indeed I do! Planning to keep it that way!

I guarantee I’ll need hearing aids by age 50 though. I don’t know a single shop teacher who doesn’t end up with them. I need to keep my ears open for bad stuff happening, so it’s basically the cost of doing business.

shop-teacher > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
10/07/2015 at 19:44

I have two of them. One is broken right now ... again ... I hate the Makerbot company so much.

911e46z06 > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 19:53

Muscle-car heavy. I dig it.

shop-teacher > RallyWrench
10/07/2015 at 19:55

Jeeze ... dumbest thing ... that’s a tough one. I’ve seen a lot of dumb, but none of it makes for an interesting story.

At the first high school I taught at, if we had a gullible kid cut a board too short, we would to send them around to the other shop teachers looking for the board stretcher. Whoever we sent them to would say they didn’t have it, but they thought Mr. Smith did. Mr. Smith would send them to the next teacher, and so on down the line. If you were the last one to get them, you’d send them across the parking lot to see it the bus mechanic had it.

A variation we used at another high school was to send them for next door for a bucket of steam.

They’d come back and ask, “White or grey?”

“White stream.”

They’d run back over and come back again, “Dry or wet?”

“I need the dry white steam.”

Then they’d run back again.

Good times. I don’t get to do that in middle school. There’s nobody for me to send them to.

The coolest thing I’ve seen a kid make recently is a working catapult that he designed and modeled, and we printed on our 3D printer. We went through several versions, and when we finally got one that was going to work, I raced to the hardware store on my lunch hour to buy a spring for it. I was so excited!

shop-teacher > 911e46z06
10/07/2015 at 19:56

Yeah, that’s my thing. Honestly, a lot of those would rotate out and be replaced by other things. There are so many cars and trucks I’d like to own!

Master Cylinder > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 20:04

Makes sense. That (the parents not showing up for the kids who really need it) would be really frustrating to me.

shop-teacher > uofime-2
10/07/2015 at 20:08

They’re all half CAD/3D printing and half shop. In the shop the 6th graders build a table out of newspaper and masking tape, and we test them with weights (some of them can hold a lot!). Then they build and test a balsa wood bridge. 7th graders do sheet metal, they build a little tool tray, and well as a battery powered car using a pan chassis they fabricate and wheels, pulleys and a motor mount that they make on the 3D printer. 8th graders do wood working, they build a desk organizer and a table top clock.

shop-teacher > Master Cylinder
10/07/2015 at 20:09

It is incredibly frustrating.

fryguy > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 21:10

JBird is reading over my shoulder. Says Industrial Tech was one of her favorites. We still pull out the snowman (that plays Jingle Bells) she made at Jefferson.

Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 21:14

Nice Stepside!

shop-teacher > fryguy
10/07/2015 at 21:21

Good!

shop-teacher > Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast
10/07/2015 at 21:22

I wish it was mine!

Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 21:32

You and me both! A friend of mines dad had one in lime green as a beat up work truck back in the 80’s. There are not many of them over here so it was an unusual choice. He sold it to a guy who cleaned it up (a lot!) and made it a show truck. Haven’t seen it in years but it was spectacular.

shop-teacher > Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast
10/07/2015 at 21:34

My dad’s first truck, which he had when I was a kid, was an electric blue ‘79 K10 fleetside longbed. I loved that truck like crazy. As soon as I muster up the courage to cut up two Bywayman castings and make them into a longbed, I’m going to make a replica of it :)

Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 21:39

Cool! That will be an awesome custom. I remember you mentioning it a while back. You can buy courage in a can but its probably not a good idea if you are going to be using power tools ;)

911e46z06 > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 21:58

Me too. I’m at 11 cars and 6 boats right now. It’s disgusting. Talked to a contractor the other day about building a third garage on the property.

desertdog5051 > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 22:06

Where are you?

shop-teacher > 911e46z06
10/07/2015 at 22:41

Nice problem to have :)

shop-teacher > desertdog5051
10/07/2015 at 22:42

Chicago suburbs.

911e46z06 > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 23:00

More expensive than cigarettes, but at least it won’t give me cancer

shop-teacher > Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast
10/07/2015 at 23:28

I hate the taste of alcohol, so I’ll just have to work up the nerve on my own :)

Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast > shop-teacher
10/07/2015 at 23:55

Ha ha! Yes you'll have to search inwards!

desertdog5051 > shop-teacher
10/08/2015 at 03:10

I took a Machinist class in high school, in Michigan, and I still have the textbook from it. I learned so much. I still refer to it when I need to know something I am not sure of.

Where I live, Shop classes are pretty much non-existent.

What do you teach?

I was born in Chicago, lived there for 3 years, and then moved to West Chicago and lived there until 2nd grade. Then moved to Michigan.

shop-teacher > desertdog5051
10/08/2015 at 07:11

I’m not far from West Chicago, in Villa Park.

uofime-2 > shop-teacher
10/08/2015 at 09:26

That’s really cool

shop-teacher > uofime-2
10/08/2015 at 10:16

Thanks!

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > shop-teacher
10/08/2015 at 10:36

Well, we all know the moon isn’t made of green cheese. But what if it were made of barbeque spare ribs would you eat it then?

shop-teacher > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz)
10/08/2015 at 11:25

No, barbeque sauce always tries to kill me.

Now if it were made of charred rare rib-eye steaks, that’s a whole ‘nother thang.