The Downside of Disappearing Shop Classes

A long, long, LONG time ago, when I was in junior high school, I took offered “shop” classes at any opportunity. I remember taking wood, metals, drafting (on paper, of course), along with electricity class (despite the math involved). These were basic classes, but I really enjoyed them and learned a lot. In high school, I took as many shop classes as I could schedule while still participating in college preparatory programs. Out of all the classes I took, auto shop was my favorite. Clifton High School had a good program at that time and a great teacher. I enjoyed shop classes so much I went to college to teach industrial arts. After graduating, I interviewed and toured many high schools but held out for my preferred auto shop teaching position.

At the time, most high schools at least possessed some shop classes. Eventually, I landed a job teaching high school “Power Mechanics – Auto Shop.” The shop classes my department taught were of high value, as:

1. Not everyone is content with sitting at a desk or, nowadays, in front of a monitor.