Lessons from the Woodshop

Woodworking, or “Crafts”, has long been a point of pride in the Green Vale curriculum. The value of continuing to teach it extends well beyond the desire to maintain beloved traditions such as 3rd Grade nutcrackers and 5th Grade sailboats. While there is much to appreciate about “what kids make” and bring home, the true learning lies in the process. Scott Carro joined Green Vale in September from Austin, TX where he ran woodworking programs for children as young as Kindergarten. He brought with him a collection of antique tools, many of which the students use regularly, such as a shaving horse he made himself, and a set of Stanley planes from the 1920s. “I love showing them how technology that was in use when the School was founded still works great today.” Carro takes time to educate students about different kinds of tools. Showing them how completely different designs can achieve the same end exposes them to engineering and innovation in a tangible way. They compare a Western push-cut saw with a Japanese-style saw, and learn when to use a spokeshave rather than a hand plane. Students understand that “cross cut” and “rip cut” relates to the grain of the wood, which dictates why you need two types of teeth. They learn why a brace generates more torque than a bit drill, and also sample a vintage egg-beater drill.

“They gain appreciation for wood as a material and the ability to build beautiful and useful things.” — Scott Carro

Woodworking offers a context for helping students take notice of how things around them are constructed. “I ask them to look at joinery around their houses. Where do they see dovetail? Where do they see mortise and tenon?” He also teaches students about wood itself, and connects different types to different trees. When a black cherry tree fell on campus, Carro was quick to take students outside to observe him cutting sections with a chainsaw and compare the interior to the soft pine used in most classroom projects. Some older students practiced wood splitting. By year end, they will be able to work with boards crafted from the campus tree, proving that “wood does not just come from Home Depot,” quips Carro.

Carro also points to the benefits of a long-term project, such as the remarkable year-long 5th Grade boats that start as simple boards. Attention span, focus, and patience are exercised as a result. Students experience tremendous satisfaction from delayed gratification, an increasingly rare experience for young people. The process of building from wood entails intellectual and emotional skills such as planning, patience, fine motor skills, abstract thinking, precision, measurement, and self-control. “When students bring completed work home, I encourage parents to look beyond just the appearance of the piece. Ask your child what tools they used. Ask what steps they followed in completing it, and what their biggest challenge was.” While some projects lend themselves to colorful paint jobs, such as 3rd Grade nutcrackers, Carro believes that other pieces benefit more from showing authentic tool marks and natural wood grain. He is introducing students to staining and other ways of finishing the surface. Another element Carro has introduced is increased agency in project selection by 8th Grade. Students are more energized – and often take on greater challenges – when able to execute original ideas such as a dog house, a stool, left-handed cooking tools, and a fire-pit bench. We asked Carro how he can gauge student engagement. His response was immediate: “When I ring the bell to stop work and no one stops.”

Mr. Carro’s homemade shaving horse is a fun alternative to a vise.

Students love the two-person saw.