"The Times They are a Changin'," Part Two

About a month ago I mentioned I was going to teach  a new class next year, one I'd never taught before.  I can now say the class is Crafts.  A wonderful man is retiring and the admin wanted to keep Crafts so students would have an elective.  That is somewhat interesting in that they have dropped woodshop, autoshop and cooking/home economics from the curriculum in the past when those teachers retired.  But I digress.

Crafts.  I know a bit of woodworking.  I repair most things around the house.  I've built fences, walls, replaced windows and done some remodeling here at the 'Zoo.  But Crafts implies some fine motor skills and precision.  I'm more in the realm of gross motor skills and jobs that can be covered in sheet rock and paint.  I tend to adapt what I have to fit the job.

This will involve starting from scratch. Crafts will entail plastic, metal, clay and paper mache.  I'm still scarred by my 3rd grade teacher who wouldn't allow me an extra minute on my finger painting project.  I had an idea, but it never came to pass as I envisioned it because the line of class mates was growing antsy behind me.  ope I won't scar a student in pursuit of art when I just want the project finished.  And more so, I hope a student won't lose a digit in the process.

The reality is this is going to be a good thing for me and I intend to make it a class I hope students want to take.  I have some ideas that may be a bit outside the "normal" Crafts offerings.  I'd like to do some practical projects.  With the loss of Woodshop, I'd like to teach some woodworking skills that many students may not be getting elsewhere. How about a 5 panel toolbox they could use? I would like to do a paracord braiding unit.  Paracord bracelets are showing up on our little campus, why not teach them something the students want and may help them in the future?  I'm interested right now in leather pouches and sheaths.  We could explore that.  There are many things that could be done.  And I've been blessed with the chance.

I am more than a bit worried about some things though.  I've never taught in a shop setting.  The photography lab won't help here.  I am overwhelmed with the storage issues.  There are materials, tools and equipment in three different rooms across campus excluding the actual shop.  As much as I can tolerate messy and disorganization, I can't let this happen here.  I'm a packrat, and what I've seen makes me think the previous two Crafts teachers were also.  Not that it's a bad thing.  I'm sure I will be collecting as many materials as I can with the budget given.  I just hope to get it organized in a way to appear less messy.  I've sort of been promised a shipping container, and I hope that works out.  What about older tools and machines?  I don't know pottery, but that doesn't mean I want to get rid of the wheels.  Some need work, so maybe fix up 4 or 5 and use the rest for parts.  But where to store the parts wheels?  Those are the questions I will be answering this summer.  And in some ways it will be a good task.

Don't we all have to "clean" ourselves up from time to time?  This change wasn't my choice in some ways, and certainly not on any radar I was watching.  But it is being viewed as a kick in the seat of my pants that I have needed.  It will be a ride and a hoot for sure.  I guess it also shows that if you are average at enough things and stick around long enough, you will asked to use those skills sometime.