I was a Cabinetmaker/Carpenter for 20+ years before becoming a teacher. It was a lifelong dream to work with others and make some kind of a difference in the world. My career as a carpentry teacher began in a youth prison. After my first week I was ready to quit because the students flattened me like a steam roller. I had been trained to be a tough teacher, to be ready to work with tough students. I was told that if I let down my guard, even for a moment, they would take advantage of me. But what I was doing was not working and I was miserable!
Then I had an epiphany! I was not being real and authentic with my students and they saw right through me. So the next day I came to class and slammed my stool on the floor. It was time to have a talk. I said, "If you let me, I can teach you how to build and also give you some tools to help you build a life. Not because I am better than you, but I am older and have a lifetime of experience." I was speaking from my gut, not trying to be tough or anything but my own true self. I shared how I did not fit into school. I let them know that I went astray, got into trouble, and lost my way. But a trade and a few mentors quite literally saved my life. I was being real now and my students knew it. The wall that was between us started to come down. I could begin to really teach, for now we were building a foundation of trust and respect.
After 13 years of teaching I have built upon simple methods of being real and authentic in the classroom. Although I left the prison years ago, the basic methods of reaching students remain the same. What is surprising is that most students share that our class is life changing. The methods are simple, basic, and bring forth lost traditions. I am weaving wisdom into the fabric of my curriculum. The class has become a "rites of passage" for young people. What is being offered are lessons of life. When students leave the classroom they are equipped with two toolboxes. One filled with the knowledge from the curriculum and the other filled with the tools for building a life.
Then I had an epiphany! I was not being real and authentic with my students and they saw right through me. So the next day I came to class and slammed my stool on the floor. It was time to have a talk. I said, "If you let me, I can teach you how to build and also give you some tools to help you build a life. Not because I am better than you, but I am older and have a lifetime of experience." I was speaking from my gut, not trying to be tough or anything but my own true self. I shared how I did not fit into school. I let them know that I went astray, got into trouble, and lost my way. But a trade and a few mentors quite literally saved my life. I was being real now and my students knew it. The wall that was between us started to come down. I could begin to really teach, for now we were building a foundation of trust and respect.
After 13 years of teaching I have built upon simple methods of being real and authentic in the classroom. Although I left the prison years ago, the basic methods of reaching students remain the same. What is surprising is that most students share that our class is life changing. The methods are simple, basic, and bring forth lost traditions. I am weaving wisdom into the fabric of my curriculum. The class has become a "rites of passage" for young people. What is being offered are lessons of life. When students leave the classroom they are equipped with two toolboxes. One filled with the knowledge from the curriculum and the other filled with the tools for building a life.
Teach Authentic
