I'll throw in with those who say "go for it!". It will be an adventure for you when you get to the new stuff, but stick with it and you'll be rewarded. Stay a lesson or two ahead of your students, and if they start to pull even with you, consider your job well done and try to learn some from them. I'm convinced that shop cl***es and shop teachers make a huge difference to the lives of kids who are tech oriented.
shop cl*** rocked! my shop teacher had a thing about people picking up things on his desk. i remember him spinning around a condenser by the lead,holding it by the body all at the same time telling us "please leave the stuff on my desk alone" as soon as we walked out into the shop we hear a scream from the cl***room bamm! someone picked up that condenser. took some time to figure out what he had done and i never heard him say another word about stuff on his desk. jump in and run with it as long as you get their respect in the beginning your shop cl*** should rock!
Custer County and the Montana school system is lucky to have you. BS your way in and then put in the hours to learn the material. I BS'd my way into one of my first jobs and then I hustled.... came in early, last to leave.... and no one ever questioned my abilities once I made that impression. s.
as a 10 year member of our local schools advisory committee engauge yourself and do it, others will get you up to speed, do the summer intern at a dealer or indy shop and enjoy, I have 10 employees fixing cars every day with a high school kid learing with one of my techs and if you have local support itworks just fine, how long you gonna live anyway?
Not to burst the bubble here, but we have compentencies to fill out on each kid. They have fuel injection, electronic ignitions, ABS systems and what ever the state has in place for your cl***. If you become NATEF you have to have so many hours for each ASE area. Now for the good part. You have the students longer during the day and they will help you if you have problems. Get the text book for the summer. I was a journyman tech for 20 + years and I still read the text book. Stay ahead of the game and hopefully the teacher before you had leason plans. Don't reinvent the wheel. You'll need an avisor committee of local shop owners and techs, they should help you. I've been doing this for 9 years and think it's the greatest (most of the time). If you would like PM me, we can talk. Saturday we are taking the car we built( not done) to a car show. The students that did most of the work are stoked. Good luck and keep us posted. Mick
Go for it. ALso look at local community college schedules. Many of them offer Tech I and II cl***es condensed over the summer. Might be a good intro to the newer computerized stuff.
Like so many of these guy have said read up as much as you can over the summer but most of all pray about it and you'll get direction.
Dan, I'm a 24 year teaching veteran, mostly elementary cl***room with a little high school Art thrown in for good measure. In 4 years previous to this one, I would apply for shops positions just for the hell of it, to be told by personel that I was unqualified. I would respond, "come to my shop or look in some photo albums to see what I can do". Well, times change....qualified shops teachers looking for jobs are rare and the previous personel guy retired. Lo and behold, this past August the stars were aligned and I was given my chance..... full time Metalwork and Mechanics, grades 8 to 12. The first two or three months were agonizing with self-doubt. But here I am a little over a month away from the end of my first full year, and I can honestly say, I love it. It feels like I have begun an entirely new career..... one where I actually feel p***ionate about my subject. I've got my senior kids building a table-top English Wheel that should see good use next year. In September, I intend to have my '28 roadster pickup in my mechanics cl***room and remove one panel at a time to come over to the metal shop for instructed restoration at the hands of my students. I say, go for it man, you'll never look back!!
well, sounds like the previous teacher has changed his mind and is gonna stay, I'm a little pissed as i was getting pretty excited about the prospect, oh well...it'll probably come up again!
On day one, I would start a hot rod project and build a car from scratch. Require all students to research on the HAMB with their own accounts. We don't have auto cl***es at our high school, so my 15 year old son was talking to a long time rodder and he offered to show him how to build a car, weld, alignment, body work and primer (not paint - Kody doesn't like shiny cars). Take the job and mold these students into craftsmen, designers and technicians so they can go on and create cool cars for everyone to enjoy. 47 Ford Panel
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