Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: read, answer questions, lecture, discuss, demonstrate, etc. the chapter on drum brakes.... Thursday, Friday: Lab - rebuild a set of '56 F100 front drums and install on some new round back spindles and a new super bell.... Might as well practice on some cool stuff
Thats AWESOME Dano! I think my old HS's shop was changed into a modern interperative Polish Dance Studio
It would also help if they can read the instructions and do the math to calculate things. I wish my HS had a shop class. All I got was readin,writin and rithmetic. Nick
Between auto, metal and wood shop in HS I had little time for the "other" classes. Now the majority of kids today don't get that chance. Thanks for being a teacher!
Very Nice. Wish we could work on that kind of stuff in our Auto Shop class. We have been doing bookwork all year and learning electrical crap and doing Mathmatics 2 out of the 5 days. But atleast our teacher started an after school thing where only a few guys that really care attend and we get to do all kinds of cool stuff.A little o/t but we got running a 1981 Honda 400 that only has 1 mile on it and everything works on it and is pristine condition. A good time for sure. Also our teacher wants to find a 40s or 50's school bus that the auto club can work on for the school. He wants to slightly modify the appearance and probably modify the drivetrain for a nice rig for the Auto class to take field trips in. Anyone know where we can get our hands on a 40s or 50s or maybe even real early 60's school bus around eastern Illinois.
I have such great memories of my High School shop classes back in the 70's. It's such a shame they are pretty much all gone out of the High Schools in the Los angeles area now!
Not every kid wants to be a computer geek or get a business degree. This country is still full of people who fix things and build things. Too bad our schools no longer prepare our kids for careers that don't include 4 years of college. My youngest son hated high school, but loved the tech school he paid for with his own money after he graduated. He does semi truck body work, and his job can't ever be sent off shore.
Make sure the Board of Ed. and anybody else you can think of know how you feel. Teaching situations that lean to pratical hands on dirty work are going the way of Dodo bird.
wow never had anything that cool in shop when i was in school............plus no nice looking girls either .
Somebody ought to send this thread on a billboard to some of the Boards of Education and curriculum planners at just about any school in the country! Nah...never mind they probably wouldn't believe what a bunch of dirty cars guys were thinking....
We are very fortunate, we have an okay budget and support from the ad. and school board. Our school has very strong drafting, carpentry, welding and ag. programs. Vocational ed. seems to be appreciated and valued here. As for projects right now we have: '52 chevy pickup, '53 chevy sedan, '40 chevy p/u, '46 merc coupe, '27 T roadster. They all get worked on depending on parts we have/need and where the particular job fits in to the curriculum. The '52 is getting a tune up and general maintainance, its been sitting for awhile but is is great shape. The '27 is having a set of lakes headers built and is awaiting an engine rebuild (have most everything ready to go, just need the time, etc...) the '53 needs front suspension (it was robbed and put on the '40 p/u ) the merc has received a MII front end, now we need to mount the front sheetmetal (it was a tilt front at one time, we dont have inner fenders or core support or anything like that - its a real puzzle), I think the future is in pretty good hands!
I have to say where you teach is one of the few schools that actually have a shop class for the kids any more. I know i have very fond memories of shop class from high school. My son is just getting ready to go into high school and he was VERY disappointed when he found out they have no shop class at all. Keep up the great work, the kids are lucky to have you.
I was lucky, my HS autoshop teacher was a car guy. He had(and 20+yrs. later still has) a 55 T-bird, and a 66 Shelby Mustang. He let me bring the chassis for my 40 into class. I rebuilt the brake system on it in class. I also brought my Dad's 53 F-100 in a few times to do small things on it. I was also able to come in after school and use some of the equipment like the tires machines and stuff. He was a GREAT teacher!
Dan- I am an auto shop teacher at Kennedy High School in Bloomington , Minnesota. Looks like you have a nice lab and excellant projects. What is your class schedule, time in class and student numbers? Keep up the good work. Bill Johnson
Bill - I wil pm and we can visit via email, I have a classmate who also teaches auto shop in MN (not sure where, I'll visit with him as well) would really like to have a group of like minded teaches to bounce ideas off of if there are any others here.
i miss high school.....but i'd never go back. those kids will apprciate the lessons you teach them. i still use things i learned almost everytime i pick up a wrench. that and my shop teacher was a dirty old pervert who had lotsa funny sayings....so of course those get thrown around the shop.
My shop teacher was a DOUCHE BAG!!!! Taught two years then got canned. Last time I saw him was behind the counter @ O'rielly's telling the guy in front of me " I don't think I should sell you this head gasket, you're not smart enough to install it" I thought he was going to get an ass kick'in right there! I wonder how many kids lost interest in cars because of uninterested shop teachers? Hats off to you teachers who really make the effort and show these kids how to build something!
The Jalopy Journal
