Voices of Experience
Construction Trades
“As a teacher in the construction trades, I find that students don’t always make the connection between their academic classes and their work in the shop. For example, we teach rise over run which uses the Pythagorean theorem. Even though they have studied the Pythagorean theorem in math class, when they see it in the shop it’s like new information. My job as their teacher is to help them make the connections between the theory and the application.”
Cosmetology
“As a cosmetology teacher, I find my students all learn differently. Sometimes I slow the pace of instruction to make sure students are understanding it. Sometimes I work one-on-one with students so that I can understand their struggles. I often use repetition and segment skills so that everyone has a chance to be successful. I expect all of my students will leave the program with a state license so it’s important that I teach them what they need to know.”
Cosmetology
“Students who are interested in the cosmetology trade and want to learn the skills are easy to engage. Their energy keeps me on my toes. For students who didn’t pick the program as their first choice, I need to make it meaningful to them so that they will engage and learn. For example, I point out that everyone has hair on their head so who wouldn’t benefit from knowing these skills? I maintain enthusiasm and differentiate my instruction. All students benefit from an overview of services, hands-on practice, examples, samples, and models. Allowing students to partner and work with each other is always engaging.”
Electrical
“The most effective strategies are the ones that work for each student. Depending on the skill I’m teaching, different strategies work for different kids. In the electrical program, we have all different kinds of learners, but most of the students are hands-on kids so they really benefit from an overview, then a demonstration, then an explanation with a model or diagram, doing it themselves.”
Electrical
“For me, focusing on employability skills is as important as focusing on technical skills. Students can have great technical skills, but if they aren’t willing to show up on time, ready to go, work hard, and do what they’re asked to do, they won’t keep a job in the electrical field for very long. It is important for my students to understand that employability skills are as important as technical skills if they are planning to stay employed.”
Electrical
“Maslow before Bloom. I get to know my students as much as possible so that I can understand what it’s like to be them. My shop is science-based and most of my students do not become confident until they are comfortable with the expectations, the curriculum, with their peers, and with their teacher. By their junior year, most students start to look ahead. Each student is different. As a teacher, you need a big toolbox to carry all of the learning tools required for students to be successful.”
Electrical
“It is important to individualize my approach. I work with students one-on-one. If students are struggling, I try to find out what is getting in the way and instruct each student so that everyone is learning. I differentiate. I build relationships with the kids and with their families and communicate both good and bad to the students and their families. I keep the lines of communication open so that everyone knows we are all on the same team.”
Horticulture
“As a horticulture teacher, I find all students benefit from guided notes. They give my students structure, help them with vocabulary development, and can be used as a study guide. I provide differentiated instructional options for all students. Every student works at their own pace which allows every student to feel a sense of accomplishment before moving on to something new, and it does not hold students back who work quickly.”
Plumbing
“All of my plumbing students are encouraged to work at their own pace and in their own space. When they need assistance, they get it. If they can do something independently, they are encouraged to do it. I am interested in students showing progress, from wherever they start. I am not interested in fast; I am interested in right. Students with learning issues work well in this structure because they are not in competition with other students, just with themselves. Projects are differentiated to meet the needs of students. If they need accommodations, they get them. If they need help, all they have to do is ask. Visual cues, directions, diagrams, checklists, and rubrics are all built into the projects. I am looking for effort. I am looking for on-task behavior. I am looking for interest. The skills will come if those things are in place.”
Plumbing
“In the plumbing shop, I love to use strategies with students to help them to engage. Think-pair-share has never failed to engage everyone in the group. I use cooperative pairs, visual cues, project sheets, chunking information, and regular check-ins. Students have formative assessments all the time, at different points in their projects, so they always know how they are doing and where they stand. All of the projects start with a basic skill and build to a summative assessment so there is always an opportunity for success.”
Plumbing
"How do we positively impact student learning as a vocational-technical teacher? My opinion is to be passionate and energetic and stay current with my industry. When the students see the passion shown about our technical areas and see the accomplishments and goals reached by me as their role model and teacher, it makes them stay motivated and want to succeed. As a young teacher just completing my fourth year, I am still regularly active in the plumbing industry. I bring back pictures and stories of what kind of jobs I had accomplished over school vacations and weekends. I related these jobs to the projects that my students are doing. At the end of each week, my students ask me what my plans are for the weekend, and they are eager to know what kind of jobs I will be on. One quote I think of daily from one of my current students is, "You really love doing plumbing; that's all you talk about even when you aren't in school teaching." I hope all my students see this passion and become successful plumbers in our industry."
Special Education
"As an educator of over 20+ years, primarily working in Special Education classes, I have developed a routine that fits my students' learning modalities and allows them to feel comfortable in my classroom. When I plan my lessons, I plan how to best present material to my students so they can access the curriculum. One of the techniques used is to create visual and accessible materials for the students to follow. When creating visual supports like Google Slides, I also create guided notes, allowing students to create neat and organized notes to use as a reference. Another support I provide my students is to share my notes or slides with them, allowing them to engage in the instruction while giving them time to complete the notes at their speed. In this way, they feel free to keep up if the pace of instruction moves faster than they can manage. With various reading and writing abilities in a class, reading aloud and checking in with students during reading and writing produce a more robust and well-rounded understanding of the material."
Special Education
"In my experience as a special education teacher, I have learned many things when it comes to educating my students each year. The most important lesson I have learned is that my students need me to be consistent in their instruction in my class. With consistency, students' anxieties seem to diminish, and performance in class tends to rise. The one thing I have realized with my students is that I need to continue with my positive reinforcement to the students, even if they are struggling with materials. Just telling a student “great job” or “way to work hard” tends to go a long way with them. When I offer even small praises for their work, many feel they can do it and succeed in the learning process.”
Cosmetology
“I want to share how important it is to observe your students and really get to know them. Once you know them, you can instruct them in a way that meets their learning needs. That is really important. In the cosmetology shop, some students have problems with coordination, some have problems with attention. They need different strategies to learn the necessary skills. Some students have all the skills they need, and it is important for me to make sure they continue to learn new and interesting things. It’s a big puzzle, but I love it.”
Cosmetology
“Students with learning challenges require compassion and patience. You need to follow the law and work with the special education department for specifics on student needs. For my cosmetology students, I plan differentiated lessons, find appropriate resources, offer accommodations, support cooperative learning groups, and provide choices for projects and assessments.”
General
“As a mentor, my message to new educators is to recognize that you have joined the teaching profession and then act like it. Be proactive so that you will be successful. If you have questions or don’t know something, ask a colleague. Ask a veteran teacher. Ask your mentor. Check in with your supervisor. There is quite a bit of room for success if you allow yourself to be successful. Embrace your colleagues. Embrace the students. Embrace teaching. Stay open to learning something new.”
Electrical
“I design my lessons to set all students up to succeed. In the electrical shop, all students work on individual projects that address their skills and deficits. They work at their own pace and obviously, some kids work faster than others, so I need to be organized and make sure that projects are available to engage and challenge each student every day. I work with each student until they get it, and then, when they are ready, they move on.”
Electrical
“I have some go-to strategies that seem to work best with most of the students in the electrical program. I use modeling, demonstrations, visuals, practice, drawings, repetition, chunking, and peer-to-peer. You name it, I do it if it will help the student to understand the expectations. With a variety of strategies for students, I usually get good results.”
Electrical
"My area of expertise is electrical, and I have 20 years of field experience, and I have been teaching for four years. One thing I do that positively impacts my students is stay current with industry standards by still working hands-on in the field. I believe that if I stay current with the times and teach this to my students, they won't have to be re-taught by someone else in the field, saving time and money. Also, my students learn the up-to-date field requirements, so when they enter the workforce, they are not surprised and overwhelmed by the work they see. This will also give them a great foundation in a company setting where they may compete for a position with someone else who does not know the industry, hopefully making my students succeed in achieving their life goals."
Electrical
“I allow my students to be themselves. I want everyone to be part of our group. Our shop is like a school family, so I have to make sure everyone is accepted for who they are. I acknowledge their strengths and try to figure out ways to help them work on their weaknesses. I work really hard to instruct the students who are sitting in front of me, so I don’t approach my students with unrealistic expectations. I need to teach them the skills that they need to be successful.”
Horticulture
“The most important thing is you need to be able to relate to teenagers and establish working relationships with your students. You need to be able to get kids to buy into whatever you are selling; you need them to get on board. In my field of horticulture, students need to know that there are a tremendous number of requirements for them and for their teachers, so everyone is expected to work to the best of their ability. The bottom line is you have to love working with kids. As a teacher, you have to care about student success. If you do not have that, you may have chosen the wrong profession.”
Plumbing
“I design every plumbing project to include formative and summative assessments so I can document progress and areas that need more work. Every project requires math skills and theory application. Every project includes writing skills by completing invoices and job-related paperwork. Every student fills out a job card which is like a reflection on their goals, what they learned, and what they still want to learn. All of that information gives me a picture of each student and what they need. Then I just have to figure out how to deliver it.”
Plumbing
“To keep my students engaged, I am so enthusiastic about the learning process that they want to be part of it. I get them to buy in by explaining the importance of whatever it is we are learning at the time and how it will help them later. We do not just learn things to learn them. Everything we learn and practice the students will need if they want to be successful plumbers.”
Plumbing
“I’m a plumbing instructor and have taught secondary education students for the past 16 years. I believe the best way to impact students positively is to give them clear and concise rules and expectations from day one. Explain to your students why these rules and expectations are in place so that they can achieve the ultimate goal and prepare for a successful career. Whatever lies ahead for my students after high school, whether working in their trade area, college-bound, or military service, my goal for them is career readiness."
Plumbing
“I follow a routine, so my students know what to expect. No surprises. Every project follows the same format, written instructions, build the project, assess the project according to the code, price it out by making a job invoice, answer questions, review the completed project with the instructor, feedback, rubric, and exit ticket. Every student in the plumbing shop is working at their own pace and the results are standards-based. Students have time to learn and work things out in their own way in their own time.”
Special Education
"As a special education teacher, a strategy used in my teaching is to chunk materials into smaller segments and focus on those “must-know” parts of the curriculum. In doing this, students can more easily access the curriculum and tend not to become overwhelmed with trying to learn numerous concepts but instead focus on the concept we are working on that day. From the use of chunking of material, I can then scaffold off materials learned previously, again allowing students to deepen their understanding of the material being taught. Through these techniques, I have seen students' learning rise and stress and anxiety lessen."
Special Education
“I am a dual-certified special education and math teacher. I have been teaching at a vocational high school for 13 years. I think one way that I positively impact student learning is that I always maintain high expectations of all my students. I typically work with students that struggle academically. While I may need to adjust content and delivery, I always maintain high standards for all of my students. It is amazing what students can learn when they have teachers that believe in them. I feel as though I help students develop confidence and work habits that help them succeed."