Hands-On Literacy: The Way of the Wood Shop Teacher

I expect that my teaching work will be done in rural areas, and that’s where I’ve done my preliminary work. This week as I read the from Vygotskian theorists in my course materials, I kept getting a picture of reading as a hands-on life skill, and of teacher as trainer or coach – of reading and writing demystified, de-academicized, and made accessible to rural, urban, or ESL students from primarily oral cultures. People who teach a hands-on skill use the techniques discussed in our class materials in some of the following ways.

• Shop teachers and coaches explain what a skill is, what it’s for, why it’s necessary, and how to use it. (Example: “Here are the jobs a circular saw is good for.”)
• They demonstrate its use while talking students through their own interior process monologue. (Example: Accompanied by slow-motion demonstration, “Now, when I go for a lay-up, I keep my eye on the basket and keep the ball cocked until I see my clear shot.”)
• They work one-on-one with each student while that student tries out the skill, guiding, correcting, and explaining. They organize groups or partnerships among students who work together using the skill to create specific products. Roles within the groups are set out as well, to ensure that necessary production-related tasks are accomplished. (Example: “Volunteers? I need five of you to build this set of bookshelves; you’ll need to choose an equipment manager, a safety manager, and a blueprint coordinator among yourselves.”)
• They observe each student’s ongoing work, offering guidance and correction for that student’s individual technique. (Example: “Good job, but as you use this torque wrench, you’ll want to make a habit of keeping the wrist straight – you get more force, and you’re less likely to strain a ligament.”)
• They assess each student’s product made using the skill for its effectiveness at meeting its goal. (Example: “OK, Team, you’ve worked hard on your shooting skills this week, and as a result we saw a 4-point improvement in free-throw accuracy during yesterday’s game. Good work.”)