Highschool shop class, did you have one?

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I'm glad to see my assumptions are bad. Looks like there is still a fair amount of shop classes still available.

 

[dmb2613]

I took general mechanics class and an ag class in the 8th, 9th, I took 2 ag classes in the 10th and 11th grades. They only had general mechanics 1 and 2 ,I only needed 2 classes in my senior [1974] year and worked at a Chevy dealer the rest of the day, and I have been working ever since then. Have never drawn an unemployment check, nor any check that I did not work for until I started drawing Social Security.

 

[JohnnyO]

Wood and metal shop were required when I was in 7th and 8th grade, we're talking 1974. Still have the lamp I made in wood shop. I don't know if my old school still has that stuff or not.

 

[JohnnyO]

Thats an awesome way to teach. Wish i had that opportunity. Of course, i still dont truly know what i want to do for a living, even at 59. Ive heard that some colleges and universities will waive fees for senior citizens, which i will be in a couple months. Maybe it's time for some more schooling...!

I started mortuary school when I was 53. Was a funeral director intern at 56 when most people are eyeing retirement.

 

[CrabGuy]

I graduated HS in 1966. I had wood shop in the 7th-8th grade. In high school I took Auto Shop and Industrial Arts for 2 years. I worked as a draftsman/technical illustrator in both the Army and civilian life before returning to college and getting my engineering degree. The Industrial Arts programs were top notch back then; they opened doors and set many like me on a path to a better life. It's really a shame that so many educators today feel a college degree is the only way to get ahead in today's world and have turned their noses up at shop classes. A liberal arts degree today is nearly worthless IMO.

 

[That_4.0_ranger]

Im wondering how many high schools have a shop class present time. I went to shop from grade 8 thru 12 in a small town near a big city. This was late 70's. Small town of about 2,500 people. Big city was about 1,000,000, and an hour drive. Ive heard that most schools dont have shop classes any more. Is that true?

im 15 and still in high school and mine dose offer wood and metal shop but not auto.

 

[JohnnyO]

I graduated HS in 1966. I had wood shop in the 7th-8th grade. In high school I took Auto Shop and Industrial Arts for 2 years. I worked as a draftsman/technical illustrator in both the Army and civilian life before returning to college and getting my engineering degree. The Industrial Arts programs were top notch back then; they opened doors and set many like me on a path to a better life. It's really a shame that so many educators today feel a college degree is the only way to get ahead in today's world and have turned their noses up at shop classes. A liberal arts degree today is nearly worthless IMO.

The wealthiest person I know personally is a plumber. Now he owned the company with about 25 employees but he started out with just himself, a van, and a toolbox. His boat has two full bathrooms. Sold the company and a related plumbing supply business for $6 million last year and retired.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I took shop in middle school, didn't make anything too fancy... took wood shop in high school then my senior year I took mostly electives so threw pottery (it was fun... I wasn't good at id, all my stuff was thick...), welding (stick and gas welding, by the time I got a stick welder and torch set I forgot most everything...) and small engines... I never did get my 3hp briggs running... I know where it is, might try again... Shortly after I graduated (2000) they got rid of the metal shop I think but rearranged the school and built more buildings and stuff and have vocational options now...

 

[Jazzer]

We had wood and metal shop as electives in the greater D.C. area in the early 70’s. I had a great woodshop teacher, learned a lot.

Metal shop the next year, teacher was way too relaxed and inattentive, poor teacher. One of our projects was collecting old push mowers and blowtorching them up for scrap steel. One of the kids put the torch into a magnesium deck (without knowing) and the fun began. and didn’t stop until most of the magnesium was rolling sparks on the parking lot.

Later when we learned the lathe, most of the guys turned small brass pipes with bowls that threaded into the body of the pipe. The teacher demanded to know what they were all making, and someone said “Whistles”. He roared ‘“ They better whistle, then, or you’ll fail.”

They figured out how to cut a slot in the mouthpiece and insert thin pieces of steel from a thickness gauge, and they did actually make them whistle.

The next year a tech school opened, affiliated with the high school, and I got required credits for a 3 hour construction carpentry course in the afternoon. Learned a lot there too.

-Jazzer

 

[ZMan]

My high school had a woodworking class, and a small engines/mechanics class. I took the small engines class in the first quarter of 10th grade, 2001. We also had the option of going to a Vocational school that was shared by all the school districts in the county (except for one). I attended that school my Junior and Senior year and took Auto Body. Half the day was spent in lab, and half the day you took your normal High School classes.

The Vocational school still exists, but the woodworking/mechanics classes at my home school went by the wayside back in the 2000s.

 

[1996xlt]

Wood Shop and off-site Vo-Tech that offered masonry, introductory HVAC, welding, small engine repair and body shop was available through my school system in 02' when I graduated. All thats left (I think) through the Vo-tech school now is HVAC and small engine.

Wish I took body shop in high school instead of paying for the class myself later in life!

 

[Ranger850]

We had wood shop in Middle school. The teacher was also the history teacher. our big project for the semester was ... skim boards. Yep. A flat piece of plywood in the shape of a mint leaf. that's it. Give me an "A" please, kind sir. HS was more complex. No wood shop, but we had what we called AG, or Ag = Agricultural Applications Learning. First half of the class was welding, cutting with a torch, and Gardening type stuff. The teacher had a crush on my GF, so he kinda made it hard for me. The second half of the year was the "cool" stuff, for me anyways. Different teacher and actually a cool dude. Our school had just received the big Ink Jet plotter/Printer that could print out all sorts of blueprints and CAD designs. Also had a CAD program that taught us CAD design where we designed a house, then designed a neighbor hood with each of our houses in it. Then we had a motorized "Lego Set". First project was to race a lego car in a 2 foot section of the room. After that, we had to create the slowest car. It was a lesson in gearing and to improve our building skills. THAT was the class I liked most, in all of my years in school. If I could retake that class, knowing what I now know, I would have a blast.