Teaching Kids is Fun!!

Last year I was approached by Steve Humphrey, a member of the faulty at The New Community School in Richmond, VA, to provide an overview of the bowl turning process to one of the “shop” classes he teaches as an elective. The kids had all been exposed to Steve’s teachings and had worked on their own projects, including making Adirondack chairs, tool carriers and other projects.

What a thrill! And, what a challenge! Suffice to say, at first I was totally excited, and then after thinking about it, a panic set in as I thought about what to say and how to conduct the class. With Steve’s help and guidance, we worked on a curriculum that got me through the class and, hopefully, got the kids excited about turning bowls and about woodworking in general.

In the end, it was an enthralling class and as is normal, I do believe that the teacher learned a whole lot more than the students. What a fun time! I hope Steve will invite me back again! (Steve is one of the truly dedicated teachers at this wonderful school for kids that are challenged with dyslexia and other language related learning difficulties. See their website at www.tncs.org.)

To date, I have done this class twice. Will there be a third? Stay tuned……………….