I want to do this at home....

Yesterday I had a great day in wood shop. What starts out as a bit of chaos ends up with the students deeply engaged and reluctant to quit. The student shown sawing in the photo inspired several others to begin making toy cats, and then moved on to build a house for hers. The house was a ramshackle one, held together with a few nails and lots of glue, but it was carried home with great pride. I am not sure what the parents will do with such a collection of work, and I hope that they understand what it represents.

Beginning craftsmanship is rough, it's imaginative, and serves as evidence of effort, of growth and of learning.

One of my students announced yesterday, "I want to work on this more at home." It is wonderful to see children engaged in real work, and the joy of creativity must be extended into the whole fabric of life. It would be a wonderful thing if all schools would renew an interest in woodworking. It would be wonderful if all families were to offer such things also.

So the message is simple. Buy some tools, make them available to your children, and watch over them to see that they are safe.

There has been a dramatic increase in highway deaths that most are attributing to smart phone use.
Smart phones are addictive.  Less dangerous tools like knives, saws, hammers and the like, are addictive as well, but the consequences of their use may lead to greater intelligence and character as the child learns to create useful beauty in service to family, community and self, all without putting others at risk.

Make, fix, create, and increase the joy that comes from learning lifewise.