Comments on: The Blacksmithing Tradition: A Pattern for Us All? http://toolmonger.com/2006/12/30/the-blacksmithing-tradition-a-pattern-for-us-all/ All tools. All the time. Your source for news, information, and reviews of hand tools, power tools, and tools of all kinds. Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:01:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Teacher http://toolmonger.com/2006/12/30/the-blacksmithing-tradition-a-pattern-for-us-all/#comment-10429 Teacher Sun, 31 Dec 2006 05:55:08 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2006/12/30/the-blacksmithing-tradition-a-pattern-for-us-all/#comment-10429 This past Summer, I was rebuilding a two story wooden fire escape. I asked one of the high school girls that works at my business if she would like to help me. She would get a few more work hours of work and I told her I would teach her how to use some power tools. She said "Sure" as she wanted to study theater in college and set building was a valuable skill. Over the next two weeks, she learned how to use a circular saw, compound miter saw, reciprocating saw, speed square, how to properly use a claw hammer and pry bar, and about drilling pilot holes and using counter sinks. She had fun, learned some new skills and made some money. She's in her first year of college now and has put her new skills to work helping build sets in her theater/drama classes. The benefit to me was I had a hard working helper with a good attitude. Plus I got the satisfaction that comes from helping someone else become more self-reliant and passing knowledge on to the next generation. I teach high school, but this type of one to one teaching is far more rewarding than the "baby sitting" I do on my regular job. This past Summer, I was rebuilding a two story wooden fire escape. I asked one of the high school girls that works at my business if she would like to help me. She would get a few more work hours of work and I told her I would teach her how to use some power tools. She said “Sure” as she wanted to study theater in college and set building was a valuable skill. Over the next two weeks, she learned how to use a circular saw, compound miter saw, reciprocating saw, speed square, how to properly use a claw hammer and pry bar, and about drilling pilot holes and using counter sinks.

She had fun, learned some new skills and made some money. She’s in her first year of college now and has put her new skills to work helping build sets in her theater/drama classes.

The benefit to me was I had a hard working helper with a good attitude. Plus I got the satisfaction that comes from helping someone else become more self-reliant and passing knowledge on to the next generation. I teach high school, but this type of one to one teaching is far more rewarding than the “baby sitting” I do on my regular job.

]]>