Folks -

Well, Mark and Juanita's remark is korrect - I haven't been posting as much
of late, tho' I do lurk... Things have been quite busy...

School instruction is going well, for what it is - the job description was a
bright and shining lie, more than most... but, that being said, I am still
happy I took the job, and they, apparently, are happy to have me there. I
am working on putting together a short summer class for adults and then
they've all but said they want to have me back for next year.

The main frustration I face is that I can't assist all of the students that
*are* interested as quickly as I'd like. By the lot, they are an impatient
bunch, ADD aside, and there are LOTS of kids with ADD... it's almost comical
at times. About 40% of the students are actively involved in a project, the
balance are "thinking" about what they want to build. Most of the
troublemakers are gone, but I still have incidents of students wrecking
other student project... that *really* ****es me off. I bounced 3 kids last
week - they painted over another students' project, filled the carvings up
with their saliva and then put it back on the shelf - gross - I couldn't
imagine doing something like that... turns out there has been a history in
this little group for some time, and this is just another manifestation of
their "love".

Then, on the bright side..... I've had kids do segmented frames, small
drawer galleries, DVD racks, a coffin lunchbox (bwahhh-ha-ha....chicken
fingers!) maybe an upcoming steam bending lamination project (a skateboard!)
and progress with the shop-bot. I've been given pretty much a free hand in
the shop otherwise, tho' understandably, I can't work on my own projects...

I know that these kids have a very hard road, but their lack of skills in so
many absolute basic areas is frightening. I was showing one of the students
the easy way to divide a board into equal widths by angling the ruler, and
asked what the "10" was, divided by 2.... The young man was flustered and
*did not* know the answer or any idea of how to figure it out, and he *knew*
it was a simple question. I've had to adapt my instructional efforts for
people that are functionally illiterate in math, critical thinking skills
and all too uncommon, plain ol' common sense. It has been a challenge, and
an interesting exercise for me in that I am very clear about using a tape or
ruler when I do, but otherwise try to use body parts (watch it!) for
measuring - run the material through the planer until it is the same
thickness as your little finger; cut the lid off a box three fingers down
from the top and put the hinges on the back of the box two finger widths in
from the ends. This is why it is important to not cut off your fingers, you
need them for measuring....Small boxes are the spread of hand, a small
shelf, the length of a forearm, and so on. Early on, I tried to give some
historical context to this method, but it couldn't compete with thenewgirl
(topheavy) Tammy's spray-on Tube Top... nor should it have...

The problem with the classes for the tail end of this school year, is that
it had apparently been like a study hall, with power tools - basically
screw-off time, for kids that are real good at screwing off. Change happens
slowly, and I had *no* idea what I was getting into. My strategy this fall
is to have woodworking classes, but to have a serial group of specialty
classes to heighten interest - old wine in a new bottle. I can do a
signmaking and shopbot use; woodworking for women ( some of these girls
shine, some have *real* potential in the shop) making a playstation cabinet,
making a skateboard... like that... if'n y'all have any ideas that you think
would hook 'em... let me know. I *really* like teaching woodworking to kids
that have an interest, and I *like* seeing them build things.... but having
to play cop, spy and social worker makes for a long day.

I was given a budget of $3,000 for "stuff" so I got a good deal on some
redwood and will also get some sorely needed hand tools (there is only ONE
combo square in the shop (!?!)) I am rearranging things to make better use
of the space and I get left alone, for the most part, so all in all, I'd
give it a 8 out of 10, with room for improvement... That's the view from the
front...

Now, for the shop here.... The weather in Northern California has been
downright dreadful. While the last two weeks have cleared up, as I type
this it is raining - it is raining hard, it has been raining all day, and it
started last night. So, the prolonged winter has really stalled out most of
our carryover jobs outside from last fall. We did finally get insulation
put up inside the last two weekends and it made a HUGE difference! I have
been ruminating about electrical service and am not quite sure how to
proceed with my circuit planning and layout, so I am still reading up on
things.

I am very much looking forward to having a bit of extra time this summer - I
have some other work lined up, and should be able to make good progress on
the shop punch list with some serious blocks of time. Rose will have a
little extra time as well, so we can work on things together. If a couple
of things break our way, we may be able to get a shop-bot for a large
project and that would be really cool.

So, there.... way longer than I had intended, but there's been a bit of
catching up. Again, if any of you have any idea for specialty classes that
I could put together both for HS students and adults, I'd like your input.

Ever,

John Moorhead

(Music up) Welcome back! Tom

John:

Do you have a bandsaw in the school shop and can you
trust some of your less than cooperative students to
use it safely? Some coarse and medium rat tail files?
An oscillating spindle sander? It's pretty safe to use.
A piece of redwood 4x4 can get worked into a Carmero,
Mini Cooper or a Ferrarri. Remove everything that
doesn't look like the car you want. MIght want to
have them buy the wooden wheels - unless you have
a lathe and truct them on it.

Some of these kids have younger siblings. How about
a marionette? This one's made from a redwood fence
board and a fat dowel.
http://home.comcast.net/~charliebcz/...Projects7.html

Throw a bunch of ideas out there fore them and
some are bound to try one of them.

And hang in there.

charlie b