We want students to be successful in our classroom. We want students to be prepared for success in the work place. How can we accomplish both without adding time to our schedule? Let me share with you some insight from a veteran agriculture mechanics teacher.

His classroom and shop ran like a well-oiled machine, literally and figuratively. All students were working (yes all), there were little to no discipline issues, and any time information needed to be shared with the class, I watched him calmly walk to one student who then disseminated the information through a chain of student leaders.  “What is going on?” I thought to myself. “How do you get your class of high school students to function like this?” After spending some time in his shop, I asked him to share some of his strategies. Here are a few important things I was reminded of, and a new approach I learned:

• Treat students with respect and give them the opportunity to lead. They may fail, but they will learn through experience.
• Establish order and a process for each day. Students can thrive when they know what is expected and can establish a routine.
• A New Approach: Set up your classroom/shop like a work environment. Train your students to be successful employees while in your class.
  • Select a “Foreman” for each class period. It is this student’s responsibility to make sure that project managers are on task, projects are progressing, and all students are working efficiently. At the designated time, this student will signal for clean up and inspect stations. You may choose to rotate foreman regularly, or maintain a consistent foreman year-round.  “How do you pick your foreman?” I asked. Choose someone who has shown you that they are responsible and hardworking. This could be a natural leader that students gravitate towards, or a hard-working quiet student who needs some coaxing out of their shell.
  • Appoint project managers. In the shop, these students may be in charge of different areas of the shop, or specific projects students are working on. In the classroom, these managers could be responsible for various materials, cleanliness of classroom, collecting papers, following up with absent students, posting new vocabulary words, etc. Project managers report to the foreman, who report to you.
  • Treat students as employees. Emphasize that in the workforce, if you are late and/or you don’t perform, you don’t keep your job.

Take these ideas and try them on as you start your new year. Continually look for ways in your classroom to prepare your students to be successful outside in the real world.