The opportunity you have
Teaching is honorable; it takes courage, insight, and most of all, endurance! It's not a profession you pursue to gain wealth. You do it to share the body of knowledge that you've collected during your career. Teaching is a great way to give back to the construction community; you're accomplishing two things: solving a problem and creating a solution to close "the skills gap ." "Good" teachers are typically underpaid; "great" teachers don't expect compensation equivalent to the value they bring to the organizations they work within. Great teachers love to teach; some even would do it for free. Teaching can be exhilarating or soul-draining based on your approach and the audience placed before you. You have the opportunity to change the trajectory of someone's life immediately! In some cases, every word you say can matter. Always remember that your audience needs to make urgent decisions regarding their life.
If teaching is something you've wanted to do for a long time; you need just a few things to get started:
1. Align yourself with an organization, group, or company seeking what you have to offer "Vocational Training and Instruction" or "Workforce Development Initiatives."
2. find a group of people who have significantly "less" or no experience in a subject area in which you have "significant" experience. Again, you're in the right place if you know more than your audience.
3. You also need an "incentivized" group of willing learners. Most people that pursue building trades are typically seeking:
• financial freedom
• stable employment
• a constructive or lucrative way to work with their hands
You must show your audience a clear pathway to their goals in a systematic approach. Keep and hold their attention by teaching them regularly, even if it's just one day a week.
Break the ice first
This may seem trivial, but I always start with introductions on the first night. Give everyone ample time to introduce themselves; this is the first step in building meaningful relationships with your students. One of the best things you can do as an instructor is to create a welcoming environment for the course. Everyone should get to know "who's in the room." This will help you leverage individual student experiences and knowledge bases later. Never make it just about the material you have to deliver; make it about moving together as a unit. Always include making everyone feel connected; this will keep the momentum high. This will work to your benefit in several ways as the class progresses. Finally, it would help if you created an environment where students aren't afraid to ask questions.
Start with Safety
The best subject matter, to begin with, is any topic that defines "Safe Work Procedures" on construction sites and the proper use of [P.P.E.] Personal Protective Equipment. If you have students working in industrial environments, take the time to explain the hazards of working around hazardous chemicals and fast-moving autonomous equipment. If you're training newbies to the electrical industry, identify potential construction hazards; explain the importance of OSHA-10- and 30-hour training requirements. Invest time explaining the safety obligations of workers, supervisors, and managers and how they are required to ensure a safe workplace. Discuss the causes and results of accidents and the impact of accident costs. You should also introduce the role of construction company policies, procedures, and OSHA regulations. Use visual representations when discussing construction-related accidents; they must see common job-site hazards and identify proper P.P.E. protection equipment.
Your job as a new instructor
Your first goal is to help your audience "see and believe" that all their life's goals are obtainable through this trade, even things they didn't think were possible. Therefore, your message must be delivered and land with impact religiously and consistently, even when you're tired and frustrated from life's little distractions and disappointments. Always remember that teaching is an opportunity to change someone's life, one student at a time. Ultimately your message will impact the future employers of your audience and all the customers and consumers they serve.
Your number two goal is to enhance the learning experience of your audience. Always use diverse mediums to keep their attention. Training "Early-stage" electrical apprentices are equivalent to corralling feral cats; you must be innovative to keep up their engagement. Keep them entertained as you deliver your material. They must see that you have a plan for your message; they must know the intent and purpose, minute by minute, almost to the second. Teaching "magnetism" and electrical theory is dry and dull; you "must" jazz it up.
Always use various mediums to get your message across; limit the lecture time you're talking, and use structured time intervals. Interject other mediums to explain the content (E.g., Youtube, Dropbox, khan academy). Use teaching material from various curriculums; stick with content approved by apprenticeship boards or your state's Department of labor and industry.
Coach your students through insecure feelings about learning new subjects; remember they are trying something new. Force your students to face their insecurities; future employers will appreciate it. For example, in my classes, we take turns reading class handouts "out loud"; this process systematically and slowly builds up their confidence and patience.
Goal Number Three
Your approach to training as an instructor must be judgment-free. Always make your students feel valuable; inspire them! Help them believe that this skill is a "superpower" the world needs. Once you gain their attention, don't take your foot off the gas; keep motivated and inspired. Always invite other people that work within the industry to share insight and perspectives. They should reinforce your message and give your audience a diverse selection of speakers. You can share war stories, but they must be relevant and short; don't lose your audience.
There's a possibility that 75% of the audience before you have never used a tape measure; they may not know the difference between a quarter of an inch to an eighth of an inch; teaching requires patience. Prepare flexible lesson plans; you may not be able to teach content in the order you planned. Make your approach to subject matters "Basic and simplistic," and keep it relevant to real-world scenarios. You may not have the luxury of teaching content in the same order you were taught; this is a new generation.
Teaching Is Hard, But Necessary
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 8 million skilled-labor jobs were lost from the labor force during the pandemic; this exacerbated the existing labor shortage. Even though half of these jobs have been filled, 4 million vacancies remain in the construction and mechanical industry nationwide. Teaching is a platform that allows you to leverage your experience(s) for the benefit of others. The things you advocate for; your apprentices won't forget. Remember, this is an opportunity for you to leave your fingerprint on the construction industry and the world. You're on the mark when your students begin to teach themselves. The construction industry desperately needs skilled workers; by teaching, you are helping solve the problem by ushering new apprentices into the field.
