Practice Makes Perfect...Eventually

 The highlight of week ten was the time that I spent in the shop with Ag I. The students were getting to try their hand at SMAW for the first time, which I was super excited to help them with! I can remember absolutely despising the welding unit in my ag class as a freshman (I now enjoy it), so I was a little nervous to see how my students would feel about the process. 

Almost every student needed a lot of coaxing and one-on-one help to get started. Most were nervous, struggled to get a steady arc and frequently got their electrodes stuck. I was able to sympathize with my students frustrations and did my best to help them troubleshoot what they needed to work on. I found myself connecting with a lot of my students by sharing with them that I too was once scared to weld and had the same struggles that they did. I kept making my rounds and checking in with each student, giving them helpful critiques and pointing out how far they had come, making sure to emphasize their progress to encourage them to keep trying. I'm sure that all of my Ag I students are tired of hearing me say "practice makes perfect" and other similar cliches, but they're true!

I was surprised by how many students seemed to have a natural knack for welding, and they're already way better than I am! I also finally got to see the benefits first-hand of utilizing students with more experience to help their peers. One senior student has a study hall during one period, and it's been extremely helpful having an extra set of eyes and hands in the shop, as I can only help one student at a time. 

While I definitely am ahead of the kids in terms of welding knowledge, I haven't had a lot of experience in that area in the past, so we're learning together! I think that being open and honest with my students about my experience and skill level with welding has been beneficial and has helped the students feel more comfortable asking for help and trying this new thing!

What are some of the ways that you've made connections with your students?