New Job, Wish me luck.

billybek · billybek's Garage

My first day standing in front of a class of apprentices.

Trying something new after over 20 years on the tools. Man, I forgot most of what I am suppose to teach them so this will be a steep re-learning curve!!

masraum · 09-15-2009, 04:51 AM

Congrats and good luck!

livi · 09-15-2009, 05:20 AM

Very impressive, Bill. Teaching must be one of the most difficult and important jobs around. Good luck!

s_morrison57 · 09-15-2009, 05:24 AM

Those that do, can those that can't , teach, just remember the best new ideas come from the new guys , they are the ones that are in the field

Laneco · 09-15-2009, 07:49 AM

That's the biggest line of **** on the planet, normally spoken by those who can neither "do" nor "teach."

When Steve was in high school, he had an auto shop teacher who once stated in passing that if you're good, you can stick weld anything, even a car's sheet metal. Steve relayed this comment to his father who replied in effect "those who can't do, teach..." and gave Steve a Honda fender to take to class and let the guy prove himself wrong to the whole group.

So, Steve strolls in with all the swagger a high school boy can muster and hands the fender over. The teacher cuts it in half with a metal saw, whips out the stick welder and has at it. Beautiful job, only very minimal body work would have been needed to make it perfect.

Steve bowed to the master. Some people can both "do" and "teach."

I suspect that Billybek may be one of them. Best of luck to you Billybek, keep your tools close, your enthusiasm strong and your mind open to new ideas!

angela

Zef · Zef's Garage

Good luck Bill...and when in doubt, refer back to your hand on knowledge.

dd74 · 09-15-2009, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s_morrison57

Those that do, can those that can't , teach, just remember the best new ideas come from the new guys , they are the ones that are in the field

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laneco

That's the biggest line of **** on the planet, normally spoken by those who can neither "do" nor "teach."
angela

If you mean s_morrison, I think he meant the opposite of "those who can't, teach."

Anyway, best of luck, Bill. Yours is a noble cause.

billybek · billybek's Garage

Well, that was an interesting day. My first 4th year theory class and thankfully the instructor that was standing in for me before my arrival had banged out a quiz for them to do right off the bat. I did well on the quiz (I did it the night before) and then we went over the answers. After that I started with something that I know best, centrifugal chiller operation. It is easy to teach something you know well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by s_morrison57

Those that do, can those that can't , teach, just remember the best new ideas come from the new guys , they are the ones that are in the field

There are a lot of ways to look at the above statement. On one hand it is true that I can no longer perform my job physically. I am just feeling a bit beat up, being a tradesman can take its toll on you. It was a hard decision for me to go down this path as I really enjoyed much of my previous job.

On the other hand you can look at the experience and knowledge that I have gained with almost 25 years of experience in this industry and consider giving a little back to the guys coming in.

While there are usually a few smart guys coming into the industry that "get it". Having the intelligence to do a job well AND the experience to back it up is a bullet proof combination.

Thanks for your good wishes, I appreciate them!

Geronimo '74 · 09-16-2009, 12:12 AM

Good luck, good thing you won't have me as an apprentice....

billybek · billybek's Garage

My contract is over today and I enjoyed teaching the first intake for the most part.
I was offered the full time position and sign off on my package today, so that is a good thing. The pay is no screaming deal, but proportionally the same when you consider the amount of time off I will have a year.... I haven't had a summer off since I was on the UIC (unemployment insurance) cycling team....
There were a few things that I was unprepared for and unaware of. The most significant thing is how much the group dynamic can vary from class to class. The third year guys, I couldn't get them out of the shop, the fourth year guys, I couldn't keep them in...
I will have to take some teaching courses over the summer this year and my wife is already preparing a long list of things to do around the house....

masraum · 10-23-2009, 03:36 AM

Excellent news! Congrats.

Laneco · 10-23-2009, 06:00 AM

Awesome Billybek! Well done!

angela

Joeaksa · 10-23-2009, 08:29 AM

Was a teacher for a long time and always enjoyed it. Hope you do as well.

stomachmonkey · 10-23-2009, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s_morrison57

Those that do, can those that can't , teach, just remember the best new ideas come from the new guys , they are the ones that are in the field

What do you think most career paths are?

Great managers are great teachers.

Congrats Billy. I think you'll do well.