Can woodworking projects for high school keep kids out of trouble? This question occurred to me as I read an article by Mary Lisa Boose entitled Knock on Wood. It’s about four high school students taking a woodworking class in Ohio. Students at Ohio’s Norwalk High School Ryan Ziemke, Johnie Wilcox, Eric Benton, and Hannah Duncan have each taken different benefits from their woodworking training.
The school offers advanced woodworking classes. Students have to start with easy woodworking in industrial arts classes and work their way up. Teacher Chris Jackson says he has seen the students become more confident and critical of their work over the years, also paying more attention to detail.
Ryan Ziemke, who is one of four students in one of Norwalk High’s two sections of advanced woodworking classes, made a small cedar chest with finger joints. These are the interlocking joints at the corner of a piece. Although he plans to study marketing at Kent State rather than pursue woodworking as a career, Ziemke says that the skills he has learned through woodworking will stay with him for life. In particular, he said that making mistakes and having to go back and correct them has taught him patience. Making those finger joints fit together perfectly had to take some patience.
Johnie Wilcox also made a cedar chest with finger joints. He has said that the activity involved in woodworking has been good for him because he does not like to sit still in classes. He is able to pay attention to detail in his woodworking projects whereas he may get restless in a history class. Maybe this will point him to a more physically active occupation later in life.
Eric Benton completed a trough-style bookcase for his final project. He has spoken of the satisfaction that comes from creating something out of bare wood and says that woodworking will always be a part of his life, although he does not plan to do it as a career. He plans to become a youth pastor, and I can easily see him teaching woodworking to a church youth group.
Hannah Duncan has created a very ambitious roll-top desk. She says that woodworking allows her to create with her hands and take a break from intellectual learning. In this sense, woodworking allows her to be in the present moment and not “in her head,” or absorbed in compulsive thought. This points to a spiritual benefit of woodworking.
These four Ohio high school students have taken unique benefits from their woodworking class. There is no doubt that it has done them good and would do the same for many others. Although specific woodworking projects for high school students were mentioned here, there are many more articles that are suitable for this level of skill and expertise. Woodworking projects don't only benefit high school students in diverse ways, but working with wood has therapeutic elements that apply to just about any situation.
I am in the process of moving house, and have discovered 2 old bookcases hidden in the corner of a storeroom. To my surprise I found that these were made from solid wood, and although they need some attention, they are in good shape. Just starting the sanding down process and smelling the wood brought back many memories of long forgotten projects that I did with my dad many years ago.
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