The cohort (or most of it anyway) took a little field trip down to Tupper Secondary this morning. If you are dying to know how this went down, stay tuned for another exhilarating post in The Long and Dusty Road…..

Tupper Tech was an interesting experience. I think what grabbed me the most was Mr. Evans treatment of the whole shop as a job preparation course, including punch in, shop culture and respect, and my personal favourite – Behaviour modification.

I got the impression that many of my cohort felt Mr. Evans a bit dated in his beliefs and methods, but I think he nailed it in terms of prepping the grade 12 students for their very jarring entry into the real world. Granted, it may not be as unforgiving as he makes it sound, but a little overtraining is still preferential to under training in terms of overall prepared-ness. He seems to focus a lot on an area I think is very underdeveloped in students: The ability to take criticism. When delivered correctly, criticism need not be viewed as nit picking or minutia, as long as the critic is trained and knows how to deliver. I was once told by a friend who was in a near fatal accident “I learned everything I needed to know when I stopped talking and started listening”. There is a lot to that statement, and I have taken it to heart and practice ever since.

Mr. Evans aso stated the importance of not burning bridges, for example: If you get fired of your own accord, learn from the experience. Come back to your ex-employer, shake his hand, and ask for an exit interview to help you improve. This could very well turn an impression 180 degrees in the employers eyes, and maybe get you a recommendation or reference down the road – if you are willing to listen.

The ITA also provided valuable information at Tupper, and I hope they will be a valued partner and resource to me when I begin my teaching career next year.