We took our students on a field trip to a district vocational school where students can learn everything from cosmetology to aircraft repair. We weaved in and out of the classrooms, learning a little about the requirements and salaries of the jobs the students were preparing for, as well as the expectations of the class. Students asked questions and occasionally listened with wide eyes at salary possibilities.
Though they’re only fourteen, they’re already thinking about their future and their careers. It’s an exciting and uncertain time.
At age fourteen, I was sure I was going to be architect. I was thrilled at the prospect of taking drafting in high school, and though the thrill was gone by the end of the second year, I stayed on for a third year of drafting. In a sense, I regret it: I never directly use those skills now. Auto shop would have been of much more practical value.
I thought about telling the students all this as we walked from room to room, but we almost always learn — truly learn — such lessons firsthand.
