A New Shop

I’ve been blessed to have worked with some terrific people over the course of my career, and I have worked in many different types of shops. When I was younger I would walk into a new shop and immediately start questioning “Why don’t they do this a different way?” Now, I find myself walking approaching new situations with a sense of curiosity. If someone has made a choice in their space that is different from what I would have done, then why are they making that choice? When I organize a space there is a process of research, trial, and error that takes place. In my experience there is often more than one solution to a problem, being open to alternative solutions can help you in the future.

When I arrived at North Port High School in the spring of 2016 the shop looked virtually the same as it had when I graduated from the school in 2008. The shop was organized and clean, but there were a few things I wanted to change to improve workflow. Before I made any changes, I wanted to reacquaint myself with my new shop, so I spent the summer organizing and cleaning. Most of the tools didn’t change the location that first summer, but I took the time to figure out exactly what we had and where it was located. This meant that during the next school year, when I needed a tool, I could find it straight away.

I spent my first full school year working on productions and taking notes on what things I thought we needed to change to improve workflow. I have found that patience can help in these situations. I was able to talk through issues I was having with colleagues, research solutions, and secure some much-needed funding for large purchases. During the spring semester of 2017, the Principal approved my purchase of a Saw Stop table saw to replace our older Craftsman model, and the renovation began.