A Craftsman's Legacy - Giving Every Child A Voice

A Craftsman's Legacy - Giving Every Child A Voice

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If you haven’t had an opportunity to watch the series on PBS called “A Craftsman’s Legacy,” I would encourage you to take some time to do so.  Throughout the four seasons of this series, the host visits varying craftsman to learn about their industry and to uncover the artistry and the history associated with the product they make, whether it be swords, stills, soap, quilts, shoes, cowboy hats, jeans, pots, and on and on… Each episode runs 26-28 minutes.

What intrigues me the most is the way the host brings to life a discussion of the art, the history, the science, and the math, and the industry know-how required to understand, to make, and to market the products, and what he finds (not unexpectedly) is the intellect and cross-curricular expertise that comes with every product made.  

At a time when so much emphasis is placed on college readiness and immersion in the digital realm, this show highlights the people who took a different route and it presents their choice and their work as being as highly valued as the work done by people in every other industry.  

And, on top of that, it answers the question of “Why?” we hear so often when introducing new and challenging concepts to students. Each of these craftsman pursued a passion and each found the foundational skills they were taught to be interconnected and transferable into their passion pursuits. 

If these episodes were to be shown in the classroom, numerous opportunities exist, during each one, to pause and to examine the intricacies of the work and the unknowns that must be solved, in order to attain the vision for the product. Even more, consider what classroom discussion will look like when the student who takes AP Calculus and the one who takes Advanced Welding come together to discuss the process of Gold-Smithing and jewelry craft. 

A discussion like this would give value to the knowledge of every participant, and each child, with their individual talents and areas of expertise, is able to bring something to the discussion that ties them to their peers and that legitimizes their passions and their excellence.

Imagine the classroom where there is interdependence among the learners, with each one having an equal seat at the table of learning!

As one of the Season 4 episodes reveals, you can’t make a proper whiskey still without understanding the value and purpose of pi. Similarly, an understanding of the chemical and material properties of copper, compared to stainless steel, is essential if you want the product to possess the proper flavor. Incredible!

Undoubtedly, each student would leave the discussion with an understanding they didn't have when they entered it, whether they learn about the concept, about the skill, or about one of their peers. 

I watched an episode on furniture making earlier today… . The final lines of the series talk about the use of technology to reduce materials waste and to enhance the quality of the end product, with the last line being “As Craftsman, we can always learn something new.” …. A concept that perfectly relates to teaching. 

Teachers are, after all, craftsman, and our students - and the relationships and lessons we leave with them - are our legacy. 

What are we doing, today, to make sure that every student, no matter their passion or their area of expertise, is given a valuable and worthy in our classroom? 

What are we doing, today, to help them see how the foundational skills they are learning can transfer into their life-long, legacy-leaving pursuits? 

Check out the show here: http://www.craftsmanslegacy.com/episodes/season_4.  To watch the full episodes, you co need to create a "Legacy Society" account, which is free.