As welding matures into an industry with increased automation, sophisticated equipment and higher quality and code standards, there is more specialization and a greater need for welders who understand more than how to hold a torch and join metal.
And, to this end, increasingly more high schools and community colleges are developing advanced welding education programs; so, the need for skilled welding instructors also is growing as part of this roadmap to producing a new generation of educated welders.
There’s no question those moving from industry into the classroom as a teacher understand how to weld. They just don’t necessarily have a teaching background or the know-how to engage students – the millennials – in a classroom.
Just as there is a science and art to welding, the same can be said of teaching. And the skills needed to run a successful, engaging classroom can easily be learned. At Lincoln Electric, we have developed a new, five-day training course designed to prepare new welding instructors at both the high school and community college level, as well as internal trainers with industry partners, for a career that moves beyond the welding booth into the classroom, on the teacher’s side of the desk.
Held at our global headquarters in Cleveland, the course, Beyond the Booth: The Lincoln Electric Teacher Institute, prepares instructors for life in the classroom. One of the biggest challenges in the transition from a shop floor to teaching is that of preparation. This course will help educators learn how to organize all of the content and curriculum and write lesson plans in a way that is engaging and addresses the different learning styles of all students in the room.
Simply put, a good teacher makes it look easy. But, in reality, it takes a tremendous amount of planning and effort behind the scenes to make that lecture work.
Beyond the Booth addresses crucial curriculum and lesson planning, as well as other key considerations during five days of intensive, interactive, fun learning designed with teachers in mind. We’ll talk about different teaching styles and how to effectively present based on each individual’s personal style. We’ll go on field trip to visit local Cleveland industry partners. We practice what we preach, so our curriculum prepares participants to comfortably enter a classroom and share their knowledge with a room of future welders.
To learn more about upcoming workshop opportunities, including one scheduled for late July 2015, visit www.lincolnelectric.com/education.
This post was written by Jason Scales from the Lincoln Electric Company.