Woodworking for me felt both very therapeutic and a tad frustrating, which was strange to feel simultaneously. It felt good to bang the nails into the board, but it was frustrating to not be able to hit them in all the way — Maria asked us not to so it would be possible to remove the nails after. At the same time, it was interesting to discover that control of force needed to hammer the nail in without hitting it all the way into the board.
And while it was cool to work with the wood and all the different carving instruments, I found it very frustrating that I couldn’t get the wood to carve out exactly as I wanted. I see the merit of having long-term projects in wood shop as opposed to a new project every day or week so that you have the time to carve the wood into a form that you want, or at least close to it. I can also see how having longer-term projects would help students understand that there isn’t always immediate gratification out of a project and that often you have to work long and hard on a piece to have it come out just the way you want it.
I appreciate that Bank Street begins the students’ education in woodworking as early as it does. I also really liked the fact that students use the same tools and materials regardless of their age. However, though Maria told us that she has never had a serious accident in the wood shop, I imagine that there needs to be very specific rules and guidelines in the shop, as well as a lot of scaffolding of using the materials and acting safe in the space.
Wood is resistant, and it takes control and power to cut through it, and to hammer it! This hard work is something that children adore and feel so accomplished when they do it. I note from your journal that you might have some questions about putting it in your classroom, and i forget at the moment what age you plan to teach. If you ever get a chance to observe in the SFC, try to catch a work period when woodworking is happeing...
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