This episode picks up right where we left off last week with Mark Covelle, diving even deeper into what real technical education looks like.

I sat down with John Stephens, a veteran shop teacher and CTE curriculum developer from Prince Edward Island. John’s on a mission to reclaim the word “shop” and challenge outdated mindsets about what happens in our labs, woodshops, and maker spaces. We talk about the power of hands-on learning, the importance of failure, and how formative feedback—when it happens in real time—actually drives growth.

Whether you're in a tech lab, a gen ed classroom, or leading a school, this episode is a reminder that shop class isn’t for “those kids”—it’s for every kid.

What We Talk About:

• Reclaiming the word "shop" with pride and purpose
• How to make CTE classrooms inclusive for all students
• Process over product: What assessment really looks like in hands-on classes
• Micro-conversations and real-time feedback at the elbow
• How to keep learning going after the bell
• Making your program visible inside your building
• Practical tools for capturing learning: checklists, rubrics, portfolios
• Why the shop is the perfect space for students to fail forward
• Creating purpose-driven readers and thinkers through technical instruction

Favorite Quotes from John:

• “Engage the hands. Activate the mind.”
• “The shop is for everyone—it just needs to be built that way.”
• “I may have missed your best moment. Tell me about it.”
• “Formative assessment is elbow-to-elbow feedback, not a quiz that doesn’t count.”

Resources Mentioned:

• A Repair Kit for Grading by Ken O’Connor
• The triangle of assessment: Products, Observations, Conversations
• Right-to-Repair laws and the importance of technical agency
• Real examples from John's classroom: phone stands, picture frames, CNC work

Connect with John Stephens:

John Stephens | LinkedIn

My Takeaway:

This episode reminded me why I started in a shop—and why that work still matters. We don’t just teach skills; we build confidence, agency, and curiosity. We need more shop teachers like John sharing their stories and raising their game.

Help Us Spread the Word:

If this hit home, do me a favor:

• Share it with a colleague
• Post it on your socials and tag me @CoachThomasTech
• Use the hashtag #TechEdClubhouse

And if you haven’t yet, go back and catch last week’s episode with Mark Covelle for the full picture of what modern CTE should look like.

Find all episodes, blogs, and extras at coachthomastech.com/podcast

#CTE #ShopClass #TechEd #ProjectBasedLearning #GrowthOverGrades #HandsOnLearning #TechEdClubhouse