Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work

Throughout our upbringing and our time in the educational system, we are taught that an expenditure of effort leads to an immediate reward.. The issue is that this chain breaks down when we want to walk our own paths. When you direct your attention to your personal curiosities, there’s no immediate reason for society to value that. Society only val... See more

People gripped by the career consolidation task are often driven by a desire for mastery—the intrinsic pleasure of becoming quite good at something. They get up in the morning and work their rut. There’s a big field to be farmed out there, the great project of their vocation, but each day they can only work their rut. When they do that, they have a

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All I needed to hear when I was younger that the things I love were worth something. We live in the age of tooling and creation. There is no shortage of platforms and resources that make it easier for us to build, but there’s also a lack of cultural understanding around that turns young people off things they’re ridiculously good at and love, along... See more

In short, good values have to be grown from the inside out. Attempts to short-circuit this process by dangling rewards in front of children are at best ineffective, and at worst counterproductive. Children are likely to become enthusiastic, lifelong learners as a result of being provided with an engaging curriculum; a safe, caring community in whic... See more