Industrial arts vocational teacher

Industrial arts vocational teachers instruct students in their specialised field of study, industrial arts, which is predominantly practical in nature. They provide theoretical instruction in service of the practical skills and techniques the students must subsequently master for an industrial arts-related profession, working with wood and metal, such as carpenter or sheet metal worker. Industrial arts vocational teachers monitor the students’ progress, assist individually when necessary, and evaluate their knowledge and performance on the subject of industrial arts through assignments, tests and examinations.

The following job titles also refer to industrial arts vocational teacher:

industrial arts teacher
industrial arts instructor
technical handicraft teacher
industrial arts educator
educator in industrial arts
vocational instructor in industrial arts
technical handicraft instructor
vocational teacher in industrial arts
industrial arts vocational instructor

Associate’s degree is generally required to work as industrial arts vocational teacher. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Industrial arts vocational teacher is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to industrial arts vocational teacher.

hospitality vocational teacher
electronics and automation vocational teacher
medical laboratory technology vocational teacher
business administration vocational teacher
hairdressing vocational teacher

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of industrial arts vocational teacher. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of industrial arts vocational teacher with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of industrial arts vocational teacher.

Assessment processes: Various evaluation techniques, theories, and tools applicable in the assessment of students, participants in a programme, and employees. Different assessment strategies such as initial, formative, summative and self- assessment are used for varying purposes.
Maintenance and repair: The preservation and restoration of products and systems, and the methods and logistics of these practices.
Learning difficulties: The learning disorders some students face in an academic context, especially Specific Learning Difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and concentration deficit disorders.
Teamwork principles: The cooperation between people characterised by a unified commitment to achieving a given goal, participating equally, maintaining open communication, facilitating effective usage of ideas etc.
Curriculum objectives: The goals identified in curricula and defined learning outcomes.

These skills are necessary for the role of industrial arts vocational teacher.

Guarantee students’ safety: Ensure all students falling under an instructor or other person’s supervision are safe and accounted for. Follow safety precautions in the learning situation.
Assign homework: Provide additional exercises and assignments that the students will prepare at home, explain them in a clear way, and determine the deadline and evaluation method.
Prepare lesson content: Prepare content to be taught in class in accordance with curriculum objectives by drafting exercises, researching up-to-date examples etc.
Facilitate teamwork between students: Encourage students to cooperate with others in their learning by working in teams, for example through group activities.
Monitor developments in field of expertise: Keep up with new research, regulations, and other significant changes, labour market related or otherwise, occurring within the field of specialisation.
Observe student’s progress: Follow up on students’ learning progress and assess their achievements and needs.
Manage student relationships: Manage the relations between students and between student and teacher. Act as a just authority and create an environment of trust and stability.
Adapt teaching to student’s capabilities: Identify the learning struggles and successes of students. Select teaching and learning strategies that support students’ individual learning needs and goals.
Apply teaching strategies: Employ various approaches, learning styles, and channels to instruct students, such as communicating content in terms they can understand, organising talking points for clarity, and repeating arguments when necessary. Use a wide range of teaching devices and methodologies appropriate to the class content, the learners’ level, goals, and priorities.
Maintain students’ discipline: Make sure students follow the rules and code of behaviour established in the school and take the appropriate measures in case of violation or misbehaviour.
Teach industrial arts principles: Instruct students in the theory and practice of the industrial arts, namely metal and wood working, with the aim of assisting them in pursuing a future career in this field, more specifically in courses such as carpentry, metal construction, and technical drawing.
Assess students: Evaluate the students’ (academic) progress, achievements, course knowledge and skills through assignments, tests, and examinations. Diagnose their needs and track their progress, strengths, and weaknesses. Formulate a summative statement of the goals the student achieved.
Assist students with equipment: Provide assistance to students when working with (technical) equipment used in practice-based lessons and solve operational problems when necessary.
Adapt instruction to labour market: Identify developments in the labour market and recognise their relevance to the training of students.
Give constructive feedback: Provide founded feedback through both criticism and praise in a respectful, clear, and consistent manner. Highlight achievements as well as mistakes and set up methods of formative assessment to evaluate work.
Perform classroom management: Maintain discipline and engage students during instruction.
Assist students in their learning: Support and coach students in their work, give learners practical support and encouragement.
Instruct on safety measures: Provide instruction on the possible causes of accidents or sources of danger and explain the protective measures that should be taken to guarantee health and safety.
Apply intercultural teaching strategies: Ensure that the content, methods, materials and the general learning experience is inclusive for all students and takes into account the expectations and experiences of learners from diverse cultural backgrounds. Explore individual and social stereotypes and develop cross-cultural teaching strategies.
Work in vocational school: Work in a vocational school that instructs students in practical courses.
Develop course outline: Research and establish an outline of the course to be taught and calculate a time frame for the instructional plan in accordance with school regulations and curriculum objectives.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of industrial arts vocational teacher. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Woodworking processes: Steps in the processing of wood for the manufacturing of wooden articles and types of machines used for these processes such as drying, shaping, assembling and surface finishing.
Corrosion types: The various types of oxidation reactions with the environment, such as rusting, copper pitting, stress cracking, and others.
Cutting technologies: The variety of cutting technologies, such as software or mechanics, guiding cutting processes through lasering, sawing, milling etc.
Metal joining technologies: The various technologies used for the joining and assembling of fabricated metal workpieces.
Manufacturing processes: The steps required through which a material is transformed into a product, its development and full-scale manufacturing.
Woodworking tools: The various tools used to process wood, such as planers, chisels and lathes.
Engraving technologies: The characteristics of various materials and methods used to engrave something on a surface.
Disability types: The nature and types of disabilities affecting the human beings such as physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional or developmental and the specific needs and access requirements of disabled people.
Types of metal: Qualities, specifications, applications and reactions to different fabricating processes of various types of metal, such as steel, aluminium, brass, copper and others.
Furniture wood types: Types of wood used in the manufacturing of wooden furniture and their characteristics.
Deburring processes: The various types of processes removing burrs from fabricated workpieces, such as grinding, media blasting, sanding, mass-finishing, spindle finishing, electrochemical deburring, abrasive flow machining, manual deburring, and others.
Cad software: The computer-aided design (CAD) software for creating, modifying, analysing or optimising a design.
Wood cuts: Different ways of cutting wood, across the grain or parallel with it, and radial or tangential to the core. The behaviour of cuts of wood under different circumstances and the optimal cut for a given purpose. Influence of special attributes of the wood, like knots or defects.
Types of wood: Types of wood, such as birch, pine, poplar, mahogany, maple and tulipwood.
Metalworking tools: The equipment and tools used in metalworking processes, such as welding or soldering torches, saws, deburring files, and metal drills.
Metal smoothing technologies: The various technologies used for the smoothening, polishing and buffing of fabricated metal workpieces.
Metal coating technologies: The various processes and technologies used for to coating and painting fabricated metal workpieces.
Metal eroding technology: The various eroding technology and techniques, automated or otherwise, such as electrical discharge machining, die sinking, wire eroding and others.
Abrasive machining processes: The various machining principles and processes employing abrasives, (mineral) materials that can shape a workpiece by eroding excessive parts of it, such as grinding, honing, sanding, buffing, diamond wire cutting, polishing, abrasive blasting, tumbling, water-jet cutting, and others.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of industrial arts vocational teacher. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Manipulate wood: Manipulate the properties, shape and size of wood.
Manage resources for educational purposes: Identify the necessary resources needed for learning purposes, such as materials in class or arranged transportation for a field trip. Apply for the corresponding budget and follow up on the orders.
Work with virtual learning environments: Incorporate the use of online learning environments and platforms into the process of instruction.
Provide lesson materials: Ensure that the necessary materials for teaching a class, such as visual aids, are prepared, up-to-date, and present in the instruction space.

2320 – Vocational education teachers

 

 

---

 

 

References

1. Industrial arts vocational teacher – ESCO