“I can teach transferable skills to students who, no matter what career path they ultimately choose, can use those skills to be successful. I can show a young man or young woman how to look someone in the eye and shake their hand on a job site, and that skill is transferable to any life path. I can teach a student how to solve a problem while looking ahead and anticipating the next issue, and that skill is transferable to any life path that student chooses. What a cool blessing that is for a teacher.”

John Stearns teaches construction at Amity High School in Amity, Oregon. Stearns began his teaching career in cabinetmaking and furniture construction in Amity, taught at the MiLL National Training Center in Colorado, then moved home to become the CTE Director and construction trades at Amity High. Stearns cites the consistent messaging that college is the only pathway to success – present since his own days in high school – as what motivates him to show his students that the opposite is true.

Stearns’ students learn construction by solving problems. When they start the program, Stearns divides students into groups that are tasked with framing one section of a tiny house. Students complete the project after much trial and error, but they glean important concepts about teamwork, communication, and problem-solving that lay the foundation for the year ahead. Throughout the year, Stearns incorporates a variety of projects into his curriculum that provide students with real-world experience and make a difference in their community. One recent project involved building foot cottages and sheds for the Oregon Disaster Relief Agency that will be used to house families that were displaced by the 2020 wildfires in the state. Projects like these require great collaboration, which is a cornerstone of Stearns’ class. He regularly invites industry professionals to work alongside students and to help students form connections that could lead to future employment opportunities.

Notes of Excellence

  • Stearns is a board member of The Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers Education Committee.
  • Stearns keeps his curriculum relevant and engaging by regularly bringing roofers, plumbers, electricians, commercial general contractors, and other industry professionals into classes to visit and work with students.
  • Stearns also teaches apprenticeship classes at a local community college.