“What I love most about teaching is watching my students grow from beginners to highly skilled professionals after graduation. I love to hear about their success in the skilled trades.”

Rob Hunter teaches Automotive at Flathead High School in Kalispell, Montana. Hunter discovered his love of working on cars at 16, resurrecting a gifted station wagon that neither ran nor stopped. Following high school, he attended Northern Montana College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Automotive Service Technology—a dream come true for him. After gaining experience at several dealerships and achieving ASE master technician certification, he decided to channel his expertise into teaching automotive technology, which he has been doing since 1996.

In his automotive classes, students learn relevant skills aligned with NATEF, SkillsUSA, and Montana state standards, all directly connected to automotive service or related skills. Each student engages in major projects designed to teach hands-on skills and reinforce core automotive concepts. These projects emphasize quality of work, time management, organization, adherence to procedures, and safety, with the goal of achieving a functional end product. Introductory students work in pairs on structured small engine projects with written instructions, learning to assess, diagnose, and test engines. More advanced students tackle complex engines individually, following provided sequences and specifications without written directions. In Automotive 3, students work on car engines, researching sequences and torque specifications, and demonstrating progress at specified intervals. By their fourth year, students are largely self-directed, working on challenging projects such as engine replacements, and exhibiting technician-level skills.

Notes of Excellence

  • Hunter’s advanced students built a 1928 Ford Model A hotrod from junk, working over years to finance and construct the car alongside volunteers from local businesses and car clubs.
  • Since 2021, Hunter’s students have earned three gold medals, three silver medals, and a bronze medal in the SkillsUSA Automotive Service Technology state contest.
  • Hunter has served as the Department Leader of his schools’ Career & Technical Education Programs since 2007.