“I like to create or build. Nothing is more satisfactory than the tangible result of seeing something I have created, built, or improved. Few things are as rewarding as a client thanking me for a job well done. Every day, on a job site, the job is different, the challenges new, and there are opportunities to grow personally and professionally. Teaching is equally rewarding but instead of building a physical product, I am helping students build their future and a passion for creating and learning.”
Scott Larson teaches carpentry and construction at North Baldwin Center for Technology in Bay Minette, Alabama. Originally a contractor, his education career began by chance when he was encouraged by a client – who was a high school counselor – to apply for a construction teaching job. Having experienced difficulty finding qualified candidates for open positions as a contractor, and knowing other contractors were having the same challenge, he felt called to apply his experience to train the next generation.
Larson teaches a broad, comprehensive construction curriculum that covers everything from site preparation to the finishing phases of construction. Topics include masonry, concrete, structure framing, roofing and roofing finishes, exterior and interior finishing, and mechanical systems, with introductions to computer aided drafting (CAD), computer aided machining (CAM), and CNC technology. He also offers Construction Math and Project Management classes to expose students to estimating materials and costs and supervising projects, critical skills in managing their own businesses.
His teaching is centered around collaboration and extensive hands-on training that prepares students for careers or further education after completing high school. Larson makes it easy for students to learn by using online instructional resources, working side-by-side with students, and providing students with multiple project options. Using his experience as a carpenter and a contractor, Larson designs engaging projects meant to address community needs, such as a booth for the local chamber of commerce, an outdoor stage for an elementary school, and a cabinet for the city library. Larson works to prepare his students for their next steps, and helps connect them to these opportunities. Over 90 percent of the students who complete his program go on to work in construction or a related field, postsecondary training, or enlisting in the military.
Larson has a master’s degree in Forest Resources from the University of Georgia, and has been certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards since 2022. He served as a member of the Board of Directors for Alabama SkillsUSA and as a Fund for Teachers Fellow, helped create new coursework in CNC wood technology and technical math for the Alabama State Department of Education, and was awarded the Go Build Alabama CTE Program Award in 2015.
“I teach employability skills and hold students accountable for their performance. I teach 21st Century skills – team working, problem-solving, and critical and creative thinking. I work hard to instill a love of learning in my students and encourage them to be lifelong learners.”