by Cindy Adams
Bill Sutherland still has the toolbox he built at Galax High School 52 years ago. It sits in his basement, and he still actively uses it. He didn’t keep it because it's beautiful or because it's particularly well-crafted. He kept it because he made it himself, and that meant something.
That's what he now wants for his students.
Bill is Supervisor of Career and Technical Education at enCircle's Minnick Schools across Southwest Virginia. This winter he organized a birdhouse-building project for high school and vocational classes. The goal wasn't just teaching them to use a drill and follow measurements, although they learned both, it was to give them something tangible they could point to and say, "I built that." Just like he did so many years ago.
"This is the best day I have ever had at school," said Bristol Minnick student, Jase, after working on his birdhouse. "This is how school should be," echoed his classmate, Julian.
They handled the power tools with unexpected seriousness, and they were genuinely proud of what they built. Exactly what Bill and the Minnick teachers were hoping for on this project.
Roanoke Minnick student, Devonta, spent the "teaching" part under his desk. The angles, measurements and math did not land for him. But when the hands-on building started, he quickly joined in, eager to learn. He painted his birdhouse blue and wondered aloud what birds might move into the home he built.
"I think what surprised the students the most was why measurements matter," Bill said. "It doesn’t just happen without those tedious steps first."
Cody, a 10th grader who fixes small engines in his basement workshop, thought birdhouses would be easy. Instead, he learned precision cutting and professional painting techniques.
"I one hundred percent loved it," Cody said. "I like hands-on work and building stuff."
Each student will take their birdhouse home. Shaun was nervous at first gripping the drill carefully, but when his birdhouse was complete, he was so excited he pleaded to take it home with him that day. He didn’t even want to wait to paint it.
Bill still uses that toolbox he made five decades ago. These students may not keep their birdhouses for 52 years, but they'll likely remember the day they realized their hands could build something real and that learning could feel like this.
