Encouraging Good Work

and a few resources

What I'm struggling with most is getting them to embrace being a craftsman - meaning doing their best not just doing the minimum.

Brian, a shop teacher, shared this question after the last post on teaching middle school students. I’’ll share a little, but what I’d love is to hear from the experienced instructors and teachers. This was a challenge for me as well while teaching middle school age woodworkers. It’s still a challenge when teaching short-course woodworking to adults. I’d love to hear how others approach it in the comments.

Josiah Stinson of The Crooked Stool Workshop shares his perspectives and experience here on Substack while leading shop class. Educator Doug Stowe shares freely in his blog, Wisdom of the Hands (which, at this point, may have decades of posts). I know we have other shop instructors following along as well.

If you know of other good resources and writings on the subject, please share that below as well.

We’re approaching summer. It’s nice having the door open and a warm breeze blow through the shop again.

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First, I’ll put my credentials on the table (I have none, though I have some experiences). Then I’ll share how I approached this in different settings. Hopefully I’m brief, which leaves plenty of space for experienced educators to share their approach.

About the middle school class I mentioned in the last post, I had numerous factors working in my favor. It was a semester-long class, meeting a couple times a week. They left their building and walked to the trade school. We moved quickly through different tools, different projects, and the students kept everything they made. I did not face student boredom due to the novelty of the situation. The conditions all benefitted me. I know many educators face different circumstances.

I have taught/trained three distinct groups - middle school students, a college student workforce, and adults (in classes ranging from a day to three months). The issue Brian mentions - getting people to do their best work - is a challenge. Sometimes getting myself to do my best work is a challenge.

[The question used the term “craftsman.” Obviously, there’s a related term, “craftsmanship.” I don’t believe I’ve ever discussed craftsmanship in front of a group. I don’t know that is. Too broad, I suppose. Possibly too abstract.]

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Three groups. Encouraging good work.

Middle School students: The students kept each project, and there was an inherent desire to do good work. Though, as you might guess, some did the minimum. It seemed the best results were achieved when giving short lessons, providing a clear demonstration, showing an example of the completed project, and encouraging a student to do a step over again (with fresh wood) if they achieved poor results.

A few students had no interest in doing it over, or pursuing better work. I did not push them. My hope was that in setting the environment - the materials, tools, demonstration - the students might engage in woodworking. And, once engaged, they would naturally pursue their best work.

Verdict: varying degrees of success with this approach. I’d approach it this way again were I to do it over.

College crew: My role was the shop manager (maybe describing the role as a foreman is appropriate). We had a group of 20-25 undergraduate students who worked within the woodshop. Our job, together, was to make craft and small furniture for sale. (Berea College Student Craft - four departments; Wood, Broomcraft, Ceramics, and Weaving).

*BC Student Craft won the 2026 Product Design at the National Design Awards, presented by Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

My job was to train and make the craft. The students worked, part time, wherever they could fit in shifts around their class schedule.

I found that our weekly shop meeting (Tuesday afternoons) was key. It was the space for group training, since the crew all worked at different times. We could celebrate successes and evaluate the struggles.

Since the craft was for sale, it needed to hit a quality level. I presented completed pieces in those group meetings, both pieces that met “standard” and those that fell below. We often discussed the “standard” and attempted to keep it. Visually showing good work was key. As was showing issues that led to rejected/unsaleable pieces (poor wood selection, milling issues, , sloppy glue, poor construction or sanding, a bad finish, etc). There were, seemingly, unlimited ways to make something unsaleable.

Showing the standard, discussing how to achieve it (and then providing training on the common issues of the week that affected quality) all made the hour-long full staff meeting invaluable.

With the college crew, it wasn’t an issue of effort, they were engaged and focused, with growing skills. It was an issue of inexperience (on their part) and training (my challenge). Sometimes, through working together, we’d find a crew member who loved the detailing and quietness of the finish area, but hated sanding/assembly. It was a matter of fit and temperament. We’d try to get the right person into their ideal space.

Training was key. I needed to present succinct information. No theory. No discussions on craftsmanship. I’d show the good work, along with the bad, and then we’d go about making things better.

Adults: On rare occasions, I have an adult student (seemingly) uninterested in quality work. Which is odd - they paid to take a class with me on something that brings them enjoyment.

During classes, we often find that it is the student’s first chair, the first time they’ve worked green wood, and, at times, the first time they’ve used a drawknife or spokeshave. The first cuts and perfect quality are at odds with one another.

Ideally, there’s time and space to work through these initial issues to pursue good work.

If I notice an issue that requires attention, I’ll present it as a demonstration to the entire group. For example, after students get the feel and a response from the spokeshave, I’ll give a short demo on setting the blade to reduce the hard start/stop lines often left behind by spokeshave work. Presented too soon, this information is useless. The students who are ready for that information can pursue improved quality.

Sometimes a student does poor work and is not interested in feedback or methods of improvement. I’ll try a different approach or two, but am, at times, met with resistance.

I think I’ve come to this assessment (of myself): I do not know how to encourage good work if the student is uninterested.

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My question for the experienced educators (not just shop teachers, but also trainers, artists, parents, managers, etc): how do you encourage good work? And how do you address it if the effort isn’t there?