Latest / The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District / Episode #58 Tyler Casias-CTE Teacher Auburn High

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Episode #58 Tyler Casias-CTE Teacher Auburn High · The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District

• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, and welcome to the Recest Podcast.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Dr.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Alan Spicciotti, the proud superintendent of the Auburn School District.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: The Recest gives me an opportunity to take you behind the scenes to meet some of the people who make this district such a great place.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: We are preparing kids for the future.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's a big part of our vision as a school district, and we want that to be expansive.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: We want all students to have opportunities, regardless if they want to go on a like on a four-year university path or a trades path, military, or a lot of other uh great viable career choices that lead to a family wage job and hopefully match a student and their interests and their aptitude with some real employable opportunities in the real world.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: And we, I think, have a really good history with our career and technical education programs.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Auburn has really valued those and uh continue to invest in them.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: And a few years ago, we took it to the next level uh with the help of some grant funds from King County, started a construction trades pre-apprenticeship program that I'm very proud of, and I know our staff is.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: We're also uh opening, actually, we have opened a uh welding and aerospace uh similar pre-apprenticeship program.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so we're gonna learn about those.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna learn about our current status of CTE and uh just meet an all-around, passionate, great teacher.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: So um my guest this episode is Tyler Cassius, and he is a CTE teacher at Auburn High School, and we're gonna get to know about him and his programs right now.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Tyler, welcome to the podcast.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for having me.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: It's an honor to be here.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: I have gotten to know you by being in your classroom and by uh some interactions we've had related to the pre-apprenticeship program.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm really excited about this episode.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna start with the first question I ask every guest.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: Who is your favorite teacher and why?
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: So uh I was a graduate from Auburn High School, so this one will be a little more close to home as she still teaches there.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: Krista Parsons, our uh sports med teacher.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I didn't take sports med.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: It was a goal of mind.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_01: I did her I did take her anatomy class.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: And the reason that she was my favorite teacher, she uh she has a very warm and welcoming personality, and I think everybody sees that, you know, right from the get-go.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: She makes her classroom really feel like home to her students, but she also creates standards for her students, right?
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_01: There's a standard that she expects you to meet, um, and she she holds you to that in a very loving and firm way.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_01: And I think at a point, and I was at a point in my life where that really resonated with me and struck home, and so it stuck with me.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, she was was my favorite teacher at the time, and what you know, is my favorite teacher that I've had.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: And now you're teaching right down the hall from her, right alongside with her.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: It's pretty surreal.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: So that's really cool.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: Do you find yourself uh bringing some of those themes into your class?
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: You said welcoming, uh having a high standard.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, I try to emulate that.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, she does an excellent job at that, but I do try to do that, and uh I think that's a big part of you know what Auburn does as a district.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_01: We are very welcoming, and I've got to learn from our department at Auburn High School personally.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I think all of our teachers do that well.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_01: And so I was able to learn and kind of over the last couple of years pick people's brains and try to put my own spin on it.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I focus on the relationships and making sure kids feel at home in the shop.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: Good.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I enjoy learning about our CTE teachers' path into education and becoming a the teacher side of the fence because we get a lot of like second career folks, um, people with industry experience.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Most of our teachers uh have an experience like mine, which is great.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: You know, went to high school, went to college, started teaching, have always been in school, uh, and we lack a little bit of the time in the quote unquote real world.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: So tell us about your journey to Auburn School District, Balsal to becoming an educator.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_01: Graduating high school, I did not think I was gonna be a teacher.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I went straight to industry, uh, got into construction, started a couple years uh being a cement mason, cement finisher, before I found uh kind of my niche with Foss Maritime and the maritime industry, which was also part of the construction union or labor's union.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I spent 10 years there.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_01: And the job there was to dry dock fishing boats and tugboats, and we actually got to build a fireboat for the city of Long Beach.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_01: I truly enjoyed that and thought that was going to be my career.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_01: I was there for 10 years, and right around 10 years, October 2021, they closed their doors.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: Didn't didn't tell anybody.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so it was just kind of a letter that showed up on our doorstep on a Saturday, and that was that.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_01: So um yeah, I was kind of left with the what's next, and because it's a bit of an oversaturated job because it's so niche, especially uh in the Puget Sound, there's only a couple different shipyards.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so my wife is actually a teacher, and she said, Well, why don't you look into you know the career and technical education side of things?
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: You have industry hours, go and take your your cert and uh see what you can do there.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_01: Because at the time I was coaching high school football.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I've already had a passion with working for you know high school age students, so I put two and two together, applied for Auburn and you know, gave me the gave me the shot in the dark and I haven't looked back.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's really exciting, and I I think, gosh, like what an opportunity to uh be on the same schedule as your wife and your kids, um, but also to make a huge impact in the classroom and help others, you know, get into the industry or at least grow some skills that then you apply in other areas.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: Not everybody is going to, you know, become a carpenter or or work in construction trades, um, but you can apply those, right?
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's the great thing about our CTE programs.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: Good.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm I'm just curious.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: So you were a high school football coach, did you play football at Auburn?
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_01: I did.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_01: I played for Auburn while I was here.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: I graduated class in 2011.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_01: So Okay, who is your coach?
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: Gordon Elliott.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, great Gordon Elliott.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: Good, good.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: Well, uh we we love Gordy.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: We miss you if you're listening.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: Look forward to learning a little bit more about you and your work here.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: So let's talk about the career in technical education program, CTE we call it, in Auburn.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: And like in your word, I'm always curious hearing different people's takes.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Why is CTE important?
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_01: I believe CTE is important because it uh it gives students those extra pathways to being successful beyond high school.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_01: Not every student's uh success is going to be going to college or trying to get into college.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_01: Some people want some students want to get into work and that's where they're successful at, right?
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: They they're great with using their hands, uh, they like being active.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_01: I have multiple students that come into my shop each day and it's their most successful period because they resonate with it and they're you know, they're put in a spot where they're being successful.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_01: They're you know using that different part of their brain where it just really resonates with them.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_01: So I just think it's important because one, we're not only giving kids these skills and abilities to take with them beyond high school, whether or not they choose to go that route, but also opening those doors and showing them that hey, this is something that you can do uh if you're passionate about it and want to pursue it.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: I truly think CTE is it's the world for some of these kids and kind of just that lifeboat that they need.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: Uh great.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: We have always valued CTE in in Auburn School District.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think there's any question we have some real points of pride.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you're also down the hall from the auto shop that I believe is the largest auto shop in a high school in the state of Washington.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: It is, yes.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so some some real pride in our CTE programs.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um and we're trying to take it to the next level and go that much further to connect students with careers, uh, maybe even with a trades union.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: So can you talk about I've teased it, but can you explain to the audience what the construction trades apprenticeship program is?
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_01: So our construction trades apprenticeship program is uh it's two-level class, so there's two tiers to it.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_01: There's a 101, which is beginner, and then there's a 201 that they will usually graduate out with because it's mostly juniors and seniors.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_01: And within that, not only are they building the construction foundational skills, uh, we're actually we're actually getting them in touch with those unions and apprenticeships and small time businesses uh while they're in the class.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_01: We're trying to bring those those people into the classroom to make those connections.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_01: We're getting them on field trips.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: We have one coming up.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_01: We're going out to the carpenter's training location in Kent.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_01: Uh they're having a career day out there.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll try that's gonna be the first kind of get-go of the year where we try to get kids connected, but also getting them their certifications that they can take with them, but such as OSHA 10, OSHA 30.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: And once again, we're just trying to open those doors because construction is such a broad, a broad word, right?
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_01: There's so many different pathways that they can they can go.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: So just trying to teach them the different roads that they can take and open that door for them and give them the skills to succeed.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: And also we're really trying to bridge that gap between you know our pre-apprentip and apprenticeships beyond high school.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_01: Because we want to make sure they're actually not just something saying that they want saying that's something they want to do, but making sure we're kind of pushing them in the right direction and making sure they're getting there with and giving them the support they need.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: So this program you can take the first level in your home high school and the second year because of the facilities we have and support, we we centralize that at Auburn High School.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's a a program that any student across the district can take.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_01: That is correct.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: And uh just help help our audience understand what kind of things you do, what are the projects, what are the skills kids are learning throughout the the two-year program.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_01: So the basic thing that we go over is um you know your basic framing skills.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_01: We also teach a lot of hand tool safety, which is uh on-the-job safety training.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we give a lot of that.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_01: We project-wise, we are the plan this year is to have a shed built and we're moving in the direction, training in the direction to do more tiny homes.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_01: That way kids can understand, at least on a smaller scale, of you know, the entire functionality of what goes into building a home.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: And we're talking from the ground up, we're talking reading blueprints to building them and completely constructing the house.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's the big focus.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_01: We also take focus on, even though we can't perform it, the electrical side of things, HVAC and plumbing, and we try to bring in outside um sources like the electricians union to talk about those things and kind of give them the rundown of how that goes.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: That's really cool.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, to expose them because there's you know, as a high school, we can't teach every trade, obviously.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but we can give them the basic skills then and they may decide to move on to a related field like that.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um I spent some time in your classroom last year.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: I seem to remember a couple of dog houses.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: We had some students in our construction 201 class uh building some dog houses.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: One of them student ended up taking home.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: He paid for it, brought it home, he's using it.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and the other one we're just gonna, I'm gonna try to, we're gonna try to see if we can't auction that off.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_01: So cool.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: And did I okay, my my memory might be playing tricks on me, but did I see an outhouse?
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_01: You definitely saw an outhouse.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: That is uh that is on Kurt Edwards, who is our automotive shop, our automotive shop teacher.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: Uh that is not on his campground in Cleal and being used.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: So he purchased that from the program.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yeah, yep.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_01: So that was that was a fun project for our 101.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: I think when you do things that are real and and applied, uh, it just makes things so much more tangible to kids.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: When we do these projects, it's not me giving them the instructions.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I'm very much asking them to build the build the plans, you know, collaborate as a team.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_01: And so that outhouse that you saw, those dog houses that you saw, they they built the blueprints from the ground up, drew them up, gave me the cut list, and I mean all that is their their work from the start.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: And so the aspiration then for building a tiny home, I'm thinking that you probably have most of the elements of any residential construction on a small scale, but you're dealing with plumbing and electrical.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know to what extent your kids do that exactly hands-on, but they're they're understanding what goes into that, right?
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we actually have some software called Interplay Learning that we use where kids can uh virtually go in and troubleshoot any sort of HVAC issues or electrical issues, learning how to run wire.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, same thing with plumbing.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_01: You know, they can go in and troubleshoot a weld.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_01: So it's giving them the idea while you know taking away the the risk, because that's where the problem lies is with risk and that, but we're still getting them exposed and having them using their problem solving skills in those areas.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: Gosh, what an amazing opportunity.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, when I took shop, I made a little footstool and I gave it to my parents and they were proud of it.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: It was just basically a piece of wood with four legs screwed onto it.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, I see a lot of cutting boards, obviously.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: Some of the like, you know, the artistic part of uh woods and little little pet projects, but you know, these are real applications.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's pretty cool.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, something kids can take with them whether they choose to go into the trades or not.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's the biggest thing.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, something like that.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: And you and you still see a variety of projects in the woodshop classes.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: So I've seen some really cool rocking chairs, Adirondack chairs.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: Was it last year you had a a canoe?
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yep, we have a canoe hanging up right above our entryway of the door that was built.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: So that's that's still there.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_01: It's gorgeous, yeah.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_01: That's on display.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: So everybody's that's kind of our selling point, right?
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_01: Everybody always asks about the canoe.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_01: So um, and that's just to kind of point to the potential that can be achieved in that class.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_01: So, and that's what we strive for.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm just amazed by, you know, A, we have this in a high school.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, this is really kind of like after school kind of stuff, and that we're bringing to our high school students.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I don't know that every student or even every family has had the opportunity to learn what an opportunity this is, and and for many kids, for the right kid, what a chance this is to really get a leg up on uh a powerful uh potential career.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: So what would you say uh to students or their parents or families to what's your kind of your pitch to encourage our students to join the program?
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_01: The first thing I always tell students is uh, you know, even if you you may not want to join construction or be a construction worker, you may have a plan for your life, but you can come to the shop and you can build skills and learn skills that you will be able to keep with you and you will always have something to fall back on.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: And that's the biggest thing, and I always tie that in my life story is what do you have to fall back on?
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it's usually the experience that you have.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, if you give me give us as the Auburn School District, um, and then me more specifically as the instructor at Auburn to teach your kids and give them the experience to take with them before they even leave high school.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_01: They already have a leg up.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then if they do choose to pursue something in the trades, they they've been exposed to more than the ordinary graduate with all the connections that they're gonna make with potential employers and apprenticeships.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then they also have us to fall back on as well because I will always be um a direct connect for students if they need to come back and kind of get in contact with anybody.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_01: So and I I do make that my personal goal because you know I we Auburn School District has made such a big push for this and built such a fantastic program that you know if I were a student now and I had the resources, I mean, it would have been night and day.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_01: I would have had a I would have made much more of an educated decision with what I want to do with my life come graduation.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and just for people who don't know, what does the field look like?
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: What are those opportunities for a student who goes to this program if they stay on this trajectory?
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_00: Uh maybe they complete a full apprenticeship program.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_00: You know, what are the employment prospects to salaries and those kind of things?
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: I I mean, so let's just start with a general labor.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you could you don't even have to join an apprenticeship.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_01: There are um labor unions that'll take you as a helper, which is above an apprentice, and you're starting right around$30 an hour.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um and that's that's the route I went.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: Is I started out as a helper and about seven years in, I was at Foreman, and you're pushing, I mean, your yearly salary is close to six figures.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_01: So, and that's with healthcare, you're already putting money towards retirement.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: So you're not you're coming out of high school making money right away.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of potential for earnings there.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_01: You talked about the pathways that they could take.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I could just name a couple different trades right off the bat.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_01: You have the plumbers, electricians, you have roofing roofers, you have framers for residential construction, cement masons.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, those that's just a small short list of potential jobs that there are out there.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I know, you know, we've had a lot of conversations about we don't know exactly where the world's going.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: And when we talk about uh lack of a better term, AI proof careers, you know, some of these jobs where you're working with your hands, they're very technical.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh there's a lot to learn.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like we talk about post-secondary education, you you really need to know your stuff, but most of this isn't something that you could program a computer to do, and you won't need the worker with we're gonna need people in the trades uh more than ever.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, nope.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_01: AI is not coming to take your job in construction.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_01: You will or you have uh you have a safe spot.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: And then uh just we should give a little bit of equal time.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: So your next door neighbor has uh metals and welding.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I just want to say a word about because it's it's a fantastic facility.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like always blown away when I see what kids are doing in there.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_01: It is it is a top of the line facility, and I'm glad you asked.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_01: So uh Auburn High Auburn School District is launching a um aerospace and welding class.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: So that'll be another one of our core plus and pre-apprentipograms.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_01: So similar to our um pre-apprentip construction trades, this pathway is gonna be more focused towards aerospace and welding.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_01: So just giving another outlet for kids that may have a pathway that they'd like to go that more specifically feeds into that.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_01: It's a fantastic shop.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_01: It's I think they have close to ten welding booths set up back there.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um and a lot of them I mean it's set up for it's like a machina shop.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: It's fantastic.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: That's really cool.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I like I said, I uh I I'm just impressed every time I I go in and see kids and you know, they're so eager to show off their projects and actually like kind of at a safe distance watching kids welding in high school.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: And and you know, like there are good programs around, but to get that at that age, just when you're so so much figuring out what your future is going to be to have those experiences, I think is awesome.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: You mentioned Core Plus also, so that's the Boeing program, correct?
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that is the curriculum that we run uh through that program.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's it's nice to work with the Boeing company when kids complete that Core Plus, it it satisfies some of the entry level requirements to go into some of their their first positions, which can lead to education benefits and ultimately some some really good careers that are that are high paying.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: So we're we're really excited.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: We're we're far enough into this to start to see it pay off, but we also know that sky's a limit for for our kids in this program.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: One thing that we like to ask to illustrate the power of CTE programs, other things I've had my guests share about is is to put it in terms of a favorite success story that you've had with a student.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: Can you share one or two with us?
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and I love the story because I still have this student with me.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_01: He's he's a senior this year, so I've had him all four years.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_01: Started out in my uh my woodworking one class.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_01: And I mean, needless to say, he was a kid that just didn't want to be at school whatsoever.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_01: And this was only my second year of teaching when he came in, so I'm still I'm still learning how to classroom manage and connect with kids and just all the nuances of trying to deal with kids that don't want to be there and trying to get them to connect.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_01: And I remember he was gone for about a month, and I finally was able to sit down and have a conversation when he came back, and he kind of gave me a lot, you know, his background and all of his responsibilities outside of work, and I just Told him, you know, if you if you just show up right now, I I don't care what you do as long as you're here.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_01: We'll just start there.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: And he kind of just shook me off, which I was okay with, but he showed up, kept showing up, and uh in about a month's time after that, he kind of just started gravitating towards me and asking questions about the class and wanting to participate.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_01: And so just building that connection with him, right, and kind of just leaving that space open for him to come and connect.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_01: He bought in, he was able to buy in.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_01: He's ended up taking my construction for three straight years now.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: So he's in his second year of construction 201.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_01: He's already met all the requirements and he loves it so much that he's coming back to do it again.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, we've actually partnered with an outside source that is taking him on job site visits throughout the school year, and they're getting him connected with different employers and different trades.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_01: So um I'm glad that he's one not only just bought into school because he's he's at school full-time now, he's succeeding, but he's also wanting to go and work in construction.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_01: He's not just taking it to just uh appease anybody, this is something he wants to do and something he truly loves.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: Boy, that's amazing.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um we have so many students who like it just takes that connection and uh to hear that story is is really heartwarming and it's definitely changing his life.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I think you have a lot of other examples similar to that.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_00: We had a student come and present at school board last year uh who talked about he actually a former student who uh now works in the industry and had kind of a similar story, and it's just it's so great to see a kid find their passion, you know.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's gonna be different things for different kids, and to have your program there and uh to have you take the time with him is just awesome.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_00: This might lead us into uh kind of my final question about your your work in the classroom.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_00: What is your favorite part of your job?
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_01: Well, okay, so the low-hanging fruit is the relationship with the kids.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: I I truly do uh enjoy building the relationships with the students in my classroom.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's special.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_01: It truly is.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_01: The kids that we have in this uh in this community, the diversity within it has been um well, I grew up in it and it's it's become even more diverse since I've graduated.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_01: And it's truly just amazing to come in and see all the kids come in and interact with each other and all their background stories.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_01: It's sometimes it's overwhelming, right?
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_01: But it's rewarding each and every day.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so that would be the low-hanging fruit of that quote part.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna give you a second part because there's multiple things I love about this job.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_01: But that's also giving kids skills that they can take with them beyond high school.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_01: I truly think that skill trades are kind of dying off right now, and I think that's the big push right now with CT is to kind of give kids those tools to go and be successful.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_01: And like I said, I don't I tell kids I don't care if you want to be in the trades.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_01: I can we can teach you things in this classroom that you can take with you that nobody can take away from you.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_01: And it's uh it's the empowerment part of it, and a big part big one of that is problem solving.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_01: We have all these different tools that solve our problems for us nowadays that uh I really push for students to solve their own problems.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I ask a lot of questions with questions, and it I think it irks kids at first when you know we're still kind of in that relationship building, but by mid-year and end of year, they understand what I'm doing.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_01: I answer that question with a question and then they're off and running.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_01: And it's just kind of like light quick uh light clicks and they're they're getting it.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_01: So um, you know, just just giving them that that skill and all the other skills that they learn within construction wood shop, uh, and seeing them take them out out the door.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_01: Because I get a lot of students coming back being like, hey, look what I built in my parents' garage, because a lot of these kids have just tools laying around in the garage that they go and use, and they're not in my class anymore.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_01: They graduate and they come back and show me it's it's fun.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that's probably that's another one of my favorite parts.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_00: Are you sure you aren't like a uh you know traditionally trained educator?
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_00: Because you you just like I love the I love the statement about kids have so many problems solved for them, and we're all you know grappling with AI and all of these things, like and we know how important it is for kids to figure things out, how much you get confidence from solving problems, uh how much you learn from making mistakes, and all of those things.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so I th I think you just nailed it there, and uh I think you made the transition from uh a skilled tradesperson to a skilled teacher uh with a great background in the trades.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_00: So, Tyler, thank you for for sharing about your program and your passion for uh CTE and your students.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna finish with a question that I uh enjoy hearing from all of my guests.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: And you were sharing you have uh a couple of young children yourself, so they're probably going to recess every day.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_00: What when you were going to recess, what was your favorite thing to do?
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_01: My favorite thing to do uh back at Lake Dolph Elementary up in Federal Way was to play soccer.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_01: And much to my parents' chagrin, it was a dirt and clay field.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_01: So the brand new clothes and shoes that constantly got tore up.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_01: There were a lot of you know, a lot of bad days going home with that.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_01: So I try to have patience with my daughters when they come home and their clothes are all stained.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_01: And but you know what?
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah, soccer and uh football.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_01: That was those are the two things I love doing at recess.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_01: I love sports, and yeah, I was always counting down the minutes until recess.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_01: Do you play anymore?
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_01: I I mean I attempt to play.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_01: I I don't know how well I play, but I attempt.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_00: Well, uh you're still a young guy, but I I sometimes I warn my guests be careful, don't pull anything, but uh, but do get out there and play.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's fun and it's worth it.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_00: My guest has been Tyler Cassius.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_00: He's an awesome CTE teacher uh in the the wood shop doing the construction trades over at Auburn High School.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_00: And we're so glad that uh I don't know if we can say we're glad that you lost your job in industry, but we're certainly glad that you're with us here in education, making a difference with our kids.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Tyler.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for having me.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_00: And if you know somebody that this episode uh could help or is just an interest, uh, I see all over in the community just a passion for how do we get more kids into trades, how do we, you know, support our skills and our vocational programs, please share this episode.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you might spark a conversation or even get a young person to take some of the classes that uh Mr.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_00: Cassius or all of our great CTE teachers teach in the Auburn School District.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm glad you are with us for this important episode today.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_00: We will be back in a couple of weeks with another episode of the recess podcast.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'll see you then.