All About Our Metalwork Teacher, Mr. Thor’s Teaching

Mr. Thor, the metalwork teacher at Palmer, has a unique teaching style. When he was asked about it, he emphasized the importance of encouraging students to learn through hands-on experiences and problem-solving.

One of the key aspects of Mr. Thor's teaching style is safety. He makes sures that students are always educated and they understood in the safe use of equipment in the metal shop, prioritizing their health above everything. This creates a secure learning environment for his students.

As seen in the example of the toolbox he shared in the interview video, he demonstrates the necessary skills and techniques to complete the project. Once the demonstration is done, he will let the students to “absorb” the knowledge and attempt to do the same thing in their own style, utilizing the tools they’ve learned in the process.

Mr. Thor strongly believes that making mistakes is an essential when one is learning. He always tells his students making errors are alright as he himself has learned valuable lessons from his own mistakes over the past.

Mr. Thor's passion for metalwork is evident in his teaching. He loves working with metal, considering it a strong and versatile material. He finds it more accessible than woodworking and “re-stated” that the metal shop is a safe environment, even though one might expect scary machinery. In fact, the majority of the tools used in the shop are hand-operated, and electric-powered tools are not as common as it seems.