That "CTE" Guy - CHAT-CTE: Finally—PD That’s Personal

Somebody's deciding what CTE looks like next. Question is who. Three stories this week that give three different answers — a North Carolina district that put pilots in the cockpit before graduation, the federal administration quietly rolling back CTE data collection, and the private equity story nobody's telling: investors are buying up trade schools right now, and your seniors' families have no i...

A podcast for Career and Technical Education teachers — the welders, cosmetologists, chefs, auto techs, designers, and builders who know their trade cold and then got handed a classroom with no manual. Hosted by a working CTE teacher who's still in the room, it's real, teacher-to-teacher talk about the part nobody trained you for: turning a binder of state task codes into a year you can actually t...

Season 2 finale. Short one this week — five minutes, signature open, no news, no rant. Just a few callbacks to the season that meant something, and the thank-you you earned for pressing play. The show comes back July 1st. When it does, it's a different thing. Bigger. Sharper. Some stuff I've been building for a while that I haven't talked about yet. We'll get into all of it then. For now — finish...

At least 26 states reported a CTE teacher shortage this year. And here's the gut-punch: the industry-to-classroom teachers — the electricians, chefs, and nurses we recruited specifically for their skills — leave the profession about 25% faster than teachers from traditional ed programs. When they go, the class doesn't get a sub. It gets canceled. Whole programs disappear because nobody else in the...

It's late May. You've got two, maybe three weeks left, and the tank is empty. So this episode breaks format on purpose. We open at the News Desk with three stories about who actually values CTE work. First, the good one: Dean Technical High in Holyoke, Massachusetts unveiled a permanent wall of apprenticeship pathways — ten local trade unions, each with a QR code linking kids straight to wages, be...

What to Capture NOW Before You Forget Everything It's May. You're cooked. And every August, you wish you had notes. This week on CHAT-CTE: the five-minute capture system that protects everything you learned this year — before grading season eats your brain. Plus the news desk hits hard with Virginia's CTE Signing Day, the Trump administration's praise-then-cancel routine on CTE grants, and the tea...

Summer is almost here, and if you're a CTE teacher, you're probably caught between two feelings: relief that the year is ending, and that nagging voice in the back of your head reminding you that you said you'd plan better next year. Sound familiar? Here's the truth: the teachers who plan in summer have a completely different school year than the ones who don't. Not 10% better — a different univer...

Every CTE teacher knows what August feels like — a stack of district task lists, a half-broken curriculum from whoever taught the class before, and 180 days you somehow have to fill with real, standards-aligned work. I lived that for years. So I built Blueprint-CTE — an AI tool that reads your district task list and builds you a full year of curriculum, lessons, and assessments, all mapped to your...

Being the lead SkillsUSA advisor looks great on paper — competitions, leadership, student growth. But what does it actually cost you? In this episode, Steven sits down with a fellow CTE teacher to talk honestly about the advisor role: budget battles, student participation, getting other teachers involved, and the time it really takes. If you're advising now, thinking about taking it on, or quietly...

Forget counting down the days. In this episode I break down the strategy that gets me through the wildest stretch of the school year — when seniors are checked out, schedules are unpredictable, and real curriculum feels almost impossible. It's simple, it's practical, and it just might change how you feel about the end of the year.

Twenty four years ago I walked into a CTE classroom from the advertising industry and made project packets that looked like vacation brochures because nobody handed me a curriculum and my brain is wired for design. That was the beginning. Since then I've built curriculum using Ning communities, class websites, online course structures, instructional design frameworks, AI tools, and vibe coding pla...

In this episode, we talk about something that does not get enough attention in schools — watching out for the people you work beside. In a small school, and especially in CTE, coworkers become more than just the adults down the hall. Over time, they start to feel a little like family — the wise mentors, the work siblings, the fun cousins, and yes, the occasional crazy uncle energy too. That can be...

In this episode, I talk about the teachers union in a real and honest way — what it actually is, what it is not, and why so many educators misunderstand it. This is not about using the union as a complaint desk or a shortcut around every frustration in the building. It is about understanding the contract, respecting the purpose of the union, and recognizing why it matters so much over the course o...

Leadership changes happen in every school eventually. A new assistant director, a new principal, or a new director can quickly spark uncertainty — and the rumor mill usually starts spinning long before anything actually changes. In this episode of CHAT-CTE, we talk about what leadership transitions really mean for teachers, especially in CTE programs where classrooms and labs run on strong systems...

Career and Technical Education teachers are some of the most creative, capable educators in the building—but they’re often handed the most chaotic starting point: a task list, a program of study, and the expectation that they somehow turn that into a full curriculum. In this episode, I talk about the real problems CTE teachers face—especially new ones—and how those challenges pushed me to build so...

This week I said something out loud that caught me off guard: “I think we lost a generation.” As creative educators, many of us remember when students would disappear into projects — obsess, iterate, compete to be the strongest piece on the board. Lately, the energy feels different. More completion-focused. More cautious. Less hunger. In this episode, I unpack what that statement was really about....

In this episode of CHAT-CTE, we dig into something that sits underneath every successful classroom — trust. Not the soft, feel-good version. The real version. The kind of trust that: reduces behavior issues allows you to hold high expectations makes feedback land and prepares students for life beyond your program In CTE classrooms, trust isn’t optional — it’s foundational. When students understand...

What if the final ten years of a teaching career aren’t about coasting — but about legacy? In this episode of CHAT-CTE , we explore how experienced teachers can rethink their “golden years” as the most intentional and meaningful phase of their career. Not by doing more, but by finishing what matters. Using the metaphor of fort → castle → kingdom , this episode reframes: the early years as survival...

How a class ends matters more than most teachers realize. In this episode of CHAT-CTE , we complete the Opening–Middle–Close framework by breaking down the close — the final minutes of class where learning is either reinforced or quietly lost. Too often, the end of class turns into rushed cleanup, early packing up, or letting the bell decide when learning stops. This episode reframes the close as...

What does teaching in Career and Technical Education actually feel like when you’re new to the classroom? In this CHAT-CTE roundtable episode , we bring together teachers from different CTE programs to share new teacher perspectives on the realities of teaching — especially for educators coming from industry or post-secondary backgrounds. This conversation includes: A construction trades teacher n...

The middle of a CTE class is rarely quiet — and it shouldn’t be. In this episode of CHAT-CTE , we break down the most challenging part of teaching for many CTE educators: the middle of the class period. This is where students are moving, working at different paces, using tools, and asking questions — and where teachers often feel overwhelmed. This episode reframes the middle of class as organized...

How a CTE class starts determines how the rest of the period — and often the rest of the year — unfolds. In this episode of CHAT-CTE , we begin a three-part breakdown of every successful CTE class: the opening, the middle, and the close. This episode focuses on the opening — the routines, expectations, and systems that establish control, clarity, and calm from the moment students walk in. You’ll h...

What if finishing the school year strong wasn’t about working harder — but about building better systems? In this episode of CHAT-CTE , we shift from reflection into execution. This is the “go time” moment for CTE teachers — especially those who came from industry and feel like teaching is still heavier than it should be. We break down: Why struggle in the classroom isn’t failure — it’s data How l...

Winter break has a way of messing with our heads. It starts with good intentions — reflecting, planning, getting ready to “fix” everything for the second half of the year. But rebuilding takes energy… and most CTE teachers hit winter break already running low. In this episode, we talk about why winter break works better as a reset , not a rebuild. We dig into: Why solid programs still stall mid-ye...

A student once told me they’d “worry about their future in 12 years.” This episode is about why that mindset is exactly why CTE teachers do what we do — and why the lessons that matter most often get ignored until it’s almost too late. We talk about teaching beyond projects and grades, preparing students for real clients, real bosses, real pressure, and real crossroads. It’s about protecting stude...