This year is Mr. Hylen’s first year of teaching.
He teaches various sections of Small Engines, Woodshop, and Know Your Car, and is currently collaborating with another teacher on a curriculum for some of our metal and manufacturing classes, as well as a bit of engineering.
Q: Why is it that you teach those classes?
Mr. Hylen: “I was interested in these kinds of subject areas, but I did not want the eight-hour labor-intensive job and going to a trade. When I was in high school, I had a natural ability to help younger students and other kids. I was doing sports camps and daycares, and volunteering for Girl Scout camps and things since I was in high school. So I enjoyed the setting of the classroom, and it came naturally.”
Hylen expressed his interest in woodworking has now expanded since he was younger, and he will eventually be more involved in woodworking.
Q: What have you learned so far about your first year at RAHS?
Mr. Hylen: “ The main thing that I’ve learned is how to be a better public speaker. It’s probably the main thing. I have a lot of anxiety, and I have a lot of fears of talking in front of a group, and connecting with strangers and individuals.”
He reflects on how every student is different, and one of the most important lessons he’s learned is how to connect with as many students as possible. Also, noting that while college provides foundational knowledge, the real learning happens during student teaching, when theory turns into practice and the lessons from college begin to make sense.
Mr. Hylen: “ I was hearing from teachers who are older, like, oh, you don’t learn anything in college. You learn everything once you do student teaching. And they’re right to an extent, but. You learn how to implement everything that I learned in college, once you’re teaching.”
Q: Are there any struggles that you are noticing in your first year of teaching?
Mr. Hylen: “I’m definitely a perfectionist, I’ll use the way that my classroom is laid out and some of the organizational things that I’ve had to do this year and writing curriculum while cleaning up the spaces and doing all that stuff and wanting things exactly how they’re supposed to run, but without being in a setting like this before and running a setting like this, it’s kind of like trial and error”
Mr. Hylen exclaims that one of his biggest challenges has been optimizing space and efficiency while also balancing curriculum writing, which has really tested his time management skills.
Q: Is there something you wish you had learned in your prep?
Mr. Hylen: “One thing is that in classrooms like ours, nature is kind of dangerous to be using our tools. One thing they didn’t emphasize was how to deal with those types of situations.”
Hylen explains that responsibilities like machine maintenance are far more frequent and demanding than what’s taught, and you often have to learn how to handle them on the fly. While told these tasks are important. Like how often machines break, is something you only truly grasp through experience.
What goals do you have for your career?
Mr.Hylen: “Right now, in a lot of our CTE classes, they’re very male-dominated, and I want to be able to, for our classes to represent more female and minority students in our spaces and allow them to feel comfortable and like they belong. I feel like there’s this stigma that small engines and woods and all these shop classes that they’ boys’ classes, and I disagree. And one of my major goals is to hopefully have there be the first ever female identifying only small engines one class, to run. And I would do anything to teach that class.”
Q: Overall, how’s your first year?
Mr. Hylen: “Unbelievable.
Better than I could have ever expected. In the first couple of weeks, I thought I was doing horribly, and then I heard a kid in passing say, “Hey, look at that, it’s my favorite teacher.” And I went back to my room, and I just about broke down and cried. Throughout the year, and hearing more and more from students and hearing how much they enjoyed being in my class, and then they miss my class, and they appreciate how much I’m willing to help, and it gives me such a warm feeling. It’s the most rewarding thing that I’ve ever done.”
