Our school district has been doing the same thing yearly since 1975. The current instructor for the program was a student builder in high school, and has returned to teach after 15 years in the construction industry. Typically students spend time both in class and on the job site.

As a staff development facilitator I get to work with new to the profession teachers. After watching Ben teach a lesson on mitre and coping cuts for trim I asked him one of my standard assessment questions: "How will your students' performance today affect your work tomorrow?" Ben scratched his head and told me: "Well, now I know who will be trimming the living room and who will be trimming the closets." I couldn't have asked for a better example of an "authentic assessment."

-Mike