Lifelong learning key to this administrator's success.

Lifelong learning key to this administrator's success. A self-described union carpenter, John Gaal has been an educatorand administrator during a career that has spanned more than twodecades. Gaal, director of training and workforce development,Carpenters' District Council of Greater St. Louis Greater St. Louis is the informal name of the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area, the 18th largest in the United States. Its population of 2,801,033 (as of 2007 according to the US Census Bureau) includes the independent City of St. Louis, St. , Missouri Missouri, state, United StatesMissouri(mĭzr`ē, –ə), one of the midwestern states of the United States. ,oversees five apprenticeship apprenticeship,system of learning a craft or trade from one who is engaged in it and of paying for the instruction by a given number of years of work. The practice was known in ancient Babylon, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, as well as in modern Europe and to some extent programs with 4,000 apprentices. He started teaching carpentry carpentry,trade concerned with constructing wood buildings, the wooden portions of buildings, or the temporary timberwork used during the construction of buildings. in a technical high school in 1982after a successful stint running his own carpentry business. Five yearslater he became an administrator, developing curriculum for St. LouisCarpenters Joint Apprenticeship Program, and subsequently became theprogram's coordinator. In January 2003, he was promoted to directorof training for the Carpenters' District Council, which serves 44counties in Missouri Missouri has 114 counties and one independent city. St. Louis City is separate from St. Louis County and is referred to as a "city not within a county." Independent citiesSt. Louis CountiesFIPS State Code State State Abbr. and 33 in southern Illinois. But Gaal's academic and career achievements were not always acertainty. His high school grades were not great, he says, in partbecause he saw little connection between what he learned in theclassroom and its application in the real world. He eventually did go tocollege after graduating from high school, but dropped out some timethereafter. While he was deciding his next move, Gaal secured a job in amachine shop. Only then did he begin to make the connection between whathe had learned in the classroom and his passion--woodworking. Hisinterest in academics ignited ig��nite?v. ig��nit��ed, ig��nit��ing, ig��nitesv.tr.1. a. To cause to burn.b. To set fire to.2. To subject to great heat, especially to make luminous by heat. , Gaal reentered the classroom to takewoodworking classes at a community college. He has continued hiseducation ever since--earning seven college degrees. He is now workingtoward a Ph.D. that he plans to complete in 2007, and he extols thevirtues of lifelong learning Lifelong learning is the concept that "It's never too soon or too late for learning", a philosophy that has taken root in a whole host of different organisations. Lifelong learning is attitudinal; that one can and should be open to new ideas, decisions, skills or behaviors. . Gaal, who has been an ACTE ACTE Association for Career and Technical Education (formerly American Vocational Association)ACTE Association of Corporate Travel ExecutivesACTE Approvals Committee for Terminal EquipmentACTE Anodal Closure Tetanus member since the mid-80s, says teachersand administrators today have to be much more prepared than ever andmust always look to the future. "Just because something worked for them five years ago,doesn't mean it's going to work for you now," Gaal notes. The biggest challenge facing teachers today, he says, is findingways to keep students engaged in the learning process. He laments thatin his apprenticeship programs, one-third of funding is being spent onremediation, when instructors would much rather be teaching higher-leveltechnical skills. Today's teacher must also be prepared to wearmany hats: social worker, nurse, marketer and everything in between,because youths today are faced with a plethora plethora/pleth��o��ra/ (pleth��ah-rah)1. an excess of blood.2. by extension, a red florid complexion.pletho��ricpleth��o��ran.1. of social issues thataffect their performance in the classroom. "The profession of a teacher today is well beyond just beingin front of the class and talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to"lecture, speechrebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to students," Gaal says. He also believes that teachers must engage in ongoing professionaldevelopment in order to remain effective and to keep their skills wellhoned. On the other hand, the biggest challenge facing administrators isfunding. Gaal says the key to overcoming this obstacle is creativity,thinking big and rejecting "the 1950s concept" of how a schoolshould be run. Today's successful administrator must now lean onbusiness, community, labor, etc. in order to get things done; therefore,a higher level of skills is needed in order to be effective. Gaal addsthat, if an administrator has not taken public speaking, communications,public policy or business courses, he or she should. "They [courses] will teach you how to buildpartnerships," he explains. "The ability to build bridges isone of the most important attributes of an up-and-comingadministrator." Susan Emeagwali is ACTE'S news editor. She can be reached atsemeagwali@acteonline.org.