To my left, a plasma cutter lasering through a slab of metal; to my right, a 3D printer making an unknown object; and straight ahead of me are students gathered around a mill cutting through wood. As soon as I entered this classroom, it didn’t feel like a classroom at all. What is this course? The metals and woods class.

Walking into the classroom not knowing anything about woods or metals, I was drawn in by my own curiosity of what this class entailed, I wanted to know more. Not only was I pulled in by the incredible machinery, but also the teacher, Kyle Taylor, and his welcoming energy. As I stepped foot into that classroom, I could tell that Mr. Taylor cares very deeply about each of his students and their well-being. Although he had just met me, he treated me like I had been in one of his classes all of last semester. “The relationships that I have built with my students over the past three years is what it’s all about. Knowledge is important, but being able to build relationships and show someone how to take skills and apply them in a problem solving scenario is something that goes beyond the walls of the school and can impact a person’s life,” said Mr. Taylor.

The woods/metals classes are project-based learning classes, which means instead of doing lectures and writing notes, the students get hands-on experience. Time and hard work is very important in this class, but when a student is creating something with their own imagination, it doesn’t even feel like work. Some of the projects that students can make are skis, longboards, stand up paddle boards, and boats, in addition to more traditional furniture. Some standout examples of projects made by some students by Fossil Ridge High School are Nolan Drop’s loft bed, Brennan Houchin’s live-edge chess board, and Brennen Alldredge’s river table.

Many people say they don’t want to take a woods or metals class because, “it’s not my thing” or “none of my friends are in that class,” but just from being in that classroom for twenty minutes, I could tell that the students make friends with the other students in their class. I saw so many smiling faces when I entered that classroom. I could tell every one of them was excited to be there. “We have an incredible lack of female students because ‘it’s a guy class.’ The reality is that female students are consistently the best students we have, and you never know when you may try something new that you end up absolutely loving. At the very least, you will learn some skills that you will be able to apply later in life,” explained Mr. Taylor.

From the sparks flying on one side of the room, to giant saws cutting through wood on the other side, I know this class is a special one. If you have ever or are considering taking one of these classes, I recommend you do it. From what I saw, none of the students regret taking that class; it really is an opportunity few people get. Take that opportunity.