Over the years, many changes have been made to Potosi High School's shop. The staff, administration, and community always keep the needs of their students in mind. As a student at Potosi High School, I have witnessed many changes myself such as the lift, new tools, and new venting and lighting. I interviewed Mr. Bockenhauer, the current Tech-Ed teacher at Potosi High School, to discuss the improvements he has made in the shop. He feels that we have one of the nicest, if not the nicest shop in southwest Wisconsin.

Mr. Bockenhauer has brought a lot of certifications into some of our tech classes. Some examples of specific certifications include the Brotherhood of Carpenters Level 3 Residential Construction certification, the Snap-On Tools Precision Measurement Instruments certification, and a Briggs and Stratton Master Service Technician certification. The FANUC Robot Operator certification is in the works for robotics, and we also have a Youth Apprenticeship. One of the things he likes most about some of the programs is that he can give out certifications while we are in high school. 

To make projects relevant for students, Mr. Bockenhauer uses a bunch of different platforms to find ideas for projects and activities. “They come from anywhere and everywhere, they come from the top of my head, TikTok, the internet.” If he sees something interesting, he tries to find a way that we can create it. Mr. Bockenhauer found the Rocket Stoves we make in welding, wooden American flags, and the wood mugs on TikTok and then modified them to how he wanted us to make them. He came up with the wood silhouette, wooden spoons, and wood cutting boards. On other internet platforms, he found metal boxes and step stool projects.

He likes to give us as many projects as he can so that we are in the shop, hands-on, working with the tools and machines we have available to us. This allows us to continue to build and perfect our skills with the tools and our hands-on ability. He has the ability to take project ideas and adapt them to include the skills we need to practice. He feels that we spend more time in the shop working with the tools and machines than students in other school districts.