Students hone woodworking skills in Cabinet Design

Tim Rose

Step stool made by GHS senior Dylan Rochford in Cabinet Design.

“Want a class that makes you want to come to school?” senior Morgan Sullivan said. “Take Mr. Rose’s cabinet design”. 

Cabinet design is a woodworking class taught by GHS teacher Tim Rose, where students learn woodworking techniques along with Computer-Aided Design, or CAD, and CNC.  These programs are used by professional designers in the real world and are available in the school’s computer lab for the students to plan out their projects before physically building them.

Along with learning the technical skills of woodworking and designing, they do hands-on projects that, more often than not, are functional objects the students can use in their everyday life afterwards. 

“In this class, we learn how to build real things, like our step stools,” Sullivan said. “It’s nice to bring something to life that you made yourself.” 

Over the course of the school year, kids learn to use a variety of tools, from basic equipment to the more advanced woodworking machinery found in the classroom, to make their projects. Students can also take the class more than once and advance to the next level. 

“I never came down to the vocational area before now, now I love working down here, it’s awesome,” Sullivan said. “We do a bunch of worksheets, calculate prices, all that stuff. It’s cool we get to work with big ass machines. I really enjoy learning about them.”

The fun projects aren’t the only thing that draws students to the class, though, as creating a learning environment where students feel comfortable and supported is another one of Mr. Rose’s priorities.

“Cabinet design at GHS is so much more than a shop class; it’s a place where students build character,” Rose said. “While they walk out of the shop area with a finished project, the real win is seeing them put our core values into practice. “

While the students are assembling their projects and working on the machines in the classroom, they learn to utilize everyday skills. 

In her third and fourth year of taking the class, senior Julia Sanfilippo said she was given more freedom with her projects and made coasters of her own design. 

“He teaches you simple skills like discipline,” Sanfilippo said, “We don’t even really swear or use our phones in this class; we don’t really want to.” 

Cabinet design is independent from the vocational shops and available to all students, from freshmen to seniors, who want to try out something new and exciting.

Though the students had different favorite projects and areas of expertise in the class, both could agree that what truly makes Cabinet design a “class worth coming to school for” is the one teaching it.

When asked to describe Mr.Rose’s teaching style, Sullivan and Sanfilippo had no shortage of praise for the teacher. 

“I would take any class with Mr. Rose,” Sanfilippo said.  “While I was in his class, Mr. Rose taught me a lot about myself, and I will forever be thankful for the impact Mr. Rose had on me.”

“Everyone should have Mr. Rose as a teacher, he’s so fun. He’s such a good teacher. If you’re confused, he’ll always explain,” Sullivan said. “Take cabinet design, it’ll be the best class you ever take!”

Mr.Rose, who’s been teaching Cabinet Design at GHS since 2008, says that his favorite part about teaching is the kids themselves, and seeing them excel in his class is a reward all on its own. For the students, getting to have Mr.Rose’s class every day is a reward.

If you’re looking to take an amazing class with an equally amazing teacher, then perhaps Cabinet design with Mr.Rose is right for you.