Come Prepared to Work

Recently we had a plumber do some repair work at our house and his helper was his 11-year-old grandson. I enjoyed listening to the plumber try to prepare this young boy for the work world. I wish a lot more adults would share this wisdom with young people.

Here are some things I heard him say:

I should only have to tell you to do something once. If I have to keep telling you, I’m going to find someone else to help me. You aren’t doing me a favor. I’m doing you a favor.

Come dressed to work. You need to keep a long sleeve shirt and long pants with you and be prepared to work. You are wearing short tshirt and shorts and won’t be able to get under the house if I need you to do so. If I have to do it myself, why do I need you?

Make sure you have the proper tools. The job is easier when you have the right tools.

Make sure you know where to find the materials you need. Pay attention when the boss tells you where something is and remember it for the next time.

You need to clean up after you are done. The customer shouldn’t have to clean up after you.  Put away all the tools and materials so you can find them on the next job.

As I listened to the plumber, I thought about how this applies to school too. The student has the job of learning.

The student needs to follow directions the first time. The teacher should only have to give directions once. If the student doesn’t understand it, the student needs to ask for clarification. This is a good job skill to learn.

The student needs to come to school dressed appropriately. If the student is sent to the office or home because of inappropriate clothing, it is taking time away from the job of learning.

The student needs to bring the proper tools to school. This shows that you are prepared for your job. If the student has to take time to find the proper tools and materials, then it takes away from learning time.

The student needs to know where to find the information. If the teacher tells the student how to find the information, the student needs to remember this for future learning.

The student needs to clean up after himself. Any garbage needs to be thrown away and all tools and materials need to be put in their appropriate place. This makes it easier the next time they are needed.

What other advice do you think applies to a job in the real world and in the classroom? Please share.

Original photo by Pat Hensley