MARVIN BARTEL: Teacher, Artist, Innovator

摘要

Kansas farm country, 1960s: A quiet boy eagerly awaits the conclusion of the class period. His excitement escalates and his mind wanders to math problems and hand-drafted blueprints while he closes his books and heads to shop class. The boy learns to work hard, but was born into an era and culture that does not value art as a worthy profession. But metal shop is good--it clearly offers practical learning. At the teacher's encouragement, the boy is creating a project that solves a personal need. The boy is tired of cutting weeds at the farm by hand, so he is building a power lawn mower. Like all the projects created by students in this class, the mower is being built from designs the boy drafted himself. In coming years, he also will make a grain wagon and manure spreader. These are lessons in problem solving and creativity that he will never forget.