Forrest Harmel

I didn’t graduate HS and thought teaching wasn’t a possibility for me. I went into construction and started at the bottom. Now I teach construction at a CTE HS! Getting to not only teach but SHOW kids that nothing is impossible, and share a trade I love is amazing. I became a teacher to inspire kids and hopefully be a source of encouragement and motivation in their lives. I want them to see that it doesn’t matter where you start or come from, what matters is having grit and knowing their value.

I’ve had many: we’ve built a house, worked on commercial projects, and competed in state level competitions. But my most memorable experience has truly been the small moments… when a kid has asked for advice, or told me I was the only person that believed in them, or when they’ve brought me lunch and ate with me in the shop. I believe that we as teachers have an incredible privilege to be a consistent voice in kids lives, and I am thankful for that every day.

I would pay off our debt and then buy a camper trailer. Because we as teachers get summers off, my dream has always been to load up my family and hit the road for a month or two, traveling to state and national parks and showing my kids this beautiful country we live in. I think travel is one of the best teachers there is!