North Cedar’s Spicher builds building, relationships

LOWDEN - North Cedar High School gained numerous staff members in 2013, including a new shop teacher.

Steven Spicher has been teaching shop classes for the last 30 years and has taught at three other high schools - Mount Vernon, Marshall and Marshfield High School in Missouri. At Mount Vernon High School, Spicher taught North Cedar's previous shop teacher.

Spicher teaches six classes at North Cedar, including construction projects, welding and metals, drafting and wood works, introduction to engineering, energy power and civil engineering.

'Drafting and wood works is my favorite class to teach because the students first design their work and then build it,” Spicher said.

Each class has one large project that takes up a substantial portion of the year. In the construction projects class, the students have been building portable sheds that have been distributed to the other schools in the community. One shed was sent to the Mechanicsville Elementary to hold the student's toys. The other shed remains at the high school and is used to as storage space for the football team.

The drafting and wood Works class spends a large majority of their year making their own tables. The students first design their tables on paper, construct the tables and then sand and stain the tables.

When Spicher moved to the North Cedar community, he also acquired the job as a Class of 2016 advisor. As an advisor, he mentors 18 students from the 2016 class. He monitors the student's grades and informs the students about upcoming events.

As prom neared, Spicher was a huge help. He helped make the archways and a few other decorations with the use of his shop.

'I like being advisor because I become closer with the students and get to help more with their class,” he said.