That "CTE" Guy - CHAT-CTE: Finally—PD That’s Personal

Wrong question: is CTE working? Right question: is the system around your CTE program built to help you succeed, or built to slow you down?

News: Anchorage moved the CTE door two weeks earlier — freshmen touching six trades before high school starts. The certification pipeline that keeps industry pros OUT of the profession while districts beg for CTE teachers. And the EdWeek survey where nearly half of CTE educators graded their own program a B — and told us exactly what would raise it to an A.

The lesson: Your Yard, Their Yard. Two categories. Every prob...

Somebody's deciding what CTE looks like next. Question is who. Three stories this week that give three different answers — a North Carolina district that put pilots in the cockpit before graduation, the federal administration quietly rolling back CTE data collection, and the private equity story nobody's telling: investors are buying up trade schools right now, and your seniors' families have no idea.

The lesson: how to actually survive Year 1 as a CTE teacher who came from industry. Three moves, no fluff — teach less, build the fort, be yourself.

Plus a rant about the eval rubric buil...

A podcast for Career and Technical Education teachers — the welders, cosmetologists, chefs, auto techs, designers, and builders who know their trade cold and then got handed a classroom with no manual.

Hosted by a working CTE teacher who's still in the room, it's real, teacher-to-teacher talk about the part nobody trained you for: turning a binder of state task codes into a year you can actually teach. No corporate PD slideshows. No EdTech buzzwords. Just honest conversation about what actually happens in a shop with 25 kids and one working band saw — planning, pacing, classroom management, burnout, and buil...

Season 2 finale. Short one this week — five minutes, signature open, no news, no rant. Just a few callbacks to the season that meant something, and the thank-you you earned for pressing play.

The show comes back July 1st. When it does, it's a different thing. Bigger. Sharper. Some stuff I've been building for a while that I haven't talked about yet. We'll get into all of it then.

For now — finish your year. Close the laptop. Put the lanyard in the drawer. Rest.

See you July 1st.

CHAT-CTE is brought to you...

At least 26 states reported a CTE teacher shortage this year. And here's the gut-punch: the industry-to-classroom teachers — the electricians, chefs, and nurses we recruited specifically for their skills — leave the profession about 25% faster than teachers from traditional ed programs. When they go, the class doesn't get a sub. It gets canceled. Whole programs disappear because nobody else in the building can teach them. So this week, we're talking about the people problem.

At the News Desk: Mabel-Canton, Minnesota — a tiny rural district where the community voted 67% YES on a referendum to build a brand-new CTE building. Proof that w...

It's late May. You've got two, maybe three weeks left, and the tank is empty. So this episode breaks format on purpose.

We open at the News Desk with three stories about who actually values CTE work. First, the good one: Dean Technical High in Holyoke, Massachusetts unveiled a permanent wall of apprenticeship pathways — ten local trade unions, each with a QR code linking kids straight to wages, benefits, and applications. It cost almost nothing. Every CTE program in the country should be looking at it. Then the one that'll make you swear at your dashboard: Texas's bi...

What to Capture NOW Before You Forget Everything

It's May. You're cooked. And every August, you wish you had notes.

This week on CHAT-CTE: the five-minute capture system that protects everything you learned this year — before grading season eats your brain. Plus the news desk hits hard with Virginia's CTE Signing Day, the Trump administration's praise-then-cancel routine on CTE grants, and the teacher shortage in 26 states that nobody's solving fast enough.

Then the rant: counselors who still think your shop is where the kids "who aren't going to college" get parked. (We see yo...

Summer is almost here, and if you're a CTE teacher, you're probably caught between two feelings: relief that the year is ending, and that nagging voice in the back of your head reminding you that you said you'd plan better next year. Sound familiar?

Here's the truth: the teachers who plan in summer have a completely different school year than the ones who don't. Not 10% better — a different universe. The reason most of us avoid summer planning isn't laziness. It's that planning a year from scratch is overwhelming. That's exactly where AI changes the game.

In...

Every CTE teacher knows what August feels like — a stack of district task lists, a half-broken curriculum from whoever taught the class before, and 180 days you somehow have to fill with real, standards-aligned work.

I lived that for years. So I built Blueprint-CTE — an AI tool that reads your district task list and builds you a full year of curriculum, lessons, and assessments, all mapped to your standards. It learns from YOUR materials, in YOUR voice, for YOUR program.

In this episode: why generic AI tools keep failing CTE classrooms, what Blueprint actually does, and the...

Being the lead SkillsUSA advisor looks great on paper — competitions, leadership, student growth. But what does it actually cost you? In this episode, Steven sits down with a fellow CTE teacher to talk honestly about the advisor role: budget battles, student participation, getting other teachers involved, and the time it really takes. If you're advising now, thinking about taking it on, or quietly wondering if it's worth it — this one's for you.

Forget counting down the days. In this episode I break down the strategy that gets me through the wildest stretch of the school year — when seniors are checked out, schedules are unpredictable, and real curriculum feels almost impossible. It's simple, it's practical, and it just might change how you feel about the end of the year.

Twenty four years ago I walked into a CTE classroom from the advertising industry and made project packets that looked like vacation brochures because nobody handed me a curriculum and my brain is wired for design.

That was the beginning.

Since then I've built curriculum using Ning communities, class websites, online course structures, instructional design frameworks, AI tools, and vibe coding platforms — including a curriculum planning app for CTE teachers and a visual communications learning platform with over 240 self paced modules.

That CTE Guy is the podcast about what's actually possible in Career an...

In this episode, we talk about something that does not get enough attention in schools — watching out for the people you work beside.

In a small school, and especially in CTE, coworkers become more than just the adults down the hall. Over time, they start to feel a little like family — the wise mentors, the work siblings, the fun cousins, and yes, the occasional crazy uncle energy too. That can be messy, but it also matters.

This episode looks at why strong staff culture is not just about celebrating people when they are having a grea...

In this episode, I talk about the teachers union in a real and honest way — what it actually is, what it is not, and why so many educators misunderstand it. This is not about using the union as a complaint desk or a shortcut around every frustration in the building. It is about understanding the contract, respecting the purpose of the union, and recognizing why it matters so much over the course of a long career in education. If you’ve ever been confused, frustrated, supportive, skeptical, or just curious about how the union fits into school life, this epis...

Leadership changes happen in every school eventually. A new assistant director, a new principal, or a new director can quickly spark uncertainty — and the rumor mill usually starts spinning long before anything actually changes.

In this episode of CHAT-CTE, we talk about what leadership transitions really mean for teachers, especially in CTE programs where classrooms and labs run on strong systems and relationships.

Drawing on more than two decades of experience in education, this conversation looks at:

• why leadership changes can feel unsettling • the difference between new assistant leaders and directors • how the rumor mi...

Career and Technical Education teachers are some of the most creative, capable educators in the building—but they’re often handed the most chaotic starting point: a task list, a program of study, and the expectation that they somehow turn that into a full curriculum.

In this episode, I talk about the real problems CTE teachers face—especially new ones—and how those challenges pushed me to build something different.

Blueprint-CTE started as a personal survival tool. A way to turn two documents—the task list and the program of study—into a living system that organiz...

This week I said something out loud that caught me off guard:

“I think we lost a generation.”

As creative educators, many of us remember when students would disappear into projects — obsess, iterate, compete to be the strongest piece on the board. Lately, the energy feels different. More completion-focused. More cautious. Less hunger.

In this episode, I unpack what that statement was really about.

We talk about:

In this episode of CHAT-CTE, we dig into something that sits underneath every successful classroom — trust.

Not the soft, feel-good version. The real version.

The kind of trust that:

In CTE classrooms, trust isn’t optional — it’s foundational. When students understand where you stand and why you stand there, everything shifts.

We talk about:

What if the final ten years of a teaching career aren’t about coasting — but about legacy?

In this episode of CHAT-CTE, we explore how experienced teachers can rethink their “golden years” as the most intentional and meaningful phase of their career. Not by doing more, but by finishing what matters.

Using the metaphor of fort → castle → kingdom, this episode reframes:

We talk about:

How a class ends matters more than most teachers realize.

In this episode of CHAT-CTE, we complete the Opening–Middle–Close framework by breaking down the close — the final minutes of class where learning is either reinforced or quietly lost.

Too often, the end of class turns into rushed cleanup, early packing up, or letting the bell decide when learning stops. This episode reframes the close as instructional time, not leftover time.

You’ll learn:

What does teaching in Career and Technical Education actually feel like when you’re new to the classroom?

In this CHAT-CTE roundtable episode, we bring together teachers from different CTE programs to share new teacher perspectives on the realities of teaching — especially for educators coming from industry or post-secondary backgrounds.

This conversation includes:

The middle of a CTE class is rarely quiet — and it shouldn’t be.

In this episode of CHAT-CTE, we break down the most challenging part of teaching for many CTE educators: the middle of the class period. This is where students are moving, working at different paces, using tools, and asking questions — and where teachers often feel overwhelmed.

This episode reframes the middle of class as organized chaos, not something to control, but something to design.

You’ll learn:

How a CTE class starts determines how the rest of the period — and often the rest of the year — unfolds.

In this episode of CHAT-CTE, we begin a three-part breakdown of every successful CTE class: the opening, the middle, and the close. This episode focuses on the opening — the routines, expectations, and systems that establish control, clarity, and calm from the moment students walk in.

You’ll hear:

What if finishing the school year strong wasn’t about working harder — but about building better systems?

In this episode of CHAT-CTE, we shift from reflection into execution. This is the “go time” moment for CTE teachers — especially those who came from industry and feel like teaching is still heavier than it should be.

We break down:

Every CTE prog...

Winter break has a way of messing with our heads.

It starts with good intentions — reflecting, planning, getting ready to “fix” everything for the second half of the year. But rebuilding takes energy… and most CTE teachers hit winter break already running low.

In this episode, we talk about why winter break works better as a reset, not a rebuild.

We dig into:

A student once told me they’d “worry about their future in 12 years.”

This episode is about why that mindset is exactly why CTE teachers do what we do — and why the lessons that matter most often get ignored until it’s almost too late.

We talk about teaching beyond projects and grades, preparing students for real clients, real bosses, real pressure, and real crossroads. It’s about protecting students from learning everything the hardest way, even when they don’t realize we’re doing it.

I also share how I use AI — not as a shortcut...

After 23 years of teaching art and design, I faced the most disengaged, unbothered, creativity-resistant group of students I’ve ever had. Basic figure drawing? Nope. Participation? Hard pass. Failing? Totally fine by them.

In this episode, I’m telling the full story — the frustration, the accountability pressure, the moment halfway through the second marking period when I realized I wasn’t just failing one student… I was failing twelve.

But it’s also about the shift. The moment I realized this wasn’t about transforming the kids — it was about protecting my program, my sanity, and my job. With...

Steven shares the story of how ChatGPT and Base44 became essential tools for teaching intuitive cooking. This episode explores how AI prompts, structured learning, and conversational guidance can turn complex techniques into simple, approachable steps. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at how modern tools can elevate the way we teach, learn, and practice culinary skills at home. Checkout the app - www.cookingwithskillet.com - Still has a long way to go, but its a great start!

In this episode, we dig into one of the most exhausting and misunderstood parts of teaching: modifying lessons for 504 and IEP students. Instead of pretending it’s a “quick” task, we get real about the pressure, the paperwork, and the way new CTE teachers often get blindsided by their first big meeting.

I share the moment everything changed for me — the near-disaster that pushed me toward Universal Design for Learning, reverse planning, and building a structure that actually supports students and protects teachers.

You’ll hear a real example of how a clear, step-by-step workflow saved me i...

In this special episode, I’m bringing you behind the scenes of a presentation I gave to graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania — a room full of future teachers wrestling with the fear, excitement, and chaos of AI in education.

If you don’t know my story, here’s the short version: I’m a dyslexic CTE teacher who can barely spell “accommodations,” yet somehow AI became the most powerful tool I’ve ever used in the classroom.

In this episode, I share:

This episode walks CTE teachers through how to take a single project idea — starting with the prompt “I want to create a…” — and build it into a complete one-week, eight-hour lesson plan. Listeners learn how to structure each day, create admin-ready documentation, and build student-friendly materials like vocabulary lists, quizzes, and rubrics.

The episode ties back to the previous one (“Using the Task List to Plan the Year”), showing how to move from long-term planning to classroom-ready execution.

Planning your CTE year doesn’t have to start with a blank calendar. In this episode, host Steven Bross breaks down how to turn your program task list into a full-year plan that actually works — from estimating time per task to creating a natural flow from beginner to advanced.

You’ll learn how to:

Restorative practices don’t have to mean circles, scripts, or forced conversations that don’t fit your class culture. In this episode, I share how using AI chat reshaped my approach to community, accountability, and trust — not by replacing relationships, but by helping me build them better.

From co-writing class expectations to running critiques, organizing student leadership, and even producing podcasts with my students — AI became a quiet partner in helping me connect with them on their terms while still holding space for growth and responsibility.

If you’ve ever felt like restorative practices didn’t fit your t...

AI is coming for jobs—or so the headlines say. But if you're a CTE teacher? You're built different.

In this episode, we cut through the panic and get real about what AI can do—and what it can't. Spoiler: it’s not teaching kids how to weld, cook, cut hair, or fix engines. But it can be the assistant you’ve always needed—handling the paperwork, planning, and prep while you run the shop and lead with purpose.

You'll hear:

What if your PD actually understood your shop?

In this episode of CHAT-CTE, we explore how CTE teachers can use ChatGPT’s Custom GPT feature to build their very own AI co-teacher—one that talks like them, works like them, and supports the real day-to-day needs of a trade-based classroom.

You’ll learn how to kick off the process with one simple move: a self-interview. ChatGPT asks the questions. You answer in your voice. And together, you build a tool that doesn’t just “help”—it fits.

No coding. No fluff. Just real talk and a pra...

What happens when an overworked art educator meets a curious AI? This episode dives deep into how ChatGPT flipped my entire teaching experience—from burnout to boldness. I’ll walk you through the real impact it had on my planning, creativity, and classroom energy.

But this isn’t just my story—it’s an invitation.

I’ll show you exactly how to start using ChatGPT as a teacher (even if you’re tech-shy). No jargon, no pressure—just step-by-step ideas, voice-mode tips, and creative prompts to help you bring the spark back to your teaching practice.

...

What if your first classroom rule wasn’t “stay seated” or “raise your hand”—but make a mess on purpose?

In this episode of Chat-CTE, I break down how I used ChatGPT to design a bold, creative launch to the school year. But this isn’t just about art class—it’s about rethinking how we set the tone for any subject, starting with trust, curiosity, and student voice.

You’ll hear how I flipped traditional first-week routines into mindset-building experiences, asked Chat to help me remix “rules” into creative challenges, and grounded all that energy in restorative re...

In the first full episode of Season 2, I share the story of wiping the slate clean—twenty-three years of curriculum, archived on a drive—and how I rebuilt from scratch with the help of a custom GPT assistant and restorative practice training. From faster planning to deeper connections with students, this is what it looks like when a teacher steps out of the comfort zone and into something new.

After 23 years of playing it safe, I pulled the plug on my old curriculum and started fresh. Why? Because CTE students—and the world they’re stepping into—are changing faster than ever. In this new season of Chat-CTE, I’m diving into what happens when you reset, rethink, and let AI + creativity help us build classrooms that actually meet students where they are. Ten minutes, one teacher’s brain dump at a time.

In this raw and reflective episode of CHAT-CTE, I get honest about what burnout really looks like after 22 years in the classroom.

When I realized I was just going through the motions—and my students were too—I did something drastic: I threw out my entire curriculum. What followed was a complete reset of how I teach, how I connect, and how I take care of myself as an art and design educator.