Eight weeks into Building Construction Technology class it’s starting to feel like Montessori for adults, with “stations” dedicated to projects such as tearing out drywall, installing cabinetry, and sketching framing plans and elevations. I find myself torn between fine- and gross-motor skills, floating from drafting to demolition in any given afternoon.

A few highlights of the week:

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology hosted a ceremony to break ground on a new auto diesel building. Our class was asked to construct a low wall to display festive signage for the photo op. I hate to admit this, but this was almost the first time I’ve swung a hammer in eight weeks of class. I’ve used brad guns and hammer drills, but hammering is pretty old-school. And truth be told, it’s intimidating to hammer in front of an audience. Especially if you miss every other swing. For this reason, I do not golf.

Here’s some of the scrap lumber they gave us to tear apart to build the wall.

Here we are constructing one segment of the wall. We made five just like this. It took all day. Blisters developed. Elbows throbbed. Memo to anyone looking to build a wall: Don’t do it.

Here’s the completed wall, with decorative ground-breaking topsoil, before the guys from the graphics class hung their banner on it. It was 40 feet long. Impressive, right?

How about these shiny gold shovels for all the dignitaries to break ground in the decorative topsoil?

Meanwhile, check out our new wardrobe accessory: Kneepads. Sweet. Especially if you’re going to be scooting around on the floor, snapping chalk likes to map out elevations for a tiny office.

No sooner had we hung, mudded, sanded and painted the drywall in the new break room, than we ripped it all out to install windows. Here’s the de-drywalled break room as we prepare to cut rough openings for spiffy new glass.

Check out this team of accidental architects, knee-deep in plans and elevations for the tiny office project.

Our brilliant carpenter classmate has taken over the dental technology cabinetry project. Here he is installing the new doors.

Charlene in the TCATN administration office asked us to build a box to collect food for the nonprofit Little Pantry. Two days later, the box was overflowing.

That’s a wrap. Stay tuned for meditations on overalls as the fashion of the future…