My father was an electrician. He worked for the Fayette County School
Systems. His days were filled with
driving from to school to school, repairing minor to mid major electrical
problems. These problems did not tax him
or fulfill his curious nature. To find
more enjoyment, extra money, and challenges, he took side jobs evening,
weekends, and during the summer. Some of
them were minor, like rewiring a lamp.
Some were major, like wiring or rewiring an entire house.
It was during the summer when I would take part in the
work. My job was general gopher with a smattering
of learning the trade thrown in for attention getting.
As I grew older, more responsibility my dad gave me more
responsibility. I went from the simple, such as wiring plugs, switches and
light sockets, to the more complex, like wiring a complete circuit. All of this was under his watchful eye. He would gently remind me of the rules. He would gently correct my mistakes. He would gently offer praise and “good jobs.”
Had my father known of Bandura, Pajares, and self-efficacy,
he would have been a strong proponent.
All of the things he taught me in those summers and weekends were
approached in a way they would have approved.
He made sure I learn the electrical lesson so I would not have to call
an electrician for every little repair.
If I did, I would be able to talk to them and explain the problem and
watch the job they did. I was given a
nice set of skills. He engaged in very
effective modeling. I watched every move
he made and he watched mine to ensure the job was done right. He also made sure to compare my work not to
his but to that of an apprentice electrician. He also did not offer a lot of
praise. But when he did it was the
right amount for a job done well with the right amount of effort. Finally he made the moments we shared
memorable. We shared many an off-color
joke or gossip about the neighbors or family stories during those times
together.
I still drive by some of the houses we worked on. On these drives, I recall the good times
and the good lessons he taught me.
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