Mike Mettler's transition from military trades instructor to high school teacher

Mike Mettler Biography

Mike Mettler - Teacher, Leader, Veteran, Building Trades Professional

Mike was a fantastic employee - always a great employee. You could say he was a model employee. One thing in the construction trade is there are always young guys coming in who need training. Mike was real good at teaching young kids. He was patient with them. Not all construction guys are good at teaching the younger guys. Mike was very, very good with younger guys just coming on the job. He always had the willingness to take that extra few minutes with a guy, and never hesitated to stay late and offer helpful suggestions to guys."

Lew Heldenbrand, Job Supervisor, Polk County Jail Construction Site, 2007

WHAT ARE MIKE METTLER'S GOALS?

Mike has been learning all his life, and once he learns a trade or a skill, he receives great joy in teaching what he knows to those around him and those new to the professions of construction, carpentry, plumbing, masonry and electrical. He has proven himself a quality professional and has had 23 years of instruction experience in the U.S. Army. Along with that construction experience, he has learned to teach others what he knows.

Now, he is ready for a full-time position at the secondary level. He is an experienced and talented Building Trades Teacher, and there are many thousands of young people in school who could use his energy, his knowledge, and his patience, as they grow and learn this field.

HOW MIKE METTLER GOT STARTED

Mike Mettler of Indianola, Iowa understands that hard work and dedication to the old-fashioned values of honesty, commitment, trust and reliability lead to success and respect in the community and on the job.

Moreover, Mike is a classic example how to use the "bootstrap" method of personal and professional advancement. He learned early that the best tools in the world are found at the ends of one's arms and in one's own head.

For example, he has been in the construction business for over thirty-five years. He started the way most beginners start, as a gopher, a basic helper handing tools and materials to the professionals, lifting, hauling, cleaning up, taking orders and other basic tasks that somebody has to do.

Meantime, while he was doing those simple tasks in the construction trades thirty-five years ago, Mike began to dream big. In those dreams Mike could see himself advancing in this industry, making a successful career out of construction and building, and eventually becoming a teacher. So he always showed up to work early, he always worked hard, learning everything he could while on the job, and he showed respect and loyalty to those in supervisory positions.

Mike also began attending classroom training and continued with his on-the-job training and began to work himself into a career that he enjoyed very much. Seeing the fruits of one's labor - building a house from ground up, from start to finish - is among the many joys that Mike receives from his efforts.

NUTS and BOLTS of LEARNING and TEACHING:

Becoming knowledgeable and skilled in the construction business doesn't mean just learning how to pour concrete, how to use a hammer, how to put up the framing and drywall, or supervising laborers. It also means learning how to safely and competently operate equipment related to carpentry, plumbing, masonry and electricity. Mike learned all those skills and knows how to teach others.

He knows how to teach the particulars of estimating the amount of materials that are needed, how much time pivotal tasks will take and what the utility and labor requirements will be. Mike knows how to prepare a new - or restored - building to ensure that all the building codes and specifications are met.

Mike understands the mindset and the issues facing the men who operate earth-moving equipment and those that construct pilings, foundations, footings, along with those who read blueprints and answer to the big boss. He understands how to teach the safety procedures of hand tools, power tools, air tools, welding equipment and gas tools. He is familiar with those elements of the construction industry because he has been there and done that.

He holds licenses in several categories, which shows that he goes through the system and does things right, with the right training and proper paperwork. He has a State of Iowa Teaching License for Building Trades (Folder #979190); he holds a State of Iowa Teaching License for Other Teaching Areas (Folder #979190); he has Journeyman Plumber License from the City of Des Moines (OCC 2004-00311) and a Master Plumbing License from Des Moines (OCC 204-00312).

MIKE'S MEMBERSHIPS

Mike believes in unions and he is a member of the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local #33, in Des Moines. He served a five-year U.S. Department of Labor "apprenticeship training program" as a plumber with the Local #33. He belongs to the American Legion - indeed he is the current acting 2nd Vice Commander of American Legion Post 165 in Indianola.

MIKE'S MILITARY ACHIEVEMENTS

Mike served his country in the U.S. Army for 23 years, and took advantage of the opportunities the Army offered him in terms of learning more about the construction industry. He not only improved his skills in the performance of actual on-the-job activities, and learned the discipline that the military teaches; he also learned to stand in front of a classroom full of students and impart his knowledge using language and a style that offered students the greatest chance for learning. He has been honored with many awards, among them: "Soldier of the Year"; Honor Graduate in a logistical course and Airborne School; "Army Recruiter of the Year"; "Amy Guidance Counselor of the Quarter"; and he has received 36 letters of commendations from the Army, 6 Army Achievement Medals, and 4 Army Commendation Medals.