Iola High School wood shop teacher Doug Calahan returns to southeast Kansas after being away for more than a decade. Originally from Kincaid, Calahan had a goal in mind while teaching in Colorado.
“I wanted to teach in a smaller high school and to get back closer to my roots now that I’m older,” Calahan said. “I just feel like I’m home. I haven’t had that feeling in quite awhile and it’s really comfortable.”
Calahan graduated from Crest High School and earned an education degree at Pittsburg State University. He spent six years combined teaching in both Lenora and Melvern before going to Brighton, Colo. for 17 years.
Prior to teaching, Calahan did construction work. He said several buildings that he worked on are still standing today.
By returning home, Calahan said he has caught up with friends he hasn’t seen in 40 years. He still has family in the area, making life easier.
While a veteran at teaching shop, Calahan said he is adjusting to a few changes to his new location; some of the equipment is different and it’s not as easy to buy supplies as compared to living in Brighton, a suburb in the northeast reaches of Denver.
Though a pretty area, Brighton is becoming too crowded, Calahan said, and he no longer enjoyed living there.
At IHS, Calahan said “The staff has been great and the administration has been very supportive. I think when you get into bigger places, you lose some of that closeness.”
At his high school in Brighton, there were more than 2,000 students and his classes averaged 36 students. In comparison, IHS has an average of 17 students per class.
Already, his students have begun drawing diagrams for blueprints.
“I hope they can build something that lasts,” Calahan said. “That’s the thing about woodworking, they have the opportunity to build something they can pass down to their kids and grandkids.”
New instructor helps students build shop skills
