After high school, and even now, students face problems that aren’t covered in textbooks or assigned by a teacher. In order to give students an opportunity to learn these skills, librarian Andrea Head came up with the idea for Real World Wednesdays. Her inspiration stemmed from a group on Facebook, Future Ready Librarians, where librarians from all around the country share their ideas amongst each other.

The first class was about how to prepare for a job interview, and Head explains what topics were covered during the first class.

“The first one was job interviews, and unless you’re in a business class you don’t always learn how. So we did what to wear and what’s some things you might be asked. In the first one Mr. Warner and Mrs. Weiss helped from [the] business [department],” Head said.
During the second class, the students took a trip to Len’s auto parts to learn the essentials of repairing a car. Teegan Winkeler, a senior who attended the class, explains the layout of the class.

“We went outside and there were cars, we learned where the engine was and how to do basic maintenance. It was very helpful because my car likes to break down and now I feel more prepared,” Winkeler said.

Winkeler not only learned new information about cars, but realized she knew some of it before even setting foot in the class.

“I learned a lot but I learned how much I already knew. When he would ask a question, and I would be like, ‘Oh, I know the answer to that,’  and so it was cool to learn something new and realize I knew some of it,”  Winkeler said.

Not only is the class a learning experience, but from junior Myah Eggert’s experience, it helps with real-life scenarios.

“I would recommend it because we learned real life things, like we learned how to change a tire and I had to change a tire the other day. We also learned how to jump-start a car, and I had to jump start my dad’s car,” Eggert said.

Coming up on Nov 29th, the next Real World Wednesday will center around Christmas.

“The next one is on Christmas holidays and you learn how to wrap presents, write thank you notes, and how to make DIY presents,” Head said.

Next semester Head is looking forward to having a class on taxes and how to do them, an important life skill for everyone. She’s bringing in people whose jobs focus on the topic.

“Coming up next year we’re doing one on taxes, and we’re bringing in someone from business and someone from an insurance company. We’re trying to get people knowledgeable on the topic, but also part of our community,” Head said.

Ultimately, the class is based around student needs, and Head makes sure to cover the most relevant and helpful topics.

“We’re just trying to pinpoint something every month that would appeal to students, and that they wouldn’t get in a class,” Head said.