Engineering Interview

Mr. Kevin Bradley

Robotics, Drafting II, Intro to Design

What year did you start teaching?
2003. I taught Business, Computers, and Algebra. I started teaching Drafting in 2004. Robotics started in 2006 after Mr. Matus (now at Mesa) obtained a large grant where we needed to expand the engineering program at MVHS. He thought it should be robotics and I was tasked with doing all of the research and writing the course. I started a club with 4-5 students to get a feel for what I would be teaching the following year.

What inspired you to become a teacher?
My parents who were both teachers. It is a noble profession and I enjoy working with students who strive to make me do better on a daily basis.

Why do you think S.T.E.M. is so important for this next generation?
Because it forces you to apply what you are learning from all of your classes. We can all answer the questions in the back of the book, but STEM forces you take what you know and use it to solve problems in the real world. It also fosters creativity in that there may be many different ways to solve the same problem.

Why do you think engineering is so important for this next generation?
I believe taking your entire educational experience (both in class and in social situations) and being able to apply it outside of the classroom is crucial for the success of your generation. Our world is facing many new problems that have to be looked at from new points of view. Technology is changing so fast that many times what we learn today will be outdated in a matter of months. Students need to be ready and excited to meet these new challenges. The future and our well-being depends on it.

How do you implement S.T.E.M. in your classroom?
Through the Engineering, Drafting, and Robotics courses that I teach. Project based instruction is a big part of what we do in all of the classes that I teach. Students can generally make the connections from their calculus or physics courses in robotics and they start to understand that these concepts are just as important outside of the classroom walls as they are within.

What advice would you give to students wanting to go into the S.T.E.M. field?
Go for it! We need you! It will be an exciting worthwhile career that will challenge you every day. Follow your passions and work to make the world a better place. I am excited for the future of all of my students whether or not they go on to a STEM field or not.