“It is not really what you are learning in school but it is your ability to learn it. How do you apply yourself? What can you take away from the hands-on classes?” said Ryan Kortemeyer, better known as Mr. K to his students.
This teaching philosophy shines through the dirt and grime LHS students are likely to wash off their hands after class in E214. Those who choose to take one of the three shop classes Kortemeyer teaches, which include Intro to Auto, Welding and Small Engine Repair are fortunate to have a teacher that will guide and encourage them based on what they hope to take away from his courses.
Kortemeyer attended four years of college at STI where he earned his degrees in Collision Repair Refinish and Automotive Technology. After college he spent over 10 years working as a technician. In the summer, he works as a fabricator at a custom agricultural production shop where he fabricates grain augers and grain carts. Kortemeyer’s real world experience guides students considering a technical career. He has seen his students take multiple paths to success.
“Some have gone off into the military and have had several different careers through that. A couple students from last year are out working on the 41st street bridge as welders and fabricators, and several students have gone off to Marmen Energy to get into the welding field,” said Kortemeyer.
Often, when students go directly into a technical career they are expected to already have basic knowledge and skills in their respective fields. Therefore, the hands-on courses are important as they provide an environment for the students to learn and grow at their own pace. Similarly, his classes are beneficial to students who are planning on going into engineering.
“In the years past, several students going off to engineering have taken the classes to get a behind the scenes approach to welding or the inside workings of an engine and how they can apply physics, science and chemistry for the vehicle to actually drive down the road,” said Kortemeyer.
Kortemeyer also realizes that even if his students do not end up using the skills they learned in his classes for their career path, the skills are still beneficial in day-to-day life.
“Small Engine Repair can be an entrepreneurial class where you find a lawn mower or snow blower for cheap and flip it to make money, or repair your own lawn mower or snowblower,” said Kortemeyer.
Along with the skills LHS students learn in Small Engine Repair after taking Intro to Auto many may benefit from the greater understanding of how their car works, capable of diagnosing when a problem is serious or when it is just due for a simple fix. Soraya Luschas, a current LHS student that has taken Small Engine Repair and Intro to Auto, has already started using the skills she gained in the real world, most recently by replacing the brake pads on her car. It is useful for her to understand how her car works and she would describe Kortemeyer’s teaching style as not teaching at all, in the regular sense of the word.
Another former LHS student has gained valuable experience from Kortmeyer in a different way.
“Despite the experiences not being directly applicable in my field of engineering… the classes helped me get a taste for more industry-related work that led to me picking engineering as the career I wished to pursue,” said Alina Zatirka, who is currently studying chemical engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. “Engineering is a male-dominated field. Similarly, the shop classes were majority guys, and as a girl, those classes helped me not be intimidated in an environment where I was surrounded by them.”
While Zatirka was at LHS, Kortemeyer was always willing to help her and shared her curiosity for how engines and cars work. His passion for understanding how mechanical systems work and repairing them encourages his students to take their knowledge to a whole different level.
Anyone who is interested in taking a shop class with Kortemeyer can rest assured that Kortemeyer is careful to let the students prove to themselves what they are capable of, as opposed to forcing interest or a false sense of accomplishment. At the same time he is able to provide guidance and information from his real world technical career experiences in order to help LHS students to succeed in whatever venture they decide to pursue in their future careers.
