Enka Carpentry Teacher Wins State Honor

Mr. Smith holds his award plaque in his carpentry shop on Friday, Sept. 27, 2019.

By Tim Reaves
BCS Communications Department

The sounds of table saws drifted out of Enka High School carpentry teacher Eddie Smith’s workshop on Friday as a large group approached for a surprise visit.

Mr. Smith was momentarily speechless as members of the Asheville Home Builders Association walked in with BCS staff and Mr. Smith’s family. Then came the announcement: Mr. Smith is the North Carolina Home Builders Association (NCHBA) Construction Trades Teacher of the Year!

“I was totally surprised,” he said, chuckling. “I was thinking ‘why are all these people coming into my shop?’”

Mr. Smith has been a carpentry teacher for almost 40 years. He organizes real-life projects for his students with community partners, creates a safety-oriented mindset in the workshop, and provides an opportunity for students to earn National Center for Construction Education and Research credentials. He mentors his students as they compete in the Playhouse Showdown, a yearly building contest in which drafting, carpentry, interior design, and marketing students work together to create the most compelling playhouse at the annual Build and Remodel Expo.

“I enjoy carpentry, and I want to pass it on to the next generation,” he said. “If I can teach them just a little bit of love for wood-working or get them to pass it on to others, that makes it worth it.”

Retired BCS Career and Technical Education (CTE) Director Christy Cheek nominated Mr. Smith for the award.

“He teaches students to take pride in everything they do, especially when building a project,” she said. “He becomes the very fabric of the school where he teaches by vesting himself in the lives of the students and the community. His methods of teaching derive from a genuine passion for his craft and an honest desire to see students succeed in all they attempt. As a true professional, there’s none better.”

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