The Magical CTE Classroom: Bringing Play, Innovation, and Joy into Career and Technical Education

Create Magic in the Classroom, No Spells Required! Step into a CTE classroom and the energy feels different. You might hear the sizzle of sauté pans, the buzz of power tools, or the hum of a sewing machine. This isn’t learning confined to paper. It’s learning that lives. In CTE, students don’t just study content; they become creators, makers, problem-solvers, and professionals in training. They build with their hands, think on their feet, and make decisions that mirror the real world. It’s in these vibrant, messy, exhilarating spaces that curiosity meets purpose and skills meet opportunity. What makes CTE magical isn’t just what we teach, it’s how we teach it. We invite students to step into roles, solve real problems, and build something that didn’t exist before. Whether they’re baking bread, wiring a circuit, styling hair, or pitching a business plan, students live their learning through experience. In The Magical CTE Classroom, Tisha Richmond builds on the foundation of her breakout book Make Learning MAGICAL to bring you new ready-to-use strategies, classroom-tested ideas, and fresh approaches to take engagement to the next level and help you bring joyful learning to your classroom. “With countless ready-to-implement ideas and inclusive activities, this book shows that ‘routine doesn’t mean boring’ and that taking risks in the classroom can look like both reinvention and restraint.” —Annick Rauch, grade 1 French immersion teacher, learner, mom “Tisha has done it again with an inspiring book! Each chapter is filled with real, raw stories and engaging strategies. She includes examples and variations that can be easily implemented and adapted for all educators, especially FCS and other CTE teachers.”—Miranda Bright, human sciences and education career field specialist “The pages are packed with inspiration—stories that encouraged me, practical ideas I could implement immediately, and endless possibilities to elevate my students’ CTE experience through hands-on learning, creativity, play, and real-world application.”—Alaina Tharp, family and consumer science teacher, Ohio View Less