Wires, Switches, and Words with Two Meanings

Noor's Job Shadow Journal

1Monday: For our job shadow project, I am spending three afternoons with Ms. Valdez, an electrician who lives on my street. Today we worked in an old brick house that a family is fixing up. Ms. Valdez said the first rule of her job is simple: before touching any wires, turn off the power at the breaker box. Then she used a tester to make sure the power was really off. "Electric current can't be seen," she told me, "so I never guess."

2Next, Ms. Valdez showed me how to connect a new outlet. She stripped the plastic coating off the end of each wire and wound the bare copper around a screw. Then she tightened the screw so the wire would not come loose. I was careful with the sharp wire strippers, because I did not want to cut my finger. Ms. Valdez keeps a first aid kit in her truck, but she said she has not needed to clean a wound in a long time.

3Tuesday: A strong wind rattled the windows all afternoon, but we were cozy inside. Today we put up a ceiling fan in the living room. The fan's box was huge, but the blades inside were surprisingly light. Ms. Valdez let me hold each blade while she screwed it in place. Before we left, she showed me how to wind the long extension cord in neat loops so it would not tangle in the truck.

4Wednesday: The owner of the house, Mr. Chen, stopped by to see our work. He is a big fan of old houses, and he wants this one to keep its old-fashioned look. Ms. Valdez showed him a light switch with two round push buttons, just like the ones the house had long ago. Inside, though, it has modern parts. "It looks old, but it follows the current safety rules," she explained. Mr. Chen grinned and said he would not object to that.

5Before we packed up, Mr. Chen asked if we could switch the dim old kitchen bulbs for brighter ones. Ms. Valdez waited until the old bulbs had cooled, and then she let me screw in the new ones. At the end of the day, she gave me a present: a small flashlight with my name on it. "Every electrician needs a good light," she said. I can't wait to show it to my class.