I’m Steven Bross...

the creator behind CHAT-CTE and The CTE Teacher Hub.

After 23 years in Career & Technical Education, one truth has followed me everywhere I’ve taught, coached, or presented:

 

CTE teachers are some of the most capable educators in the building — and some of the least supported.

I’ve lived that reality myself.
I’ve built curriculum from scratch.
I’ve managed programs, budgets, safety plans, certifications, and equipment held together by hope and duct tape.
I’ve mentored new teachers who were thrown into the fire with little more than a key and a class roster.

 

I know the work because I’ve done the work — in the classroom, in leadership roles, and on stages at local, state, and national conferences.

 

And along the way, I noticed the same pattern:
CTE teachers kept asking for clarity, structure, and real support, and the system kept sending them PD that had nothing to do with a shop, a kitchen, a lab, or a hands-on classroom.

 

So I built CHAT-CTE to change that.

 

Why CHAT-CTE Exists

I created CHAT-CTE and The CTE Teacher Hub because CTE teachers deserve a space built specifically for them — not adapted from academic classrooms, not theoretical workshops, not one-day drive-by PD.

Just real tools, real talk, and real support.

 

The Hub brings it all together:

• Practical PD

• Curriculum tools

• AI support

• Templates that save time

• The Shop Talk podcast

• The CTE Toolbox app

• Courses designed for teachers who don’t have hours to waste

 

Everything here is built from experience — not guesswork.

 

My Teaching Philosophy

Over two decades, these beliefs have shaped everything I create:

 

Trust over tasks.
Students learn from people they trust, not from perfect lesson plans.

 

Simplicity wins.
If a tool isn’t something you can use tomorrow, it isn’t worth your time.

 

CTE is a craft.
We build thinkers, makers, creators, and problem-solvers — not test-takers.

 

Teachers shouldn’t do this alone.
CTE was never meant to be a one-person show.

 

PD should feel personal.
Because the work you do is personal.

These ideas guide the tone, tools, and support you’ll find inside CHAT-CTE.

 

Where This Is Headed

As I look toward the next chapter of my career, my mission is clear:
Build the system I wish existed when I started — and the tools I still wish existed today.

 

Over the next few years, CHAT-CTE will grow into:

• A full curriculum system

• A suite of online courses

• A toolbox app teachers can use daily

• District-ready PD packages

• A nationwide community of CTE educators

 

This isn’t just a website.
It’s a movement to give CTE teachers practical support, professional respect, and a place that finally understands what this job really takes.

 

Thanks for being here.

Whether you’re welding, cooking, cutting hair, coding, repairing engines, designing, or teaching kids how to run a business — this hub is for you.

 

And I’m glad you found it.

Keep creating—because this is finally PD that’s personal.