Teacher Spotlight: Jimmy Whittal

After being on the road for the past ten years building theaters around the country, Jimmy Whittal is happy to settle in as Santa Barbara High School’s (SBHS) construction tech/woodshop teacher. Since January 2025, Whittal has been spreading his knowledge and love for building to the SBHS student body. 

Since high school, Whittal has loved working hands-on. From building sets for his high school’s theater department to residential and commercial construction, Whittal has racked up a lot of technical skills, experience, and emotional intelligence. “I started building as a kid,” Whittal said, “just finding wood and making a fort in the backyard.” 

Whittal took his first woodshop class during his freshman year of high school and began working backstage as a tech in his school’s theater, building sets and contributing to the production of each show. “I’ve always loved the physical act of building,” He said, “It’s always come so easily to me.” Soon enough, at the young age of 16, Whittal signed a contract for a theater in Monterey, California, starting his professional career. 

Three levels of woodshop are offered at SBHS, and Whittal teaches at every level, leaving no student unhelped. “I feel like we have actually started to build a community inside the school.” Whittal said, “It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from… You pick up a tool and you’re the same as the person next to you.” 

Whittal hopes to continue the woodshop legacy at SBHS by growing that community feeling and helping students find their place in a sea of change. He believes that seeing physical work progress is one of the most rewarding and confidence-building experiences a young person can get, and he hopes to encourage that experience for all students. 

Having been through school and attending higher-level education, Whittal understands the struggles of traditional learning. Turning that into a hands-on experience with tools was his way of learning independence and strength throughout school. 

“You can make your first box ever, and you can see that the joints are all sloppy and they’re all half fallen apart, but by the time you get to the end of that first year, you can see that you have physically gotten better and you have technically improved as a woodworker,” Whittal said. “By the end of your third year, I’ve got students who are making guitars and camping trailers and winning county contests.” 

Whittal hopes to continue to foster an environment that builds confidence, grows community, and improves woodworking skills. Whittal encourages every student to come give woodshop a try, no matter what grade they are in.