joys of learning/teaching

mary jane dodd

last spring, i got up the courage to ask a bead shop about 30 min from my home if i could propose classes for their schedule... and so i got to teach my first class... 

the fall schedule is getting ready and i wanted to come up with some fun classes that would not be too complex, yet would build on the basics of the etching class i taught this summer...

i wanted to use layering on a cuff, but to somehow do it a bit differently - after all, cuffs are very popular right now and they are the perfect kind of bracelet to use riveting on... resin is one of my favorite materials to work with - but ice resin (my resin of choice) takes a bit too long to work with in the time frame i will have available... 

enter staci's blog post from last week about magic glos... i picked some up... the sun broke through yesterday after a good number of days of rain - and so i was able to try it... this is definitely a resin that leaves you with a more rustic type effect, which is fine with me... and it was very well suited for my idea... 

i also tried it in some rustic bezels that i made and will offer instruction on... 

and then there will be a class on using a butane torch with sterling... making a rustic fused link bracelet along with things like ball end headpins, ear wires, clasps... just a practical class designed to expand one's ability to construct  their own components and save money... even learning how to ball end headpins is such a valuable skill in terms of design and cost... i remember being so excited to be able to do that and not have to buy headpins anymore... to never run out of them because i could always make more...

confidence grows when you learn how to do things, leaving you ripe to take on bigger challenges... it is a beautiful cycle, really.... learning how to do-it-myself has been really important to my growth... and you take it with you in to other parts of your life...

** etching is a really great technique... i first learned from stephanie lee's book 'semi-precious salvage'... but barbara lewis has a great section on it in her new book 'torch-fired enamel jewelry' ... perhaps i should do a tutorial on it... 

Student seeking...a learning experience

by Patty Lakinsmith

I've been thinking a lot about classes lately, and what makes or breaks the experience from the student perspective. Bead and jewelry classes, that is. Classes can be very expensive, and sometimes require that you travel to some far away destination, and you want to feel like you've gotten enough from the experience to justify the time and expense.

I've had some really fantastic classes with amazing teachers, and I've had a few where I left feeling somewhat less than satisfied. What makes a learning experience valuable for a student, I'm wondering? I'll offer some of my own thoughts, and then it's your turn.

I like to feel that I've landed in the right class for my skill level, so I'm interested in a little reminder up front about the basic skills required for the class. If it becomes evident that I lack some particular type of experience for the class, I like to feel that the instructor will help guide me through the parts that might be challenging.

I like to feel that the instructor is paying attention to me, what I'm doing, how well I'm following what he or she has explained that I do. In short, I like to feel that there is a creative conversation going on, back and forth, and not just one way communication.

I like to feel that I'm learning some special techniques, like no other I could find on the internet by just googling around. I just love when an instructor shares a breadth of tips with us that transcend the particular bead we happen to be making.

I would like the instructor to ensure that help is given out to each who requests it, and not just to the most vocal students. Once I had a bad experience where I was explaining my specific need for help to the instructor and another (louder?) student completely derailed the instructor to help her, leaving me out in the cold with the problem I had asked for help with. I would like my instructor to be sensitive to that and politely prevent the derailment from occurring, and to deal with one student at a time.

I like leaving class feeling like I have a brand new set of tools that can be applied as I want them, in my own unique work. It's especially cool when an instructor teaches techniques that are so multipurpose that each student could use them and nobody would end up with the same end product. Making that transition from learning how one instructor creates to how you can apply those techniques in your own special way to your work is the very difficult homework that we all take away from our classes.

What about the less tangible side? Do students want to take classes in a vacation-like setting, to just relax? Or do they want to learn as much as possible, foregoing many comforts in their quest to pack in the information? I've definitely leaned toward the latter, although the older I get the more I entertain thoughts of the former. Yeah, a cruise with beads, sounds great!

Now it's your turn. What classes have you taken that live on in your memory as outstanding learning experiences? What made them so special for you? What teacher characteristics are important? What is your biggest class peeve?