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I was chatting with another artist at an art show. She knew i taught pottery at a local community center. She overheard the organizer encourage me to put out info about my classes. She told me she used to teach jewelry making and sold at shows(although she was currently selling prints of her paintings and handmade soap). She said she had observed a strange behavior, that when she mentioned that she taught classes it gareenteed to kill any hopes of a sale. I told her i had observed the same behavior and now only mentioned the fact i taught only after the person shopping told me they had always wanted to learn how. So i was wondering if any other teachers had observed similar shopping behavior...is teaching a sales killer?

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Yep, teachers are perceived as not being artists. Artists are hungry starving individuals immensely creative, driven by their art, and one day usually when dead, quite famous. How can a teacher who only teaches art aspire to such greatness. :unsure:

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This is odd, I wouldn't think it would be like this at all. I guess maybe I am the odd ball here. I would think, this person is a teacher. This person must know his or her stuff and this piece is made correctly.

 

Where I would assume the poor artist is just someone trying to make a living and has no formal background and just randomly making arts. 

 

Just goes to show how far out of touch I am with the "art" scene. Still baffled.

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Think about the adage, or sage advice often said of teachers. "If you can't do, teach!" There are so many others out there, and in today's atmosphere of dissing teachers, for that matter anyone that is "professional" there is little hope for respect of their knowledge, or skills.

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I believe that such a stigma, comes from experiences that the general public had with some of their teachers, as well as the depiction of art teachers/ teachers in general shown in the media.  Art teachers are seen as bunch of "hippies", who teach kids how to glue popsicle sticks together.  Art teachers exist to give the students an "easy class".  Honestly, it's not like schooling is required to learn the techniques and processes teaching the various arts require right?

 

Honestly, and I'm not just saying this because I'm a teacher, but being an artist and teacher, gives you a unique insight into the processes.  Not only do you have to know how to do something, but you have to know several ways to explain it, to the students.

 

On a related note, one of the districts I worked at, had an opening for the Administrative Business Manager.  The High School Business teacher applied.  Some didn't want to hire her, because what did she know about business, she's just a Business TEACHER.  She did eventually get the job, but it goes to show, that it's not just artists, who have to deal with such things.

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Just to arm those who are ever faced with the saying "If you can't do, teach!"  The actual saying is from Aristotle and it is "Those who can, do; those who know, teach."  In the classical academic world, teaching was considered an inseparable part of the intellectual development of the student as well as the teacher--the process of dialectic.  Who's teaching whom when Socrates asks his questions?

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Being in front of 25 high school students with a demonstration of some sort is not for those faint of heart or short of knowledge. Being able to stand balance that with the ability to  clearly deliver the material in an interesting manner is also on the top of the list of priorities. However, if you don't know what you are doing, the students will sense it like fear by a pack of wolves! Wo be he who tries to snow them with the emperors new clothes!

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Guest JBaymore

Yeah, but the American corruption of that saying is VERY telling....... both as to the education of the general public becasue they don't know the accurate version...and to the general attitudes held.

 

That saying is something that the Japanese would not understand.  The highest form of formal address showing respect is "sensei".... teacher.  You don't have to BE a teacher to get that address........ doctors and other highly skilled professional get that same honorific.

 

best,

 

....................john

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Just to arm those who are ever faced with the saying "If you can't do, teach!"  The actual saying is from Aristotle and it is "Those who can, do; those who know, teach."  In the classical academic world, teaching was considered an inseparable part of the intellectual development of the student as well as the teacher--the process of dialectic.  Who's teaching whom when Socrates asks his questions?

 

So those who know teach.  But Socrates said, "The only true wisdom, is knowing that you know nothing"....  Either way, I've got my bases covered, because I know, I know nothing.  In fact, I know so little, that I don't even know, that I know that...

 

John, 

 

"doctor" is Latin for teacher.

 

 

Sweet, I'm a doctor.  I'm going to make myself a degree, to hang on the wall right now!

 

Yeah, but the American corruption of that saying is VERY telling....... both as to the education of the general public becasue they don't know the accurate version...and to the general attitudes held.

 

That saying is something that the Japanese would not understand.  The highest form of formal address showing respect is "sensei".... teacher.  You don't have to BE a teacher to get that address........ doctors and other highly skilled professional get that same honorific.

 

best,

 

....................john

 

Oh I don't know John, I think the tittle of "Teacher" gets just as much respect in The States *rolls eyes*.

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Guest JBaymore

 

  But Socrates said, "The only true wisdom, is knowing that you know nothing"....  

 

I tell my students that after they go through the inevitable period in ceramics in which they feel they know everything and are 'experts'...... they will find that they begin to realize how much they DON'T know.  And it is only then that they actually know something.

 

best,

 

.........................john

 

PS: The C.A.D. IT folks are working on the issues with Internet Explorer 11. ........ and I can use the quote function again!  YAY to the IT team.  Thanks.

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  • 1 month later...

I hate to see any teacher get a bad plug - Teachers taught our parents, taught us, teaching our children, and our grandchildren ....

 

It is sad to say this but for some reason the "Art" teacher gets less respect than any other's including the Football coach who is more than likely a "P.E." teacher.. That one, I don't get... actually I do but that's another story...

 

I was married to a K-12 art teacher for 5 years was together for 2 before that... so many other programs were more important than art, and that's where the  funds went.. Seems the Art dept. was always under funded..

 

When someone she knew from school seen her artwork "which is very good" she would usually tell them its for sale or start a conversation that led in that direction.. She never sold anything that I know of to a person that knew her background..

I have seen people at "starving artist shows" ask her occupation and turn their nose up..

 

It takes $$$$$ to get that education.. It takes time to learn your medium to a point that you can produce ... All the frustration of failures to find joy in success, just for someone to ask your occupation and walk away...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Teaching Art in HS is much about learning. Learning on the part of the teacher, learning on the part of the student. I have always believed that the onus for the lesson in Elementary grades is entirely on the teacher, in JrH 80% on the teacher, and in HS 60% on the teacher. By this I mean that the elementary program should ensure success 100% of the time by the design of the lesson and the materials used. Looking at HS the success of each individual student should be owned by the student, but the lesson should be designed in such a manner that all may succeed if they take responsibility for their work and work ethics.

 

So how does the teacher learn? First to practice that demonstration so that it comes off clearly each time. To analyze their own skills and correct mistakes they make, so that they can correct others. In the HS classroom much of the teacher's learning is personal when it comes to solving student problems. Design problems always arise with questions of placement, or color, texture variation and repetition. So many problems solved every day in many cases over 150 student seen a day and in the beginning stages maybe 50% percent unsure with problems to be solved. Even then one answer is not enough. If I were to give one answer for every problem a student had then in the end the project is my doing. However, if one gives 3 solutions to the problem and lets the student choose, then it becomes a partnership. For those that are unsure, this approach works well. Some students will never have a problem, sure of themselves, but even those may need reminders of technique, skills to be learned or others things. So if you are teaching, really teaching, then your skills become very honed. That said, consider the teacher that jumps out of their comfort zone be introducing a new material, or technique they have never done. One of the reasons I really  believe Art teachers need to have an immense amount of content knowledge about their subject that includes Art, Craft, History and Aesthetics in a hands on approach.

 

Best,

Pres

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