Poor Instruction And The Cost

[neilestrick]

This is a tough one, because it's possible that both the student and teacher are doing something wrong.

 

I have to be nice to my students. My livelihood depends on it. If my students don't like me, then I lose their business. And I think I'm a nice person at heart, anyway, so it's not too much of a stretch for me. So I really don't get it when people just can't be nice. I think for a lot of teachers in community studio situations it's a power trip for them, because maybe they don't have a masters degree and aren't as famous as they wish they were, so the studio becomes the highest level of superiority they'll have in their clay career and they go overboard making sure everyone knows it. It's an insecurity thing. I'm not saying it's acceptable- it's not- but I think that's where it comes from. I see this a lot when I'm out repairing kilns for these types of studios. Often the teacher is under-qualified for the job, so they over compensate with attitude. The students get blamed for bad glazing technique when the teacher screws up a firing, etc. It's not a good environment.

 

But students need to recognize that teachers have to walk a fine line between over-teaching and letting students learn from experience. Every now and then I get a student who thinks they're being ignored because I'm not constantly  giving advice and helping every step of the way, or I'm not showing them new techniques every week. But for a student who only comes into the studio once a week for the two hour class, a certain number of those classes need to be spent just centering and pulling over and over until they can do it with some level of competency. I'm not about to move them on to making lids and pitcher spouts if they can't pull a 6 inch cylinder yet. So I'm not neglecting them, they just need to build some mileage before moving on. That's not to say I don't offer assistance while they practice, but I don't hover over them and try to correct every little mistake. That just overwhelms them, and they're usually a little overwhelmed already.

 

But whether your friend is learning or not, she shouldn't stay there if she's not enjoying it. It's not like she has to take the class. If she's doing it for fun, then it should be fun. Look for another studio. Or if she's really, really  sure that the teacher is not friendly, then complain. She may find she's not the first, they just haven't had enough complaints to do anything about her yet.

[Guest JBaymore]

But students need to recognize that teachers have to walk a fine line between over-teaching and letting students learn from experience.

 

Experiential learning is a HUGE component of learning a physical activity like the forming of clay, particularly throwing.  No amount of so-called "instruction" will suffice when what is actually needed is the tactile and proprioceptive awareness of cause and effect relationships from the student's hands on clay.  That understanding and growth happens by working with the clay for a significant amount of time... not by getting shown or told something... even repeatedly.  There is intrinsic feedback coming from working with the clay in a state of "active awareness".  This is stuff that cannot be magically "taught"... in the sense of the sharing of verbal instructions or visual images.  It comes from doing.

 

A good teacher gives the infiormation necessary for the student to learn..... sets the stage for learning to happen....... and then "gets out of the way" at the right times.

 

An occasional dose of "descriptive feedback" as the right moment is all that is usually necessary to correct a performance and send it in the optimal direction.  If this doesn't work..... THEN it might be time from some judicious "prescriptive feedback" to set thing on a good path.

 

But that PATH has to be trodden by the learner.  Teaching is a collaboration.  Both parties have to work together.

 

best,

 

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

[Chantay]

 

But students need to recognize that teachers have to walk a fine line between over-teaching and letting students learn from experience.

 

A good teacher gives the infiormation necessary for the student to learn..... sets the stage for learning to happen....... and then "gets out of the way" at the right times.

 

Two very good points.  Part of the saga that I didn't mention is my friend for a beginner is doing very well.  I think she only stayed in the class as long as she did due to my encouragement.  She wants to continue learning and plans to come to my studio to practice on the wheel.  At least the whole thing hasn't turned her off from clay completly.