As an instructor, this blog on Class Prep and being a good student, caught my eye. It has some very good points that I may not have thought to list had I made this list, but I think I must add a couple more. I will add mine as #3.A & 4.B
I share here from:
PMC CONNECTION Cornerstone Blog. http://pmccblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/tip-of-month-class-prep.html3
Tip of the Month - Class Prep
One of the most important aspects of being successful in a classroom situation is being a good student. Of course you want to make sure you have a great instructor, one whose work you admire and whose style you relate to. But, a satisfying class is a collaboration between the student and the teacher. Preparation and forethought can make all the difference. Here are my top five actions to take into account:
1. Sign up! That seems like a given, but often students wait until the last minute to register for a class. But teachers, and the institutions they work with, need to know that a class will have a certain number of students to be profitable in order to run it. The local art center I teach for cancels classes a week in advance if they don't see the numbers they need. Sometimes delays in registering have to do with the student's schedule, monetary issues, or procrastination (I'm a foot dragger from way back). Letting the instructor know that you plan on taking the class (even if you can't sign up in advance) will allow them to prepare, purchase materials, and keep the class on their calendar.
2. Make sure the skill level of the class matches your own. If the description says it's for intermediate to advanced artists, and you're really just beginning, don't do yourself and the other students the disservice of signing up. You'll be frustrated, and because the instructor will probably spend more time with you, the other students will miss that one-on-one attention. Email the instructor in advance with questions and he or she might have some suggestions on how you can prep for the class and be successful with your level of experience and knowledge.
3.A DO NOT SHOW UP LATE! The absolute most important info is actually given out in the first few minutes. When students are late they either miss this info, which puts both students and instructor at a disadvantage or You make the whole class wait and waste precious workshop minutes either waiting for you or repeating critical info. Accidents and delays happen , but try to allow for that possibility and arrive early. You will get a better seat and will have time to meet fellow students, get set up and relax. Make it a priority to be prompt.
3. If you are just beginning, and the class is an Intro, don't expect that the instructor will let you set a diamond, make a ring, or try another advanced technique. There is a learning curve to every craft, and we all have to start with the basics. Don't get in your own way by trying to create a masterpiece your first time out of the gate.
4. Bring whatever you think you might need to make a piece you're proud of. You have an artistic voice or style that may be different from the instructors. Filling your toolbox with textures, gems or other inclusions, and carving tools or cutters that you like will help make a project really special and personal. Make micro molds or gem settings in advance, bring metal clay sheet cut into shapes that you like, or create custom shape templates to put your own spin on the project.
4 B. Put your name on the hand out and make notes on it . I always find a few stray handouts when cleaning up after a class and think maybe the student didn't think it was useful or important. If you have notes on it then you found it valuable and I will make an effort to get it back to you. I personally work very hard on my hand outs for students and am a bit dismayed when I find them on the floor or in trash.
5. Don't be afraid to finish the piece at home. Spend time learning the actual technique and put the finishing touches on when you can take your time in your own familiar and comfortable studio. You're learning how to build a box, make hinges, create a specific texture, or carve into clay. A project is made up of a variety of techniques, and your goal should be to learn the techniques so that you can adapt them to work with your style of production. Don't think you need to make a piece that looks exactly like the instructor's sample. On the other hand, don't spend class time trying to re-invent the wheel. Sometimes making something that does look exactly like the instructor's sample frees your mind from design choices that might otherwise distract you from the business of the class.
The most important thing to think about is why you're taking that class, what you hope to learn from it, and how can you take your new skills and make them work with your own jewelry making practice. Posted by Lora Hart
*I think it is important to emphasize taking your new found skills and using them in a way that suits your personal style. This is one of the wonderful things about taking a class: discoveries that make you exclaim : How cool! ....but I think I'd do it THIS way" resulting in something that is uniquely yours.
now go register for a class! - April Bower
I share here from:
PMC CONNECTION Cornerstone Blog. http://pmccblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/tip-of-month-class-prep.html3
Tip of the Month - Class Prep
One of the most important aspects of being successful in a classroom situation is being a good student. Of course you want to make sure you have a great instructor, one whose work you admire and whose style you relate to. But, a satisfying class is a collaboration between the student and the teacher. Preparation and forethought can make all the difference. Here are my top five actions to take into account:
1. Sign up! That seems like a given, but often students wait until the last minute to register for a class. But teachers, and the institutions they work with, need to know that a class will have a certain number of students to be profitable in order to run it. The local art center I teach for cancels classes a week in advance if they don't see the numbers they need. Sometimes delays in registering have to do with the student's schedule, monetary issues, or procrastination (I'm a foot dragger from way back). Letting the instructor know that you plan on taking the class (even if you can't sign up in advance) will allow them to prepare, purchase materials, and keep the class on their calendar.
2. Make sure the skill level of the class matches your own. If the description says it's for intermediate to advanced artists, and you're really just beginning, don't do yourself and the other students the disservice of signing up. You'll be frustrated, and because the instructor will probably spend more time with you, the other students will miss that one-on-one attention. Email the instructor in advance with questions and he or she might have some suggestions on how you can prep for the class and be successful with your level of experience and knowledge.
3.A DO NOT SHOW UP LATE! The absolute most important info is actually given out in the first few minutes. When students are late they either miss this info, which puts both students and instructor at a disadvantage or You make the whole class wait and waste precious workshop minutes either waiting for you or repeating critical info. Accidents and delays happen , but try to allow for that possibility and arrive early. You will get a better seat and will have time to meet fellow students, get set up and relax. Make it a priority to be prompt.
3. If you are just beginning, and the class is an Intro, don't expect that the instructor will let you set a diamond, make a ring, or try another advanced technique. There is a learning curve to every craft, and we all have to start with the basics. Don't get in your own way by trying to create a masterpiece your first time out of the gate.
4. Bring whatever you think you might need to make a piece you're proud of. You have an artistic voice or style that may be different from the instructors. Filling your toolbox with textures, gems or other inclusions, and carving tools or cutters that you like will help make a project really special and personal. Make micro molds or gem settings in advance, bring metal clay sheet cut into shapes that you like, or create custom shape templates to put your own spin on the project.
4 B. Put your name on the hand out and make notes on it . I always find a few stray handouts when cleaning up after a class and think maybe the student didn't think it was useful or important. If you have notes on it then you found it valuable and I will make an effort to get it back to you. I personally work very hard on my hand outs for students and am a bit dismayed when I find them on the floor or in trash.
5. Don't be afraid to finish the piece at home. Spend time learning the actual technique and put the finishing touches on when you can take your time in your own familiar and comfortable studio. You're learning how to build a box, make hinges, create a specific texture, or carve into clay. A project is made up of a variety of techniques, and your goal should be to learn the techniques so that you can adapt them to work with your style of production. Don't think you need to make a piece that looks exactly like the instructor's sample. On the other hand, don't spend class time trying to re-invent the wheel. Sometimes making something that does look exactly like the instructor's sample frees your mind from design choices that might otherwise distract you from the business of the class.
The most important thing to think about is why you're taking that class, what you hope to learn from it, and how can you take your new skills and make them work with your own jewelry making practice. Posted by Lora Hart
*I think it is important to emphasize taking your new found skills and using them in a way that suits your personal style. This is one of the wonderful things about taking a class: discoveries that make you exclaim : How cool! ....but I think I'd do it THIS way" resulting in something that is uniquely yours.
now go register for a class! - April Bower
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