could be worse it could be raining...

Dec9th

Well a few things cropped up this week. Most importantly is the importance of good marketing and planning. The college has started my new course two weeks before Christmas with no publicity. This is giving me a huge problem. Many of the confirmed returning students are away on holiday over the Christmas period and no one new knows my course is starting I have some learners returning but barely enough. If this class closes I won’t have enough hours for the teacher training, and enough work to live. So potentially ill need leave both and get another job. This would be a shame as I enjoy the work. The university informs me I haven’t paid for my tuition I applied for the grant, I completed there overly complicated application form online (the most complicated form I have ever had to fill in) I called them this morning and they assured me I would be paid for the course there had been some mistake on their part and the £600 bill two weeks before Christmas isn’t intended to have me dancing on the end or a rope at this festive time. Despite all these complications I’m working my way through the assignments to the best of my ability. I would be happier to have seen some examples of successful submitted work if only to be comforted I’m on the right track. But with the time were spending on micro teach sessions, which whilst an undeniably valuable learning opportunity, seem to prevent us having our questions answered at a time where support would be useful.

hes a which burn him

Stardate 22 Nov. 07

Ok micro teach completed, I worried I wouldn’t have enough to talk about, so I added more did a big PowerPoint thing my first one btw. I ended up running over as a result. With the benefit of hindsight I perhaps got carried away in the need to compete in a multi media environment, I’m a boy I love my technology. In my regular classes I don have access to interactive white boards; if I had I’m sure I could make use of them. Stained glass is a visual subject I have my laptop with me to show photos on, but without whiteboard or even a projector it’s less than ideal. I understand the college has projectors that can be lent out but the previous time I attempted it they needed them back before the end of the lesson (I run till 9 I think they leave sooner and I’m not allowed to leave the room).I would like to do a session introducing some stained glass software I have that some students could find useful. There was essential information to get across before anyone touched any tools and required elements to be included within the micro teach session. This left barely enough time for the practical section, I could have left it out but as the part that reflects what I actually do. Looking back over the task results I was pleasantly suppressed how much had been attempted and achieved. In my normal introductory session the practical side can last 2 hours and I generally have less new students. Seventeen beginners all cutting glass for the first time as I mentioned in the beginning of this journal is noisy scary and exciting, the session passed off without incident (someone usually gets cut, normally me).So to review should I have had the courage of my convictions as I originally planed dropped the multimedia element and done just the practical session yes I should, but would I have been marked down for it yes I would. Reflecting on the session its surprising how I can talk about my subject, I do know a lot about it. Standing talking about the rules and regulations thing as we did before, I felt tongue tied and stupid, in the area of my specialty it comes easily. I was so nervous before it I’m use to long teaching sessions but something about the how can I explain it, Its like the class being full of spies , they appear there to learn but there actually all out to expose you as a charlatan, made the whole thing more taxing. Coming back to the time thing, the micro teach was all about the time restraint so me complaining I wished I had more time is more to do with me hoping to make it a worthwhile session, I tried to pack a lot in, I wanted to see if I can teach from the front of the class do a PowerPoint do all this teacher stuff that I rarely have time to do in my own lessons. But if one learner is maybe inspired to come join my class, and one or two expressed an interest then I win right..

micro teach big panic

12^th November

Well I missed a lesson due to illness which I hate to do feel guilty and not ill enough all the time, and don’t get to enjoy it. So the following week I returned and tried to catch up what I missed. I had in my absence spent some time working on my micro-teach lesson plan and its not begging to come together. It’s stupid I get into such a panic about these things because I half feel I should write the final version first but I made myself brain storm lots of ideas onto paper in a disorganised mess and from this I cleared my mind of all the little bits and pieces I need to remember to include. Once I had them all together it came together quite well. I was thinking about ways to asses the learners achievements and decided for the task that a sheet of paper containing lines to cut and a space beside each line to draw down the cut glass edge would allow us to compare the goal with the result in a simple manner. The part I’m most concerned about is the use of the time effectively. I don’t want to talk for 30 minits because it’s not reflective of my lessons and how I work, that said I need to speak about safety as it’s relevant and important also I should discuss the tools we will be using .I’m nervous about asking questions to the group, for whatever reason I don’t want to appear patronising and I don’t want to ask questions for the sake of it. So much to worry about huh I bet you’re glad u don’t have to do this. Why am I worried about 30 minuets I regularly teach 2-2.5 hours.

a round of applause

Stardate 18 Oct 07

I’m going to start off thinking about my lessons today. My evening acl class is half way through already but then its only a 10 week course all most a taster leading into the ncfe level 2 which I need to get a little more info on before I jump into. Tonight I feel the course went quite well. I’m trying to make more of an effort to present to the group its strange I’m fine talking to my learners but really get nervous talking as a learner. I think this is to do with the element of talking out of my field of expertise and also as a learner you feel you’re being judged, but as the teacher we have that little extra magic somehow. Either way I need to get over it. I presented a demonstration of bottle cutting last night. It’s not a skill directly related to traditionally stained glass, but in these recycling times it’s a use for those empty wine bottles. It was good I felt like a proper teacher with the group all gathered around me watching. It’s quite an interesting process using specialist tools and a candle and surprisingly seems to work most of the time. I got a round of applause any way. The learner I specifically organised the demonstration for managed to do it first time, so I must be doing something right. I also spent a little time discussing my idea to explain the feel of various pressures to my two deaf learners. When they first arrived I wasn’t informed of their inclusion in the group, so had no time to adapt my explanation of how to cut glass. Normally I describe the correct cutting pressure as making a sound like tearing paper. As u can imagine this is no use to a deaf student fortunately they were quick on the uptake and learned anyhow. The reflective process caused me to re evaluate the problem. My idea was this, using touch and texture to represent the feel of differently applied pressure. For this I used a plane piece of paper to represent to little pressure course sandpaper to represent to much pressure and a fine grit paper to be the idea pressure. I discussed it with them and asked them to tell me if it was a stupid idea or not, in the event of me receiving more deaf learners. They seemed to think it a reasonable plan they referred to the different pressures as vibrations. I expanded the concept to tackily demonstrate uneven cutting pressure

Re the class the night before, my micro teaching thing I need to think what I can realistically fit into a 30 minute session its weird it’s a long time to talk but a short time to demonstrate. Ill have to work something out

I don’t want to get so bogged down in the little details I miss the whole point. I would also like it to reflect my teaching style. Would be nice to hear no dan that’s all wrong what u know of teaching makes me laugh out loud or actually dan it’s a little weird u teach but I have learned how to do the objective. Which is the result id hope for; different demographics of learner need different approaches right. I don’t think I could teach what I do the same way Steve teaches what he does, and visa versa. Some of the ideas are interchangeable but not all. I am here to see what I can learn and what is of use to me. Most importantly what will improve my class and benefit my learners most. I could have technically the best class in the world but if no one wants do it, then it’s closed.

a round of applause

Stardate 18 Oct 07

I’m going to start off thinking about my lessons today. My evening acl class is half way through already but then its only a 10 week course all most a taster leading into the ncfe level 2 which I need to get a little more info on before I jump into. Tonight I feel the course went quite well. I’m trying to make more of an effort to present to the group its strange I’m fine talking to my learners but really get nervous talking as a learner. I think this is to do with the element of talking out of my field of expertise and also as a learner you feel you’re being judged, but as the teacher we have that little extra magic somehow. Either way I need to get over it. I presented a demonstration of bottle cutting last night. It’s not a skill directly related to traditionally stained glass, but in these recycling times it’s a use for those empty wine bottles. It was good I felt like a proper teacher with the group all gathered around me watching. It’s quite an interesting process using specialist tools and a candle and surprisingly seems to work most of the time. I got a round of applause any way. The learner I specifically organised the demonstration for managed to do it first time, so I must be doing something right. I also spent a little time discussing my idea to explain the feel of various pressures to my two deaf learners. When they first arrived I wasn’t informed of their inclusion in the group, so had no time to adapt my explanation of how to cut glass. Normally I describe the correct cutting pressure as making a sound like tearing paper. As u can imagine this is no use to a deaf student fortunately they were quick on the uptake and learned anyhow. The reflective process caused me to re evaluate the problem. My idea was this, using touch and texture to represent the feel of differently applied pressure. For this I used a plane piece of paper to represent to little pressure course sandpaper to represent to much pressure and a fine grit paper to be the idea pressure. I discussed it with them and asked them to tell me if it was a stupid idea or not, in the event of me receiving more deaf learners. They seemed to think it a reasonable plan they referred to the different pressures as vibrations. I expanded the concept to tackily demonstrate uneven cutting pressure

Re the class the night before, my micro teaching thing I need to think what I can realistically fit into a 30 minute session its weird it’s a long tome to talk but a short time to demonstrate. Ill have to work something out

I don’t want to get so bogged down in the little details I miss the whole point. I would also like it to reflect my teaching style. Would be nice to hear no dan that’s all wrong what u know of teaching makes me laugh out loud or actually dan it’s a little weird u teach but I have learned how to do the objective. Which is the result id hope for; different demographics of learner need different approaches right. I don’t think I could teach what I do the same way Steve teaches what he does, and visa versa. Some of the ideas are interchangeable but not all. I am here to see what I can learn and what is of use to me. Most importantly what will improve my class and benefit my learners most. I could have technically the best class in the world but if no one wants do it, then it’s closed.

I hope the laser show impresses

Stardate 12 Oct. 07
Today dear listener I would like to try to compare and contrast between my experiences as the learner (I want to be a student not a learner, sigh I suppose I’ll be a educator not a teacher soon but I digress) and as a teacher. The course I’m on and the course I run. I worry about the lesson planning as my course is run in a work shop environment, my time spent speaking from the front, is usually limited to primarily administrative duties such as acl and ncfe paperwork .Once my learners understand the health and safety issues and the basic skills they need to practice them. I like to guide and inspire my learners but I don’t want to tell them what they like or what they should make. This is for a few reasons firstly stained glass can be an expensive craft, and not everyone can afford to throw money as a project. It would probably be discriminatory in some way to press a learner into in to spending more than they can afford. That said some of the best projects I have made have been entirely made from clear glass but again I’m going of topic. I am trying to utilise the workshop lesson plans as I mentioned earlier. I’m hoping and I use this word advisedly the description of what each learner is achieving may be replaced with a photograph as a um *blushes* picture is worth a thousand words, digital photography has rendered the medium effectively free I consider it the perfect way to describe a piece of visual art so I’m striving to do that, in a educational environment so keen on ICT I’ll be annoyed if I have to print everything out ill give an example but to print out 500 colour photos is expensive and wasteful. Back to my point on a one to one basis I instruct my learners how best to improve their work and solve their individual problems. If each learner was working on the same project then I could devise a straightforward lesson plan. Differentiation prevents this from happening.
Sitting in college as a learner, I understand the reasons for the way the course is being presented but I feel its taking a lot of time to impart only a little information. Whilst there is an element of individual discussion it’s irrelevant to my questions. I noticed at the end of the lesson whist I headed to the door everyone else headed to ask Steve things “teacher will solve problems even if it takes an hour after the lesson doesn’t seem to apply me thinks “. I couldn’t help but wonder if the tasks would be better done during the lessons partially so problem solving can be attended and some peer discussion could be resourced. When the first task was set I felt a little pushed out to sea, the questions i had as soon as I began I haven’t been afforded the opportunity to ask.We have been asked to hand it in next lesson so if it’s wrong it’s wrong. Gill who set the task was so keen to emphasise to keep it simple but the lack of comparative interaction and perceived competition in the group, it’s anyone’s guess to what everyone else produced. I’ll be upset if I don’t win, I hope my laser show impress.

your gonna get it

Stardate 4 Oct

Wednesday’s lessons

The new students are starting to relax as is the teacher. In a practically based course the first few weeks by there very nature are quite hectic as each learner has different questions abilities and expectations from the course. Until the new learners have experienced and practiced the basic skills they won’t be able to contemplate what level of first project to make. We have spent some time discussing personal ambitions, inspiration, materials and planning. Once the learners have however briefly experienced the whole process, they understand enough to chose. The class of course isn’t exclusively new students, we also have returning students keen to develop there skill.

We are trying to get replacement heads for the grinders, and this set me thinking. For reasons I’m not completely certain about learners despite instruction tend to cut the glass out bigger than it needs to be with a view to grinding it down to the correct size. (Probably a confidence issue)I find this practice to be counter productive and spent time re explaining the methodology of cutting and grinding hopefully should remedy this. As a stained glass artist I’m basically a lazy person so if I can find a quicker way of doing something I will. Initial accuracy in the cutting process will save hours in the grinding. Cutting is infinitely faster than grinding. Also the financially aware will notice grinder heads are an expensive item to replace. So better cutting means less new grinder heads. (thinking always thinking)

They all get it eventually, I taught these people to cut glass, I always have this doubt “what if they cant learn “ but they do takes some a little longer than others. Despite all this damn paperwork there is some reward.

(I mean the satisfaction not just the money)

yay we get to eat the elephant one bit at a time.

Stardate 3 October

Well dear listener turns out all this time I should have been writing a personal development journal not a reflective journal but what’s in a name. We were instructed to divide the piece into 3 parts description analysis and action but as that’s sort of what I’ve been doing just less obviously. I have to read back through this later at some point so I chose to make it entertaining and relevant to me and my class. I find the reflective process perversely valuable, as it allows me to analyse what I’m doing both during and after a session.

How do teachers teach? That’s an Interesting question and a temporary change of tutor provided an opportunity to see a second way. Something I’ve noticed about my road into teaching is that my opportunities to see other teachers teach have been somewhat limited. Didn’t u go to school Dan? Well yes that’s a point, but before I Learned to play guitar or drive a car, id never really looked at how other people did these things. I had just been driven and entertained or in this case educated and not attempted to understand how the trick was done.

So to the lesson I quite feel I skipped a generation in the education field in that Gill was using a flip chart and markers yes I’ve seen them but when I was in college and school we were still using black boards (the lo-fi low lag alternative to the interactive whiteboards which I’m still waiting to get my hands on).I’m hoping technology has caught up in time to save me from publicly demonstrating my “Artists Handwriting” but Gills presentation style was a interesting contrast to Steve’s but equally valid and effective.

We looked at description analysis action and sorted some cards into the relevant sections. This proved more difficult than anticipated as we all derived different points from the cards but as usual fisticuffs saved the day.

Secondly we were told to bring in our reflective journals that I had previously been informed were private and not open to assessment growl well were all on the net you just have to find us

http://dan-reflectivepractice.blogspot.com/

What motivates a learner to learn? A kick in the ass, those were the days. We discussed reasons which may drive a learner to take up education.

The next section of the lesson troubled me an even vexed me a little.

Visual Auditory Kinaesthetic.

Not wanting to be cynical or disparaging in anyway but it felt like one of those sex tests they have in cosmopolitan “How sexy are you, who is your perfect partner” .The preferred learning style element got my heckles raised, it seemed to be more astrology than anything of worth. I’m sorry but what does where I breathe from have to do with how I learn? Deep breath

Enabling effective learning, I realise this ties into the previous heading that I was so down on but this is infinitely more useful and I can understand that a variety of different methods of explanation can help sit a idea in a learners mine in a more useful way (the way a pi chart can visually confer the data in a list, the way a recoding of a piece of music lifts the notes from a page)

The assignment

Yay we get to eat the elephant one bit at a time. That’s better for me, I was feeling unsupported and slightly over faced, but the way the lessons have progressed has been tailored to this first task. Dan like manageable chunks dan thinks that good

Interpretation of instructions

A few group tasks illustrated that differences in perception are not always apparent and whilst you can make a task fool proof, you cant make it damn fool proof,

we all get it in the end

The morning and evening classes contain quite a different demographic of learners, this is both good and bad as it keeps me on my toes and prevents me relying on just the one teaching strategy. This term we have six or seven new learners depending if the girl from last week returns. As the first lesson progressed I felt she was becoming self-conscious about her lack of progress. I tried to stress that the course is not only about stained glass, it’s also about meeting people and having some fun. The skills we teach are mastered at different rates. I feel it’s more important to get a feel for the tools what works and more importantly what doesn’t. I hope she’s back next week. Theses a lot of talk about differentiated learning, a course like mine I try to embrace all abilities. I am aware even going through the door of a college is a big step for some and I would hate to feel I had in some way driven her away. That said its surprising how pressure seems to be self generating. In the evenings lesson a student wanted to move on from cutting to grinding and foiling at the loss of some practice as to keep in touch with her fellow new learners progress. I let her as I don’t want to be a pipe poking crafts person. The road is long and in my experience if they attend they will get it.
ps dear captainslog, am trying to read a book on reflective learning. I appreaciate the language we speak but the author basks in her use of showy language "elide elucidated elision" i laughed when i googled eludicated http://www.thefreedictionary.com/elucidated
hahahahahahah

·lu·ci·date
play_w("E0097100")
(-ls-dt)
v. e·lu·ci·dat·ed, e·lu·ci·dat·ing, e·lu·ci·dates
v.tr.
To make clear or plain, especially by explanation; clarify

keep it simple dont show off..
sigh
still new lesson tonight ill keep u posted

it is better to say nothing and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Stardate 26th September
My thoughts on class dwell on the presentation, it didn’t go well I was nervous and under prepared. why was this the case because the hand out describing the task didn’t mention it was a presentation and didn’t indicate it was to be 1o minutes in length had I know this I would still been nervous but I would have researched more.
Also whilst I’m playing oh lonesome me on my violin, everyone else got to work in groups Dan no mates had to tackle the project single handedly, so I lost out in the group discussion elements of the task. I was surprised how uncomfortable I felt talking out of my subject, it’s better to be quiet and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. My teaching has always been of a more practical nature. I am at home showing somebody how to do something. I use hands on approach
Wednesday morning’s lesson went well. Today was the day I made the first stab at introducing the work shop lesson plan. Designed to track the student’s ambitions and progress it relates to their specific projects. I was only asking each learner about their projects and taking notes on paper, but it felt useful. It helped focus not only me but the student on their individual goals.

If you think cutting glass is scary, You should try teaching cutting glass

Stardate Monday September 24th
What is a teacher, well I hope I am one I’m a little late with this entry of my journal due to the fact I scared myself all last week and decided to relax and stop thinking about it for a few days. Last Tuesdays lesson we discussed the qualities and skills a teacher should have, this promoted discussion and seems to have cemented the structure the course appears to be talking i.e.
Steve will introduce a topic which will lead into a general discussion.
Then we are divided up into groups.
We discuss the topic as a group with or without some kind of practical element such as which is the odd one out.
Once the room begins to sound like a pub we are called back to order to discuss our findings as a group
I’m surprised such a simple system works so well promoting social interaction and healthy discussion moves the group along well.
We went on to recap on the previous lesson which served to both remind us what we did and to fill in the late starters on what they missed.
We discussed what constitutes a quality and what constitutes a skill then were set the task to draw one such characteristic as a art school graduate with 6 years training it was only right that I let the nurse push me aside and deride my input but I had fun anyway and despite how it sounds I’m not bitter .

We then did a boundaries task just laying out our roles and responsibilities and what we weren’t expected to do.
Finishing with a legislation task that was cut short by the closure of the library.

Wednesday’s new lesson.

The first lesson can seem hectic I’m constantly aware that new students can find the whole thing scary. I also find myself equally scared, so my tendency is to diffuse the situation with humor. This proves to be a reasonably good approach and somewhat helps to break the ice. If you think it’s scary to try to cut glass for the first time try showing 10 new people how to cut glass for the first time. I find it interesting the different levels of ability learners demonstrate. I try to make the first lesson about cutting class, broken up with some required paperwork(no pun intended)I draw the analogy that learners have use scissors their entire lives and in the first lesson can’t be expected to become as adept instantly. Some students learn fast some learn slowly. I don’t know why it surprises it just does. My job would be easier if they would all learn at the same pace (note to self ask Steve how to make them)
Its crazy how the best laid plans can fall apart because every photocopier in the building can break at the same time, I managed to get it all through in the end but my copier fob ran out also, it’s all sorted now. How can a dedicated photocopier with one purpose in life be so unreliable, to jam and run out and just not do its job? I’m not trained to do so but I seem to be forever pulling it apart and fixing it.

When eating a elephant take one bite at a time.

Star date Monday sept 17
When eating an Elephant take one bite at a time
Omfg there’s so much paperwork here to be read wads of it .I’m trying to wade through it but its flooding in through my eyes and out through my ears do this don’t do this acronyms why can’t anyone just type the damn meaning of the words ,it’s cold and unfriendly .I don’t expect hugs from the course just clarity. Do I need to read it all now, am I better picking through it as required?
I’m worried about the upcoming assignments, my subject is a craft, based the levels of observation and assessment could be a challenge. My learners achieve a great deal on my course .I try to encourage them but as un-accredited course people come because they’re interested in learning a skill, but in general have no desire to gain a qualification .I’m worried if I make the class more academic the class will lose retention. So much paranoia so little time into the course. The teaching is largely one to one the actual speaking to the class as a whole is mercifully little. I’m concerned that unlike a language lesson where question and answer sessions are the meat of the lesson my efforts to aid learners on a one to one basis will seem or be insufficient.

lesson 1 Teaching is like being the host at a party where everyone is sober

Reflective Journal
Star date September 11 2007
Teaching is like being the host at a party where everyone is sober
The first lesson I arrived late, weirdly I arrived early I just had been misinformed about the start date. 9/11 nice start date, seemed to be a bad omen, but then again I don’t believe in that crap however I digress.
The course started with us all designing a t-shirt onto which we drew our interests ,my mind went blank damn I need to invent some cool interests(note to self lie in future abseiling ,extreme ironing p.s surfing is out due to Steves apparent expertise bound to be found out. Seemed an interesting way to get to know a little about each other, seems to help at the very least create some bonds of shared interests (boo hoo I confessed to being as computer nerd I sense impending social isolation
The short treasure hunt was best left unmentioned, maybe a chance to hang with the classmates, lol
Next up the library induction yes I love it I loved it both times I saw it they make it a lively and fun thing. However I’m still faced with a dilemma I looked up stained glass on the online catalogue and as yet they still don’t have any books on the subject, I did order some well I placed an order but as yet they haven’t arrived, so do I have my class inducted or not
Playing on the college computers I looked on the mentioned http://www.intute.ac.uk/ website which had some interesting stained glass links, shame the provided hand out doesn’t appear to have the website address. Took some guess work to find it.
Back to the class room we had a joint task of listing good and bad teaching experiences ah team building skills
Just don’t ask me to catch someone as they fall back am English we don’t do trust
Big piles of paper were thrust my way I seem to be a assignment short. I am sure there was a second one, still it was enough to make my heart pound and my fingers sweat. I wonder if it’s just me freaking from the continual oh you’re doing the teacher training oooh that’s a lot of work that
Sigh