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.