u cant tell what it is

Stardate 20 feb 08

So much work to do, am somewhat panicked by it all doubting my abilities. The teaching goes fine the academia well its scares me, I don’t know if I’m up to it and the only way to find out is to try. Perhaps even try and fail .Seems I have been filling in the wrong workshop plan form the one without a session review, I thought this was where I reviewed the session and reflected on problems and tried to reason solutions to improve my work, but it seems not. The lessons that I was most worried about was the learners designing their projects, my fear was I would end up doing it all for them. They assume I have some magical design powers as the teacher. I don’t but I have learned to be honest and critical, if its shit I will look at it and think its shit, why is it shit? Haha that’s reflective. It’s important to be honest in viewing you own work. Look at the window u have designed, does it look all squashed up does the elegant pre-Raphaelite woman look like Batman, and friends won’t tell you any of this. They go aww that looks lovely you’re so talented and watch you sink into failure for fear of insulting you’re sensitive artistic nature. As a teacher I have to be able to guide the learners and give an opinion push them forward suggest improvements, but ultimately remember its their project, if the window is going to look like a penis from 3 meters away should I tell them or not? (I didn’t btw bottled it).But getting back to the point the learners I was concerned about, would they draw anything would they learn anything XD they all arrived with near complete designs, which we spent the lesion making some final adjustments to.

Where to draw the line

Stardate wed 6 Feb 08

I should have struck whilst the iron was hot but I left it a while now I have to think back to what I did nearly 2 weeks ago. The lessons went well the classes are getting into the swing of things, with routine a kind of pattern builds. After 3 hard weeks of term they will be glad of the break and all out of the habit again. I have a small problem in that I am due to be inspected the problem is that I’m not entirely sure of the inspection date. I had it in my mind it was to be this coming Wednesday but I have the following week as the date on my phone. Still I don’t suppose it matters I have lesson plans for both and I will work on them but its nice to make a great one for an inspection yes I do that I also drive slow when I see the police so they think I’m a good law abiding citizen. Back to the point, I was pleased with my new learners in the fact they have some ideas and ambitions of what they would like to achieve. Sometimes I wonder why people bother to come having no interest or enthusiasm in the subject, but these 2 have. I liked the opportunity to talk about a good design the learner had made and relate to what we learned the previous week about the characteristics of the glass and discuss the difficulties that would emerge looking at his design. It more valuable to discuss a real project and say what can and can’t be done than to waste time on a fictitious example, I think the other learners benefited from this. The learner seemed to be open to the fact his design would need to be changed or I could have been in trouble. It is important to be flexible with a design and have though through it from a range of different criteria before beginning it as it saves a lot of time later. The evening session proved difficult for all the same reasons learners are prepared to let me do all the work for them as far as drawing a window design .I suppose the learners have mixed expectations of what to expect from a level 2 course and the play of against complexity of design compounding the complexity of construction. There is a lot to get across as far as what they can expect to make. I don’t want to hold ambition back, but I don’t want them to bite of more than they can handle. It’s a difficult balance. A window could take a learner 30 hours to make and me only 5, where to draw the line…..

Gehstalt ,bless u

Star date 30 January 08

The morning class went well, we had new recruits. This is usually good fresh blood. One of them expressed an interest in joining the evening session which is welcome but unlikely as it is more expensive and a few too many weeks in, it’s a real shame. If there was parity he would be in the session that suits him better. I think I’m improving at starting new learners. I have more to say about each part of the initial stages and I feel I explain it better. The pacing of the lessons seems to work more cohesively and I’m able better to mix the different skill levels that attend the sessions. I’m still using the work shop lesson plans these have had an unexpected benefit. Firstly the power of the clip board is not to be underestimated people flinch and cower beneath its enormous sense of authority. Secondly it helps the learners focus their minds on what they actually hope to achieve with the session. I may be over thinking things but the act of walking around with a clipboard means the learners have actually thought what they are going to do before I get around to them. A third thing is it ensures I do get around to everyone so it gives me some focus and mission. I haven’t been assessed yet by the assessors but listening to Kevin talk about the assessment process has at least given me some confidence that the work shop nature of the class won’t count against me in an assessment. I was concerned that the way the sessions work that of me wandering around trouble shooting and helping individually would reflect badly on me that each lesson I should stand and give a long power point presentation about each subtle nuance and aspect of the subject if it’s there or not (prefers to wait for that Gestalt moment of inspiration)