Lesson 24

The Art of Teaching

Rick Jenkins directed the Boise Community art program for 36 years. Semi-retired, he still teaches pottery classes.
Two Essential Ingredients for Teachers of Anything:

1) A passion to see others unlocked in their potential.

2) Curiosity to learn new things yourself.

If you oversee someone who is not doing a good job teaching, DO speak with them. Help them find the following:

A clear objective. Ask them about their curriculum; ask what principles they want to get across.

Ways to make it fun. Insist that they figure out ways to jazz it up, especially if the material can be dry or academic.

There is a fine balance between giving a student the space to figure things out for themselves, and helping them.
The relationship between being an artist and being a teacher: Rick continually explores and grows in both vocations.

Setting Up a Class, Course, or Program

Set your course objectives, yet give creative freedom (do a demo for students to watch, but dont make them copy it).
Build a good program using good instructors. Be flexible even if you have no facility: use other rooms; art cart;
playground programs. (Vision > culture > structure) You can do a lot with very few resources!
Remember: A good artist and nice person is not necessarily a good teacher!

Jessies story of asking a nice artist to teach for VineArts: When she realized her mistake, Jessie took the blame
for not conveying their unique ministry needs to the teacher; So here are your choices: Well either make it an
[artists name] class outside of the umbrella of this ministry, or we can train you in how to minister.

Collect student feedback: What can we do better? Take the last 10 minutes of every course to give a standard
feedback form. Its valuable for all your classes! Having a documented paper trail is also helpful in talking to
teachers who are not thriving: I see this other thing in you, lets try placing you in a different position.

The benefits of team-teaching: A fast track to becoming a better teacher! Attend workshops, watch tutorials, learn.

Lesson 24

The Art of Teaching

Some Ways to Connect with Students

Make it fun!

Find something good in every work of art! Dont be dishonest, but do look for something to admire. (Hint: I suggest memorizing the 6 Elements and 7 Principles of Design from our past lesson; its hugely handy in being able
to talk about anyones art in an honest, thoughtful, and very affirming way!)

Connect with outside current or cultural events (Ricks Art Olympics while the Olympic games were going on).

Introduce a student to a relevant artist from art history.

Comment on what is unique about a particular students approach, and/or offer a direction to explore next.

The Reason for Teaching

Remember, people go to class for a reason. If youre not actively shaping an activity or introducing a new thing, they
could have stayed home. Do the stuff first yourself until you know it. The best way to learn anything is to teach.
Jessies advice about having confidence:

Act confident and cheerful, as if you know the activity were going to do next. Be in control of your time together.

Dont act like you know everything about art; be humble, teachable. Ask your students to share what they know.

Rick, on having courage:

We were all beginners at one time! Tell stories about when you first started. Sometimes, one of my better demos is
when it fails! Im on the potters wheel, and it fails, and everybody claps, like Yay! You know, he screws up too! And
hey, thats part of the deal. Dont take yourself too seriously!
Say to a student: You know, I really want to explore this type of glaze. Do you want to explore it with me? How
about we explore it together, as a class? Explore, research and test it together as a class. Everyone can share what
we learned together at the end.

Courage is the ability to do something that frightens you.

En courage ment is bestowing that courage to someone else.

K E E P LE A RN IN G! K E E P T E ACH IN G!

Next page: A sample VineArts Workshop Evaluation Form (give to students to fill out); feel free to copy!

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