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Obstacles That Come Up During a Class

Lesson 24 from: How to Teach a Craft Class

Ashley Nickels

Obstacles That Come Up During a Class

Lesson 24 from: How to Teach a Craft Class

Ashley Nickels

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Lesson Info

24. Obstacles That Come Up During a Class

Lesson Info

Obstacles That Come Up During a Class

We're going to talk about things that are going to come up during your class, okay? Because I want to make sure that everybody is fully prepared for these potential things that are going to come up both with the sort of inner workings of your class in terms of materials, but also interactions with students and sort of difficult questions and comments that might might come up because I know that's something that on our minds is where as we're teaching is, oh, my gosh, I just got stumped by this question, what do I say? Okay? And your workbook, you're going to find a lot of really valuable resource is around this to take with you. So I want to talk a little bit about these these obstacles, and I want you guys to feel prepared for these, okay? And I've given kind of three main categories for these, andi obviously there's other things that might come up with these air, the big ones so difficult students, technical difficulties, right? Because some of us use electricity and lots of differen...

t machinery or equipment, you might have some technical difficulties, and then, of course, what happens when we run out of time or when we go to quickly, okay, which isn't in that category, but I'll discuss that as well, and what I want to go not sure why that popped a party I'm going to talk about difficult students briefly and then we're going to come back to difficult students and things when we talk about question but we're going to call them answers to difficult questions okay, so a difficult student could be somebody who dominates the class okay a difficult student could be a know it all a difficult student could be somebody who is is very sensitive or is kind of an emotional, more emotional student and a difficult student could be an introvert and I want to make sure I'm very clear that I'm not saying that an introverted personality is difficult it just falls under the category of a more of a challenge for the teacher okay, so I want to make sure I'm not saying that a shy student is a difficult student it's just that we I want you guys to think about this type of student in a particular way the rebel who goes totally off script and kind of is doing their own thing during the class and I mentioned this a little earlier you have the russia header as I like to call them and my advice is I've already given it to you but I want you guys to make sure that you are being humble and that you are killing the difficult difficult student with kindness right? So that's going to be the place we're going to approach that situation from first and foremost is try toe approach that situation with kindness first and foremost, okay, and then I'm going to come back to this a little bit later. Are there any questions that come up so far as I'm introducing this? This sort of maybe scary group of students? And I'm not saying that you're going to get every one of these in every class to teach, but you will encounter some somewhat of a variety of these at some point, I almost guarantee can guarantee it. So any questions or comments as we as before we move on, we're going to come back to this. So it's something if something is on your mind, make sure you you you bring it up in a little bit, okay? So I wanted to give very quickly one thing for each of these, just before we move on for the dominator, I would say to kindly cut them off, right if they're dominating during demo time or if they're dominating during question time, you want to kindly cut them off you like, you know, thank you so much for your question I'm just going to stop you right there, I would love it if you would would. You know raise your hand during work time and I'll come over to you you can feel free to cut people off I'm going to stop you right there it's not it's not an offensive thing to do for the know it all I would kindly reiterate that there are many ways to do things right thank you so much bill I love hearing hearing your perspective on what you would do there's so many ways to do this and this in our class we're going to I'm going to show you my way so okay so you're always going to get a little bit of a know it all the sensitive person needs some encouragement right especially the one that's lacking confidence maybe on that day or for a particular reason they need kind encouragement check in on your introverts right if they have if you have a student who hasn't said anything besides their introduction or if you notice that they're not maybe not engaging with other students just checking on them to see how things are going I'm going to give you some more tips later the rebel I would say like wow this is so cool I love what you're doing with this but I want to make sure that you finish our project so why don't you make sure you're doing you know what we're what we're focusing on today just kindly remind them to stay on track and then for the russia header I would kindly remind them that they're part of a class that it's not a one on one, so just, you know, we're going to stay on pace with everybody else. I love how enthusiastic you were, tio be it finished early, but if you could just hold off for the next step, we would all really appreciate that. Are there any anything else that comes to your mind for any of these students were goingto here's some examples in a minute, too. But if there's anything feel free to just jump in and lily too, if there's anything from online? Um okay, so technical oh, difficulties, machinery problems a c heater malfunctions running out of materials, injuries. I'm putting in this category spoiled products. So let's say you on ly brought a certain number of kits and your student destroys their kid and you don't have any more supplies for them, right? Like that? That could happen. Okay, so be patient. Kill the difficult situation with kindness, right? What happens if you walk into the room? You're you're sewing machines were working when you got in there, your class starts and the power goes out. What do you d'oh? Yeah, like let's hope it goes back on, see if you could give them a task while there while you're figuring out exactly that's a really good idea, keep everybody occupied, this especially goes for kids and teens, right? Give them something to do if if there's a bit of a snafu going on, what about this happened to me recently? What if it's freezing cold in your classroom? What could you d'oh could do a warm up exercise you came or yeah, you could do in a jumping jack exercise every ten minutes like they don't know um, I would say I would either myself or sending a helper if there's if you're out of then you figure out if there's a way to turn the a c down slash turn the heating up one of those things right? I would see if you could modify it, knowing that you're not going to please everybody on the temperature in the temperature department, but if it's so overwhelmingly coal or so our own, well, overwhelmingly hot see if there's something you can d'oh running out of materials let's try to avoid that at all costs by bringing extra materials so that we hopefully won't run out of materials, right? But what do you what could you do if you just really you really don't have anything you might have you might have had live it, right? You might have to for me, I would take maybe the one good piece that they did that they do have and try to just work with that so for the rest of the demos they have to use the same piece so they just have to do a smaller demo okay it's not a deal but you can deal with it injuries I would make sure that you know with the venue that you're at kind of understand what the policy is there right so they probably have a first aid kit or you know etcetera or feel free to bring your own band aids or something in case you know and for spoiled products like I said try to avoid spoiling it trying to avoid having not having a backup by bringing an extra kit or two extra kids or three extra kids um and again be patient be patient be patient okay running out of time not finishing project project not getting to a demo I promise this gets easier with with time okay with practice you just have to be humble you really just have to you just have to say look this is oh my gosh could you believe it I did not get to my last demo oh ok if you have your lesson plan you prop this probably won't happen tio ok and you've got your timing down but if I know you have a little bit of a brain melt it happens just be the be humble kill the running out of time with kindness, consensus theme with how I like to deal with these situations. What what is it behind? Above all, we can't be kind to yourself, okay, trying to beat yourself up over messing up, right? We're all human if it happens.

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Ratings and Reviews

Claude Aimée Villeneuve
 

This was a very good class, well prepared and packed with such useful information! I've been teaching various arts and craft classes for over 10 years now and did it sort of instinctively. Ashley gave me the tools I needed to refine my classes and prepare really good classes outlines and how to find venues to teach and pitch my classes. That was awesome and I plan to watch it again and again because there is so much in it! This was a first class presentation! Thank you Ashley! Claude Aimée Villeneuve, Visual artist and teacher

a Creativelive Student
 

I'm not even half way thru the online videos and want to recommend this class to anyone who just needs that extra boost to start their own classes! I like the fact that Ashley suggests that we think from a student perspective to help us to better plan. This class covers many things I have heard before BUT in greater detail. When I hear the 'WHY' of doing things, I'm more likely to follow thru. These videos explain many 'WHYs' (There are many informative sites/classes for this topic but not many people give you 'this is WHY' it should be done this way) Ashley gives the "WHY' and the 'HOW to'. If you want to teach and are mostly ready to teach, take this class and all the gaps will be filled in and you will be ready to go forth and teach your craft!

Barbara Schiffman
 

Great class -- watched live (most of it) and purchased for ongoing review. I've taught many things, including some crafts (decorating gourds, collage, making your own tarot-collages) but I gained new insights, ideas and confidence from Ashley's advice, the students questions and input, and the panel! I recommend this for anyone who wants to teach a class -- craft oriented, personal development, or anything else!

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