It seems that there is a certain misunderstanding by a small percentage of people about the role of a teacher, teaching a hands on skill.
There is a certain percentage of adults who assume that *because* they are 'adult' they can instantly acquire the physical skills required to do a task that requires...patience? development of skill? That *because* they are 'adult' they don't get to be...imperfect...when they set out to acquire a skill. Or something.
This is not new. I've been teaching weaving for over 40 years and inevitably someone in the class would insist that if I only told them what to do they would be able to do it perfectly. In spite of my telling people that I give myself seven warps to learn a new process, or incorporate a new tool into my practice.
And yes, 40+ years of weaving and I STILL ALLOW SEVEN WARPS TO LEARN A NEW WEAVING SKILL.
Some people express amazement that after all those years I still learn new things. Honestly? It was what drew me to weaving in the first place - that I could weave for the rest of my life and still learn new stuff.
When I explain that how many epi might be required will depend on a variety of factors, I still get people asking me 'what epi should I use?' 'Tell me what to do so I can be perfect.'
People are not used to thinking for themselves, in large part. They want definitive answers to questions that don't have any.
Like life, really.
Adult students can be a joy, but they can also be a challenge. Some people have never had to struggle to acquire a skill, and it shows.
Some use very abusive language as they self-talk. In one instance someone, who had introduced themselves as an art teacher, constantly talked to themselves in very negative terms. "That sucks! How can you be so stupid!" And so on. I wasn't the instructor in that class, merely sitting behind them, and finally I couldn't stand the negativity anymore. "Are you an art teacher?" (startled look) "Yes". "Do you talk to your students that way?" "What?!" "I said, do you talk to your students the way you are talking to yourself?" (shocked expression) "NO!" "Then why are you talking to yourself that way?"
The demeaning self talk may have been silenced, which meant the rest of the class proceeded much more peacefully for those around that student, but it seemed that, as an adult, they weren't cutting themselves any slack. Neither were they doing themselves - or those around them! - any favours, not allowing for the natural flow of learning to bring knowledge from their experiences,.
So it is with other students who expect me to give them the golden key to unlock the secrets of how to be perfect.
Honey, I ain't perfect! All I am is someone who is willing to explore and yes, make mistakes, AND LEARN FROM THEM. Even if that lesson is 'well, I won't do that again!'
My observations about this are not unique. Just this morning another experienced teacher commented on the very same thing. How adult students want to be perfect first time they try something.
I do my best (as do most good teachers) to explain what the student needs to do and then watch them struggle. Because they need the time and space to acquire the skills into their own experience. If they struggle with one aspect, I will do a demo just for them, pointing out hand position, explain in a slowed down demo how to do the motion (especially the threading), point out what they are doing 'right', suggest they try a different position, or encourage them to keep trying, using the 'proper' position.
But most of all - I give them the space to acquire the knowledge.
For those few who insist that in my classes all I do is tell them to read the manual, or fail to tell them what to do?
I'm sorry you feel I failed you. But I cannot open my brain box and dump what I know into yours. I did the best I could to organize my thoughts and put them into readable form in The Intentional Weaver. But that is only the beginning. The student must do the work to acquire the skills. I cannot hand my experience to them. They must do the work of learning.
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1 comment:
As we know 10000 hours to become an expert is no fallacy! My daughter calls these non thinkers brain sucking vampires. I have been an adult tutor for over 30 years and still get beginners who are surprised they cant produce consistent spun yarn within an hour of sitting at the wheel. I tell them it isn't patience or natural talent but years of hard work and trial and error, questioning everything I do and analysing every movement I make. When they say "Do you have to make it look so easy" I say no I can make it look really hard and produce rubbish but you wouldn't want to pay me. I get paid to speed up the learning process not to pour a lifetime of experience into your brain so you don't need to think.
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