Although I personally agree with the general concensus that a workshop is a 
one-off unit of learning and a class is a regular commitment, when I was doing 
my teacher training I encountered another definition.

>From the early days of the course (here used as the total learning I had to 
do, split into weekly classes <g>) although I happily went along with the 
concept of lesson planning and record keeping I would occasionally stick my head 
above the parapet and say that I had trouble seeing quite how this would fit 
into the type of teaching I did.  My tutors had considerable difficulty believing 
that I had 12 students of very mixed ability, all doing completely different 
pieces of work and all with their own personal goals and with no desire at all 
for a paper qualification at the end of the year.

After my first observed teaching session my tutor approached me with a big 
grin on his face and said "If you'd told us you taught a *workshop-style class*  
then we would have understood!"   I used that magical term through the next 
two years, two more advanced teaching courses and two more sets of tutors and 
they apparently all understood completely.

As far as homework goes, I always make sure that at the end of class the 
students know enough to be able to continue at home.  I often suggest that if they 
can get at least *that far* by the next class then we can do the next bit of 
learning, but if life gets in the way or they choose not to, well..........  

And when I teach a workshop I don't mind if people finish in class or not 
(although it is always very exciting if they do) but I mind very much if I think 
someone may not have got the knowledge and understanding to be able to finish 
it without me there.

Jacquie

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