> >I would be very interested to know if other tutors have been put through >this ordeal.
I did the Stage 1 C&G 7407 a couple of years ago - having been teaching for 8 years, based on Guiding experience, it was interesting to have confirmed that what I had learned on the hoof was the right way to go about it! I teach privately, and thus had to fund the course myself - I don't actually need to have the qualification, and can't afford to do the Stage 2 at the moment, neither could the tutor whose class I did my teaching practice in spare the hours from her work for me to do the forty hours TP required for Stage 2 had I carried on with the others to take it - as she was doing Stage 2 herself at the time. There were two or three of us on the course who couldn't get our heads round what to do about lesson plans - one of the other two teaches upholstery, the other teaches young offenders, and rarely gets the same students two weeks running, yet alone know in advance what they would be doing! However, discussion led to the agreement that there was no requirement to do lesson plans in this case - you do individual student plans and a schedule of work, and that is acceptable. Assessing the group was another hurdle - but photographs, quizzes, question and answer sessions, etc help - with one student having an actual phobia to tests of any kind (the quiz just about scraped the border line on this, but she managed it!) and another refusing to keep any form of student diary, and being recreational students they couldn't see the need for assessment... but I survived and passed the course. Observation by my tutor was passed on the wow factor (she was used to teaching formally, an accountancy class, not everyone doing something different). The plus point is that we have no problems showing diversification, whereas other types of teaching do! I admit I don't want to teach in the Adult Education system because of the pointless paperwork - I keep the records I need to keep, designed to keep me up to date with what my students can do, and when they did whatever. Sometimes that helps in working out the answer to "how long did this piece take me to make?" and knowing what to suggest for the next pattern to be worked. Feedback is in the chatter, and the fact that they keep coming. In about a month's time I'm taking a group for a weekend at our local adult education residential college - which just happens, if the rumour is correct, to be when they have OFSTED in. I'm not sure if I will be included in the observations or not, but I'm doing lesson plans because this weekend will be one where the group are working on the same projects, except for two absolute beginners I happen to have added to the course! So it breaks down to two plans for each session. Doing them is useful, as it is making me consider what I plan to achieve, and why, and what I need to make sure I take with me. Until I had set out the scheme for the weekend, I couldn't easily have written the list of things I want the group to take with them (eg how many pairs, which threads) - lesson plans have their uses sometimes! Doing it this way means that I have had to book the rooms, and the college will invoice me, but at least it gets a lacemaking course there, and shows that there is still interest (particularly with the beginners - I went on a calligraphy weekend there before Christmas, and the woman sitting next to me was interested in learning, so she and her mother are coming to the course). This last week or so I have written to the local papers concerning the lace day in June (thanks for the mention, Rosemarie!) - our main local paper decided to send out a reporter and photographer (I've had that photographer doing rose ground before now!) to the class to do a piece in advance - and we were all surprised when what we thought would be a small paragraph with one picture ended up two thirds of a page and four colour photos! They made a delightful error - one of the group will be doing a workshop on Plastic Canvas (lavender sachets) at the lace day, and took in some of her work to illustrate the fact.... "I noticed one lady practising a different form of lacemaking, known as plastic canvas..." !!! So I e-mailed the paper asking them to correct this, and repeating the reason why she had taken the pieces in - result, the e- mailed letter, and another photo, in this week's paper. So far, the article has gained me a talk to a group at the local Age Concern Day Centre, and probably a new student.... It is worth advertising lace days early! -- Jane Partridge -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.8.3 - Release Date: 31/01/2005 - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
