Liz said "Yes, I know teachers who keep their students going on and on for ages - years sometimes, and I am sure it is just for the money from classes."
But on the other hand......... I have people that I have been teaching in private classes for over twenty years. They started perhaps with Torchon, did Beds, Bucks, Honiton, Milanese as the fancy took them. As they have got older and their eye sight no longer allows them to do the finer lace they have changed to some of the courser ones - Russian, Chrysanthemum, Cantu, bigger scale, more unusual Torchon designs. Add in Christmas decorations, the patterns they bring from lacedays and new books and want help with, the patterns they want to design or adapt and there is plenty of new learning for them. I don't find anything strange in this as I have been learning lace for over thirty years and still feel there is loads out there that I don't know. I don't believe there will ever come a time when I know everything there is to know about bobbin lacemaking, so why shouldn't my students feel the same. When I moved a hundred miles away eleven years ago, I thought I could 'escape' but they were most upset so now I teach two of the classes for longer each session, but just once a month. It is certainly not 'just for the money' as by the time I have paid for my fuel, I am not exactly making a fortune, especially when you add in the four or five hours driving time. I also teach a couple of what were Pat Read's classes, and some of those students were with her for many years and have now been with me for five years. The lace classes can also be an important part of their social life where they meet up with the friends. This is one of the things that my Education Authority students feel very strongly about, that the social side should be taken into account in the big scheme of things when the justification for non-vocational courses expenditure is being discussed, and many of them mention this aspect for their attendance in the paperwork they have to complete asking why they come and what they hope to get out of the class. I agree that some teachers teach very slowly but my students do only as much as they need and want to of any step and if they show good understanding and don't get discouraged at being challenged by a new piece I am happy for them to 'jump' to a much harder piece. I would far prefer for them to do a design they like, even if it means they have to struggle a little with the first few repeats, than for them to be bored with something that doesn't sing to them just because it's 'the next exercise'. I also try to discourage a student doing a mammoth project as their only work with me in class. I am obviously happy to help them start and to become comfortable with the design, to trouble shoot if needed and to finish it off and mount it, but after they don't need my input on it I try to get them to have a smaller but more challenging piece on another pillow for class work. If they can only do a little of that at home between classes until they get stuck or need help it doesn't matter as they can work on their big piece. Jacquie in Lincolnshire (but also teaching in Kent, Surrey and Sussex) - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]
