THE ART OF THE TEACH!

ON TEACHING WORKSHOPS!

WHEN I FIRST CAME TO CANADA TO TEACH IN 1968, I HAD NEVER HEARD OF INTENSIVE WEEKEND WORKSHOPS GIVEN BY VERY EXPERIENCED ARTISTS OR MASTER CRAFTSMEN. THEY DIDN'T EXIST IN ENGLAND AT THAT TIME, NEARLY 50 YEARS AGO. THE SCHOOL THAT I CAME TO  WAS CENTRAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL, IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO.  IT WAS ALSO THE HOST VENUE FOR WEEKEND WORKSHOPS ORGANIZED BY THE CANADIAN GUILD OF POTTERS. I FOUND THIS FORM OF TEACHING TO BE VERY STIMULATING. IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG BEFORE I STARTED BEING ASKED TO BE A PRESENTER.  WITH MY EARLY PERSONAL HISTORY IN THE THEATER BUSINESS, IT WAS A NATURAL FIT THAT TOOK ME TO MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD.

IN SEVENTY YEARS OF WORKING WITH CLAY, I ONLY TAUGHT FULL-TIME FOR FIVE YEARS, TWO AT CENTRAL, AND THEN THREE AT GEORGIAN COLLEGE, BARRIE, WHERE I SET UP THE CERAMICS AND GLASS PROGRAM DESIGNED TO TRAIN STUDENTS TO BECOME SELF-EMPLOYED STUDIO POTTERS.  AFTER  THREE MORE YEARS TEACHING, I HAD HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH ADMINISTRIVIA TO LAST A LIFETIME! I WAS MAKING A LARGER INCOME FROM MY PART-TIME STUDIO WORK THAN. AS A FULL-TIME TEACHER. AND KNEW THAT I WOULD GAIN 30 HOURS PER WEEK IF I QUIT TEACHING. I WAS ALWAYS A GREAT BELIEVER IN CALCULATED RISK-TAKING IN CONCERT WITH CONFIDENCE WITH ONE'S WORK. SO I QUIT TEACHING AND WENT BACK TO MY STUDIO FULL-TIME WITH FOUR ASSISTANTS. IN CONJUNCTION WITH WORKSHOPS. FOR ME, IT WAS A VERY  NICE MARRIAGE.

I WORKED OUT SEVERAL COURSE OUTLINES AND GAVE THE VARIOUS GROUPS CHOICE OF CONTENT FROM A WIDE RANGE OF POSSIBLES. I'VE ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD THE POWER OF HUMOR IN LIFE AND LEARNING SO I DEVELOPED A NUMBER OF SUBLIMINAL TEE-SHIRTS WITH HUMOROUS MESSAGES TO SET THE MOOD.  A TWO-DAY WORKSOP HAS  FOUR SHIRTS.  THE FOURTH IS DOUBLE SIDED, AND IS WORN WHEN I AM GETTING TIRED IN THE LAST QUARTER.

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PART 1 - THROW NAKED!  FIRST MORNING.

Not what you might think!  This particularly refers to the multi-directional mind that many  people, mainly women,  have as a fact of life. The brain is compartmentalized to cope with the needs of society and family life and severely limits the power of FOCUS. IN "THROW NAKED", YOU LEAVE ALL YOUR INTERFERING THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS AT THE DOOR AND CONCENTRATE FULLY ON THE CERAMIC JOB IN HAND. IT USUALLY SPEEDS UP LEARNING BY ABOUT 50% WITH WOMEN AND 20% WITH MEN WHO, BECAUSE OF THE TRADITIONAL, UNI-DIRECTIONAL, ROLES THAT MEN PLAY, HAVE A MUCH EASIER TIME OF FOCUSSING.

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PART TWO - THINK BIG! - FIRST AFTERNOON!

THIS IS ABOUT INCREASED SIZE IN THROWING.  I BOUGHT THIS SHIRT IN A "THINK BIG STORE" ON BALTIMORE HARBOR,  SHORTLY BEFORE GOING TO CHINA IN 1990. I HAD BEEN INVITED THERE BY THE CHINESE ADMINISTRATION AS A SPECIALIST IN SLIPWARE DECORATION PROCESSES TO TEACH METHODS OF  WORKING  THAT HAD BEEN LOST DUE TO THE BARBARISM OF THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION. PARTS OF CHINA HAVE VERY STRONG SLIPWARE TRADTIONS THERE WAS A SMALL GROUP OF  TEACHERS FROM THE US, WITH ME BEING THE TOKEN CANADIAN. AS SPECIAL INVITED GUESTS, WE WERE TREATED TO THREE BANQUETS PER DAY FOR 21 DAYS, BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER, EACH ASSISTED WITH THREE LITER BOTTLES OF GREAT BEER THAT WE WERE EXPECTED TO CONSUME. IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES I NORMALLY DO WHAT I'M TOLD,  AT THE END OF THE VISIT  I HAD GAINED 21 POUNDS THAT I STILL HAVEN'T MANAGED TO COMPLETELY LOSE.  SO I HAD MYSELF MADE A NEW SHIRT TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM -" THINK TALL"

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PART 3 -- "THINK TALL " -- SECOND MORNING.

THIS SHIRT IS SUPPOSED TO THIN ME OUT AND MAKE BOTH ME AND MY THROWING TALLER. IT DIDN'T DO MUCH FOR MY PERSONAL STATURE, BUT DEFINITELY HELPED WITH TALLER WORKS IN CLAY.

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PART FOUR - SECOND AFTERNOON

DOUBLE-SIDED TEE SHIRT!

BY THE LAST AFTERNOON OF THE WORKSHOP MANY DIFFERENT PROCESSES HAVE BEEN  DONE DURING THE                                               DEMONSTRATION AND ALL THE PIECES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. DEPENDING ON THE CONTENT OF THE WORKSHOP,  THERE ARE NORMALLY ABOUT 30  EXAMPLES OF AGATE WARE OR COLORED CLAY, BRUSHWORK,  SLIPWARE, ETC, FINISHED AND READY FOR FIRING.  BY THIS TIME I'M JUST ABOUT COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED.  IF PEOPLE HAVE  FURTHER QUESTIONS I WARN THEM THAT I WILL JUST POINT TO THE FRONT OR BACK OF THE SHIRT FOR THE ANSWER!

I HAVE NOW  FINISHED MY CAREER OF DOING WORKSHOPS.  I WAS HOPING TO DO A FURTHER 11 DURING THE NEXT 2 YEARS TO MAKE A LIFETIME GOAL OF 200 WORKSHOPS.  UNFORTUNATELY I BURNED OUT AT 189 IN OCTOBER 2111. MY DOCTOR TOLD ME I HAVE TO QUIT OR RISK FURTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS.NEVER BEING ONE TO SIT ON MY  BACKSIDE AND TWIDDLE  MY THUMBS, I TOOK TO WRITING A BLOG INSTEAD TO KEEP MY BRAIN STILL FUNCTIONING. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT RIDE!  THANKS FOR HELPING ME IN RE-LIVING IT

ONE OF THESE DAYS I'M GOING TO BUY A NEW TRUMPET OR FLUEGEL HORN.  I REALLY MISS THE VALVES ON THIS U.S. ARMY ISSUE BUGLE.  ANYONE HAVE AN INSTRUMENT YOU WANT TO SELL OR OTHERWISE DISPOSE OF?

SEE YOU SOON WHEN MY ENERGIES RETURN LATER THIS WEEK, OR EARLY NEXT WEEK.

BEST WISHES, RH.

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