What is the point anyway?
The point of any education – liberal arts or CTE – is to gain the skills to thrive in modern culture. This means you will be able to find a vocation as well as hobbies and interests that will allow you and others to prosper in our widely diverse and complex culture. It is even the hope of many educators as well as myself that today's students will add wonderful things to our world in the future. To do this you, as a student must be introduced to and trained in a wide variety of subjects, skills and ideas.
Students are the reason for everything I do as a teacher. Everything we do in the classroom must have a serve a purpose that the students can find useful both in the class as well as in life in general. If you as a student are not seeing why we do something – ASK me or someone else. I love art and education of all kinds. I love my students. I am a human being doing a live performance. We are, in fact, part of a live performance art project. We communicate. We share our personal insights thought the vehicle of subject matter. To engage in this process with you and watch your success is why I’m here.
Ceramics is the original STEM class – it’s a wonderful blend of Fine Arts and CTE. You will get out of this class what you bring in – so bring in an open mind and the intention to learn. We will learn skills, study ideas, and apply concepts so you can create personal work. Again, and here’s the hard part, personal work does not just mean anything you happen to do – it mean working from knowledge, skills and intention. And it means work - remember your Art Work – is the product of your efforts. Real art doesn’t just happen. It’s intended. It’s skillfully crafted and completed – it’s work.
I want you to understand that real fun happens when a person becomes engaged. This takes effort, it is work. But real fun takes work - too easy is boring. We’re not here in this classroom to be entertained and surviving in the world is not a spectator sport. You got to get out there and do it.
We need to acknowledge, however, that real learning, however, involves risk and fear. We have to give up the notion that we know it all, we have to admit we don’t know something to learn something new. This takes a little courage. It also takes both sides of your brain. Carl Sagan notes our human brain is capable of synthesis - this means we can combine the creative and visual right side of our brain with our analytical and verbal left side. This is when the best human thinking occurs - This what we seek to do in Ceramics. This is making art.
But learning and making art also requires ones intention as well as one attention. That’s something I want us all to be aware of.
I intend and will try to pay attention to creating an environment where we can all thrive, grow and learn. We have to be able to take chances. Making mistakes is not bad. The only thing bad is not trying, not participating.
I ask you to bring your attention to what you intend to learn. With your intention and attention focused on learning you will be successful. Picture yourself doing well - what is it like? Next, think about the obstacles that might stand in your way - will it be better to passively entertain yourself with trivial things or to be actively learning? Actively learning means taking the time to work outside of class too. That means you can work on your websites, watch the instructional videos, review your ceramic notes and plan for what you are going to next. You only have so much time and energy – ask yourself - how do you want to spend it? What do you want the results of this year to be?
Get ‘unplugged’ from your outside life in the art class. Clear away negative thoughts like, “I don’t get it” or “It’s too difficult. I can’t do.” or “this is a waste of time.” Be positive and trust me. This class has meaning, it is important; you will take away skills you learn here into your next adventure. Ask questions - of me, of others - of yourself!
Ceramics is real life learning by doing – but you have to invest your real life into it. It will pay off! Be open to your own success and celebrate it. Find others who also think you’re successful. Being here, working, creating, making art – this is the best part of life!
The point of any education – liberal arts or CTE – is to gain the skills to thrive in modern culture. This means you will be able to find a vocation as well as hobbies and interests that will allow you and others to prosper in our widely diverse and complex culture. It is even the hope of many educators as well as myself that today's students will add wonderful things to our world in the future. To do this you, as a student must be introduced to and trained in a wide variety of subjects, skills and ideas.
Students are the reason for everything I do as a teacher. Everything we do in the classroom must have a serve a purpose that the students can find useful both in the class as well as in life in general. If you as a student are not seeing why we do something – ASK me or someone else. I love art and education of all kinds. I love my students. I am a human being doing a live performance. We are, in fact, part of a live performance art project. We communicate. We share our personal insights thought the vehicle of subject matter. To engage in this process with you and watch your success is why I’m here.
Ceramics is the original STEM class – it’s a wonderful blend of Fine Arts and CTE. You will get out of this class what you bring in – so bring in an open mind and the intention to learn. We will learn skills, study ideas, and apply concepts so you can create personal work. Again, and here’s the hard part, personal work does not just mean anything you happen to do – it mean working from knowledge, skills and intention. And it means work - remember your Art Work – is the product of your efforts. Real art doesn’t just happen. It’s intended. It’s skillfully crafted and completed – it’s work.
I want you to understand that real fun happens when a person becomes engaged. This takes effort, it is work. But real fun takes work - too easy is boring. We’re not here in this classroom to be entertained and surviving in the world is not a spectator sport. You got to get out there and do it.
We need to acknowledge, however, that real learning, however, involves risk and fear. We have to give up the notion that we know it all, we have to admit we don’t know something to learn something new. This takes a little courage. It also takes both sides of your brain. Carl Sagan notes our human brain is capable of synthesis - this means we can combine the creative and visual right side of our brain with our analytical and verbal left side. This is when the best human thinking occurs - This what we seek to do in Ceramics. This is making art.
But learning and making art also requires ones intention as well as one attention. That’s something I want us all to be aware of.
I intend and will try to pay attention to creating an environment where we can all thrive, grow and learn. We have to be able to take chances. Making mistakes is not bad. The only thing bad is not trying, not participating.
I ask you to bring your attention to what you intend to learn. With your intention and attention focused on learning you will be successful. Picture yourself doing well - what is it like? Next, think about the obstacles that might stand in your way - will it be better to passively entertain yourself with trivial things or to be actively learning? Actively learning means taking the time to work outside of class too. That means you can work on your websites, watch the instructional videos, review your ceramic notes and plan for what you are going to next. You only have so much time and energy – ask yourself - how do you want to spend it? What do you want the results of this year to be?
Get ‘unplugged’ from your outside life in the art class. Clear away negative thoughts like, “I don’t get it” or “It’s too difficult. I can’t do.” or “this is a waste of time.” Be positive and trust me. This class has meaning, it is important; you will take away skills you learn here into your next adventure. Ask questions - of me, of others - of yourself!
Ceramics is real life learning by doing – but you have to invest your real life into it. It will pay off! Be open to your own success and celebrate it. Find others who also think you’re successful. Being here, working, creating, making art – this is the best part of life!