Monday, November 23, 2015

5 Teaching Mistakes I've Made


I've been teaching art and jewelry classes for a while now and I've learned a few things that you can now avoid as you're getting ready to start teaching.

1) Calendar Planning Skills-Double check your calendar before you commit to anything. I've been guilty of saying yes before I checked what else might be going on that day.  This led to booking a class on Super Bowl Sunday and double booking myself with two classes scheduled at the same time. It helps to have a calendar you can access anytime, anywhere like Google Calendar or the Calendar on your phone.

2) Setting it and forgetting it. This happens when you book a class and then neglect to properly market and promote it. ALL classes need to be promoted, no matter how famous you get or how large of a following. If people don't know you're having a class, they're less likely to show up.

3) Not planning enough material for the times when students move quickly.  Sometimes you get a group that surprises you and flies through in record time.  Be prepared for this with extra add-ons so that you're keeping people challenged for the duration of your time together.

4) Time Zone Changes. I recently set up a Skype class and neglected to consider the time zone change.  This resulted in me showing up for class 2 hours early.  Make sure you're studying your time zones prior to booking.

5) Giving way too many choices or way too much information that results in overwhelming your students. I love giving people choice and lots of good information, but when I bring too many fun beads and materials, the students get too caught up in trying to decide and it can cause frustration. This is also true with bombarding people with too much information all at once.  Break it down into easily digestible pieces.  Clean and uncomplicated.

Whenever we're beginning something new, we're going to make mistakes and learn from them.  I've worked to correct these things and continue to grow and evolve as a teacher and so will you. If you're already teaching, If you're already teaching, leave a comment below and tell us where things didn't go exactly according to plan.

ps: If you're looking to learn some basic jewelry making skills, I've just recently added 2 project classes that you can find more information on here.