123 Days, Day 7 - Class Preparation

I am so excited because I just realized that 3 days make all the difference. It is now Sunday, but this past Thursday, I was told that not 1, but, ALL of my classes that I was going to teach at Midlands Technical College in Columbia, SC have been canceled for lack of people signing up! I am an Adjunct Instructor, and a Painter, and if there are No Classes or Sales, there is obviously No Income! So, I thought, how do I make that $100 a day that I need to pay my bills and survive? And, it dawned on me...hmmm...wonder if the students that DID sign up still want to take classes. So, I scrambled, and called and emailed those people. Now I have 6 students this week at my house and my Studio at Tapp's Arts Center in Columbia, SC. Again, SO EXCITED, and Thankful!

I love teaching Painting and Calligraphy Classes because it never fails: I always learn something from my students--probably far more than I teach them. I have the smartest, most capable students in the world--Really! So far, I have taught people from all walks of life including Business Executives, Teachers, Professors, Moms and Dads, a Federal Judge, Cooks, an Olympic Gold Medalist, a Veterinarian, Therapists, Nurses, Engineers, Librarians, Architects, other Artists, Art Teachers, and More...  Therefore, I have learned to PAY ATTENTION and LISTEN to what they say to me. Because, almost everyone has something to teach us.

One of the most useful things that I've ever learned as a teacher was from a student named Natalie. I have always been "organizationally challenged". And, I noticed that Natalie had it all together. This may seem simple to some people, but she had a Notebook with Sheet Protectors. And, she put every single handout and photographic copy and even the Art in these Sheet Protectors., She kept them in order so that she could see what she had done week by week--and actually find things when she was looking for them. What a novel idea! No other student to this day has been that organized, but hopefully there will be more soon because now I actually put My Handouts in Sheet Protectors, and I can actually FIND THINGS when I teach, being an example to others because of Natalie.

Page Protectors on Classroom Handouts and Demos

So the moral of the story today is, a lot can change in 3 days. So, be Slow to React, Be Open to a Solution, Take Action if Needed, Do the Little Things to Be Prepared, and Realize that you Can Learn Something from Everyone. So, Pay Attention and Listen!  

Becoming Prolific,

Barbie