The first step in teaching is to know your subject well, which is absolutely obvious. The artists who are sought out as teachers possess lots of talent and much-admired skills and techniques. Everyone I have talked with was well satisfied with the expertise of the teacher in regard to polymer clay, but some were less satisfied with the teaching techniques. More experienced clay artists are able to absorb new information and techniques in spite of less-than-ideal teaching, but the less experienced deserve a good learning experience also. If you are being paid to teach, being a renowned, award-winning artist is not an excuse for neglecting your teaching skills.

Polymer clay artists have strong opinions regarding the clay each likes most to use! Some have equally strong opinions about using a clay they are not used to. (This is not news to anyone, I'm sure!) The well-prepared teacher would try his/her lesson in various clays to see which clays work. If only one clay will work, the teacher can then state those results in the class description, and participants won't set themselves up for failure by using a favorite clay that is inappropriate for the techniques being taught.

A teacher needs to recognize that every individual has a preferred mode of learning, although most of us use a combination. Since the primary ways people learn are by seeing, hearing, and doing, the well-prepared teacher will have written materials to hand out, techniques to demonstrate, and will allow enough time for the students to work with the technique to the point of understanding, if not mastery.

I understand that some teachers do not like to pass out written materials because others may use them to teach their own classes. This is unfortunate, but it can be handled easily by copyrighting the materials and having a frank discussion before the class explaining that while anyone has the right to teach others, everyone has the obligation to develop their own teaching materials! In reality, learning stems from original ideas and experimenting plus adapting what we have learned from others. In my opinion, an original idea is a building block for oneself and others; it is limited only when hoarded.

Individuals work at different speeds and come to class with different levels of experience and confidence. An overview of the project at the beginning of class helps to solve the problem of some finishing more quickly and then sitting idle, waiting for the next step. With the overview as a foundation, various steps in the process can be demonstrated during class time; those who need instruction on a particular step will pay close attention while those who don't can keep working.

Time allocation must be addressed. It is disappointing for the student to believe that a project can be completed in class time, only to leave with something half finished and a somewhat sketchy idea of how to finish it alone. It is better to have a little time left over than to run out of time and not finish the instruction adequately.

Sometimes classes are allowed to be too large relative to space and availability of ovens. Teachers need to make their needs known when the class is scheduled, and to check before class that these needs have been met.

Students have the right to know at the beginning of class if the class description and objectives have been changed. If the teacher and the person responsible for the site are not the same, they have the responsibility to work together to provide what the student is paying for.

Teaching is a learning experience too. Have confidence in your ability to do it better with more practice. The old saying "Practice makes perfect" is a myth. Every one of us has room to improve! If one teaches, one must be tough enough to absorb criticism, even if it isn't the positive type, and to move on and grow.

When you are teaching a technique that you use with ease, keep in mind that to the student it may be completely new. If you have never taught before, it might be wise to "practice teach" with a friendly individual so you can iron out any difficulties before taking on a whole class. Things that are obvious to the teacher may not be so to the student, because when we know how to do something well, we make cognitive leaps from one point to another, assuming that others know what comes in between.

Students are paying for your time and expertise. Good preparation stands out and enhances your reputation. If students have to stop working and come to you with questions, they are not making the best use of class time and instruction. One of the neatest and most efficient methods I observed at Ravensdale 2000 was used by Sarah Shriver. After demonstrating, she would ask, "Who wants my help? OK, (pointing) you are number one, number two " etc. Then she proceeded to each in turn and everyone respected her time with that person, knowing that his or her own turn was coming. Individuals continued working while waiting, which resulted in less "down time." One-on-one help also allows less experienced students to ask questions whose answers, they fear, everybody else already knows.

Besides imparting knowledge and techniques, another primary objective of a good teacher is to help each student to feel successful and eager to learn more. Again, the teacher must recognize and accept the differences of experience and confidence of the learners. In some classes this could be a very wide range! Some will require more help than others to learn a technique, and others are satisfied with just enough support and encouragement to assure them that they are making progress. When time allows, some generous teachers have been known to provide extra help after class. Students should keep in mind that they are being given a "gift" as the teacher is then working without pay!

It would be beneficial to reserve some time near the end of class for everyone to brainstorm ideas on how this technique or process might be used. Brainstorming is a technique where everyone throws out ideas as they come to mind and there is no judgment made as to how good or bad an idea may be. This helps learners to free their ideas and be more creative, and to ignite ideas in the brains of others. There is no risk in giving away your "great idea" as so many things are said that no one takes possession of only one idea. Even if they did, each would see it differently in their mind's eye. It also helps those who are not in the practice of pushing the parameters of their own creativity.

Everyone has creative ideas! People that are seen as "so creative" are those that have given themselves permission to risk trying new things. These people look at things and ask themselves, "How else might I use this? What might I change about this? What if I did this or that or put it together with something else?" and so on. It doesn't matter if an idea fails; just remind yourself of your past successes and consider the failure a learning experience. Once you know that one thing doesn't work, you can get on with trying others. Furthermore, if it does work, keep in mind that there are always other possibilities as well.

Finally, learning at this level is not a "cut and paste, and everyone make the same thing" project! A short discussion of the importance of using your new learning in a unique way is important. Techniques and processes are taught so that others may use them, but the unique products of the instructor are not to be copied. It should be emphasized that the nature of learning is to both experiment and to get knowledge from others and then determine how it is useful to you and how it fits into your personal view of what you are trying to create.

Teachers are successful when their students leave class eager to learn more, to try new things, and with faith that they are growing.

Lee Radtke is a former President of the NPCG