Teaching advice desperately needed

I have been asked to teach 'beginners studio photography' at an FE college's evening classes. I have quite a bit of teaching experience but a graduate BA Level so I dont know what to expect or indeed what the students expectations of me might be. Have any of you attended such a course, I realise of course that everyone around here will have no need of such a low-level thing, but I'd be keen to know what folks experiences for good or bad might have been or, indeed, what any of you think such a course should contain. I start this Wednesday

Ken

Start right at the beginning. Get them setting up lights and then exploring how to arrange the lights. I think the only way to teach this is with practical sessions, then interspersed with more formal presentations on various studio photographers and their work.

Fully agree. Make it practical, but explain what you are doing, and why.

G

The first thing our photo instructor did was sit each student down for a digital portrait, so he could make up a sheet with our faces and names.

on the practical lessons, assign, don't ask for volunteers.....it is good for each person to have to model, for a bunch of different photographers, if only to get an understanding of how it feels to be the subject.

a pre-class lesson on theory, an asignment, time, to work on assignments, then a meeting up to discuss marked work.( with q&a critiques and comments. do not tell the class (make it a rule) who's work is whos during the review process).

I did teaching at evening class for several years until I went to the Philippines to get married ( for the THIRD time - Glutton for Punishment!)in 1995,then on return found I had LOST all the work to a bloke who knew the new Principal-he was IN-I was OUT ! I asked the students how they would like it-would they like 'practical'demos first OR 'theory'notes first- they all opted for the theory first so I went through lots of blackboard notes and slide shows,explaining the workings of cameras,what is exposure, composition, how to do macro etc etc then second term went into practical sessions. It was amazing that when I said 'Bring your cameras to take photos'very many of them didn't turn up when they knew they had actually to USE their cameras!
It's the SAME in my Camera Club- on Practical nights they will just sit around chatting and it's the Devil's Own Job to get them up to TAKE PHOTOS even when I bring all my studio lights or macro gear etc etc for them to use all FREE! Wish I had had all that gear to use when I was a Beginner - I would have appreciated the opportunity!

scientific fact:
Married men live significantly longer than single men.
common knowledge:
Married men are alot more willing to die.

Tell the kids you'll hire a nude model at the end of the emister, if they get thier asignments in on time....lol!

If you want practical advice, Don's your man!

G

Thanks for all the sage advice but sadly I dont think I'll be able to use it.

I turned up for the class and I have never been involved in a more embarrassing fiasco in my life. Having been told I would be teaching an NC Module 'Basic Studio Photography' I spent the weekend planning 12 lessons although at this stage I didn't have any of the paperwork. 30 minutes before the students arrived I got a copy of the 'Unit Descriptor', written in 1989, but was relieved to read that it was much more basic than I had anticipated but great fun - 12 weeks to do a still life and a portrait. The students arrive and it quickly becomes apparent that only three of the fourteen have an slr, I should mention that the aforementioned unit descriptor mentions the use of monorail and field view cameras!

The remainder have either a digi P+S or no camera at all!

I start and quickly realise I'm facing 28 rabbit eyes caught in headlights and seek out the person in charge who gave me the paperwork.

In front of the students she asks 'Who gave you that? This class is basic traditional (film) photography.'

All but two students leave to join beginners digital photography leisure class but it takes ten for a class to be viable.

Wow.
Whoever organized that program should feel embarrassed. Not you.
There is higher education for you....
You should've mentioned "nude model".

I made that mistake just once in my career as an FE lecturer. I carefully planned the courses for a term only to have them all switched. After that it was one or possibly two hops in front of the students as I was forever being switched to other classes as a sort of fire fighter! They knew I could usually manage to swing any class.

I fear this is the way of FE. One of the reasons I got fed up and left (although there may have been some relief when I did go ).

That said teaching adults is very rewarding.

Mike