1st Micro teaching reflections

I started my session with my group, John, James, Grace, Jules and Gwen by desperately trying to keep my ball of oil-based ‘monster clay’ warm for my demonstration. I decided to demonstrate a taste of a class I give to the first-year students on tech arts, ‘Foundations of Sculpture and Sculpting the Face’ in which I explain the three key stages of sculpting and end with a demonstration of how to create a human face with clay using just your thumbs. 

I love teaching this class as it’s pure technique, something I find most students are eager to engage in as it’s a tangible experience. During my micro teach I used my trusty American alligator as a reference for my peers, which funnily enough got a good amount of feedback! 

Once I had finished my demonstration my peers engaged in some feedback for me, firstly I received a delightful comparison to ‘Art Attack’ and then close afterward Grace kindly let me know that my style of delivery was very youthful as if my audience were on the younger side say around 16+. I grasped my toy alligator aghast! I’ve received similar critique in the past, I tend to be overly excited and positive in my delivery and language, sincerely because I’m excited to play with clay in an academic setting! 

Once we moved on to my peer’s microteach I realized everybody else had a PowerPoint and a more structured lesson plan, I had shown up with a ball of (barely) warm clay and a toy alligator! I especially enjoyed Jules session, brilliant work combining the PowerPoint format with a tangible interactive 3d scan for us to examine. They packed in so much information, history and even an ethics debate, I really felt this is the way to go looking forward. 

Whilst I enjoyed my more casual and tangible (at least for me) session I think Jules has the right idea, when teaching online the audience need to participate and have something to touch and play with, even if it’s digital. However, how can I do that? My subject is traditional sculpture, I’m very limited in what I can share if I’m not physically present, 

Everything I know how to do is touch-based, I barely know how to 3d sculpt on computer software! I might double down on the art attack approach and do another demonstration next time but really commit to the bit, set up my computer in my studio, wear a red and yellow jumper with pigtails, and really sell the fantasy. It might even come across as a drag act! 

The real line is somewhere in the middle, but next time I want at least a small slideshow demonstrating the real-world application of what I’m demonstrating, and it’s basic history.

The alligator however will be staying. I’m nothing without him