Brandon Phillips on wed 4 nov 09
In my first semester ceramics class if you show up and do the assignment
you have a C. If you want an A you'd better come in outside of class and
show me some effort and creativity. I'm not afraid to fail a slacker and
I let them know it. In one semester they get 3 absences with no
penalty...so it they're in sports/extracurricular activities they'd better
plan accordingly, after 3 they lose 2% of their final grade for each
absence. I want them in the studio working. I don't excuse sports...are
you in college to get an education or play sports? Make your choice.
I've found that most students thrive in a demanding atmosphere, they like
the challenge, but there are always a few that can't cut it...they want
the easy A. Not in my class.
Brandon Phillips
www.supportyourlocalpotter.com
> I just finished the first quarter of teaching at Sheridan. I have the
> horrible job of assigning a grade. Want to be the most popular teacher
> on staff? Give straight A's. Want to have a fabulous student teacher
> evaluation? Give straight A's. Want to be the most popular person on
> Clayart" Give straight A's. Tell everyone that they are wonderful and
> their poo doesn't smell. What then becomes of an honest "A"? I have
> tried to include in my evaluation some quantitative criteria- x # of
> bowls, cups, jugs etc, x # of classes missed, class participation,
> clay making, kiln firing etc,etc but when push comes to shove an "A"
> means all of the above as well as good design and craftsmanship (PC is
> craftspersonship- yuck!). An "A"student does it all and does it well
> and then does even more!!!
> I have students that haven't fired a kiln. They never will! They like
> to make work and have others fire it for them. I have students that
> have never made a glaze. They never will! They like it better when
> someone else makes it. I had students that were good but were
> satisfied with good. They were not wanting to be excellent! If you
> give them an "A" they think you think they gave it their all.
> When you doubt you as the teacher would deserve an "A" in your own
> class it makes it hard to hand one out.
> All that said there were some "A's" and well deserved.
> Cheers,
> Tony
> P.S I still like Mel's line "Do you want the praise or the truth?"
>
>
> --
> http://sourcherrypottery.com
> http://smokieclennell.blogspot.com
tony clennell on wed 4 nov 09
I just finished the first quarter of teaching at Sheridan. I have the
horrible job of assigning a grade. Want to be the most popular teacher
on staff? Give straight A's. Want to have a fabulous student teacher
evaluation? Give straight A's. Want to be the most popular person on
Clayart" Give straight A's. Tell everyone that they are wonderful and
their poo doesn't smell. What then becomes of an honest "A"? I have
tried to include in my evaluation some quantitative criteria- x # of
bowls, cups, jugs etc, x # of classes missed, class participation,
clay making, kiln firing etc,etc but when push comes to shove an "A"
means all of the above as well as good design and craftsmanship (PC is
craftspersonship- yuck!). An "A"student does it all and does it well
and then does even more!!!
I have students that haven't fired a kiln. They never will! They like
to make work and have others fire it for them. I have students that
have never made a glaze. They never will! They like it better when
someone else makes it. I had students that were good but were
satisfied with good. They were not wanting to be excellent! If you
give them an "A" they think you think they gave it their all.
When you doubt you as the teacher would deserve an "A" in your own
class it makes it hard to hand one out.
All that said there were some "A's" and well deserved.
Cheers,
Tony
P.S I still like Mel's line "Do you want the praise or the truth?"
--
http://sourcherrypottery.com
http://smokieclennell.blogspot.com
Dana & Chris Trabka on wed 4 nov 09
Tony,
I taught several years at Cal State Fullerton. The first day of class was a=
n
"awakening" for my students. I handed out the sheet on expectations and
grades. My classes were in computer science. A 95%+, B 85%-95%, C 70%-85%,
lower than 70% D. Generally there were 2 to 3 projects (programs); the righ=
t
answer 10%, the documentation 90%. Exams were often adjusted so at least 10=
%
of the students got 95% credit for the exam (an algorithm that squeezed the
bell curve). My statement to the class was I expecting every one to work fo=
r
a B. If you work hard an A is not too difficult.
The first few classes I got a few students who dropped out, deciding it was
too much work to get a "good" grade. Starting with my second year, my
classes were closed at the beginning of the first week and I had 3 to 5
petition slips to sign allowing students into a full class. Did my students
have to work, YES. Did they appreciate the rewards, YES. I had many student=
s
come to me later and thank me for showing them the difference between
getting the answer and solving the problem.
Chris
William & Susan Schran User on thu 5 nov 09
On 11/4/09 6:35 PM, "tony clennell" wrote:
> I just finished the first quarter of teaching at Sheridan. I have the
> horrible job of assigning a grade.
Tony,
Have dealt with this for 32+ years.
I don't know if I have it easier or tougher.
You teach at Sheridan, lots of art majors.
I teach at a community college, many students without a clue.
I have taught drawing, basic design and painting.
Now it's all ceramics, though I will teach drawing again this next summer.
Many students that don't realize they're not in high school anymore.
These are the most fun.
The lights in their heads haven't come on yet.
I get to feed them some electricity.
I get to see the joy of learning.
My students receive a grading guideline page in their syllabus.
Spells out my expectations to earn grades.
I demand full, active participation in all studio activities.
I give A's to entire classes - when they earn it.
End of semester they are required to write a self evaluation.
They may include grade they believe they earned.
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
Fred Parker on thu 5 nov 09
Hey Tony:
I guess this "cheap 'a'" business has gone on since the beginning of
education -- or "indoctrination" depending on how one views it. This is =
=3D
one
branch of the root of crappy customer service, overpaid underperformers a=
=3D
nd
a general malaise in the Quality Department of our contemporary life.
I have long believed "education" is not the raison d'etre for most
"educational" institutions. Like the DMV, most have simply become large
employers whose mission is providing X jobs in the community. Students a=
=3D
re
fodder. Education is a neat, warmfuzzy name for it all -- like "service"=
=3D
in
"public service."
Everyone knows a "college graduate" who might be, but really isn't, if yo=
=3D
u
get my drift. A few years ago when my daughter went away to college at t=
=3D
he
University of Georgia I was incredulous when she came home and told me th=
=3D
ey
actually had remedial reading courses for students who were illiterate. =
=3D
I
believe they finally stopped that, but while it lasted it did nothing
positive for the image of college education.
I hope you stick to your objective guns and call it the way you see it.=3D2=
0=3D
Education should mean something! A damn "A" SHOULD be hard to get! A Tr=
=3D
uth
is that everybody is not equal regardless how much the PC crowd would lik=
=3D
e
to say otherwise. In my opinion a professor or teacher who does not
recognize this does a disservice across the board -- to everyone. There'=
=3D
s a
lot of non-artsy-fartsy responsibility in ceramics. It's not all about t=
=3D
he
bullshit in artists' statements. Glaze mixing and firing are only two of=
=3D
many, MANY examples.=3D20
That's how I see it...
Fred Parker=3D20=3D20=3D20
On Wed, 4 Nov 2009 18:35:36 -0500, tony clennell =3D
>
wrote:
>SNIP
>P.S I still like Mel's line "Do you want the praise or the truth?"
>
Lee Love on thu 5 nov 09
Could it be possible that the university system of grading is not
suitable for teaching craft?
During my apprenticeship, even after the pots were good
enough, the master thrower would not accept them for a period of time.
You had to keep making work over a period of time, before it could
be accepted as the Master's work. They were either acceptable or not
acceptable. A pass/fail system.
--
Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97tha=
t is, "T=3D
he
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
Purplelama Earthlink on thu 5 nov 09
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to study pottery at El Camino
College in Torrance, CA with Neil Moss. he gave us a syllabus at the
beginning of the semester with his expectations, including sizes and
types of pots, experiments, reviews of pottery exhibitions, etc. We
were also expected to participate in the major clean-up of the studio
at the end of the semester. When it came to our pots, he gave frequent
critiques throughout the semester. He would explain why he gave the
grade he did (like b bumps-if the interior of the bowl had a bump, the
grade was a maximum of a b. However, if you were not satisfied with
your grade, you could make another (and another and another) until it
reached the level Neil expected for the grade you wanted. The
critiques were a good way to learn what makes a good pot.
Shula
Desert Hot Springs, CA
Www.claymystique.etsy.com
Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 5, 2009, at 8:41 AM, William & Susan Schran User
wrote:
> On 11/4/09 6:35 PM, "tony clennell" wrote:
>
>> I just finished the first quarter of teaching at Sheridan. I have the
>> horrible job of assigning a grade.
>
> Tony,
> Have dealt with this for 32+ years.
> I don't know if I have it easier or tougher.
> You teach at Sheridan, lots of art majors.
> I teach at a community college, many students without a clue.
>
> I have taught drawing, basic design and painting.
> Now it's all ceramics, though I will teach drawing again this next
> summer.
>
> Many students that don't realize they're not in high school anymore.
> These are the most fun.
> The lights in their heads haven't come on yet.
> I get to feed them some electricity.
> I get to see the joy of learning.
>
> My students receive a grading guideline page in their syllabus.
> Spells out my expectations to earn grades.
> I demand full, active participation in all studio activities.
> I give A's to entire classes - when they earn it.
>
> End of semester they are required to write a self evaluation.
> They may include grade they believe they earned.
>
> Bill
>
> --
> William "Bill" Schran
> wschran@cox.net
> wschran@nvcc.edu
> http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
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