[Thomp]

Ken & bob,

Since my last post on this i been on michaels website they have a message board and on there a woman posted a yahoo group of michaels instructors , i joined in and have been reading on their internal problems,

most of it is WAAH & Whine, and spoiled people wanting to have it all given to them, and then be paid for it. as well.
michaels pays 2 hours for you so prepare for the class, some say they wernt getting paid and its hard to get the managers (EC)to help them with stock materials and tools.

nothing was mentioned about where these folks are but im sure its not in this town..

i dont want to get tied up in other folks problems to make an impression on this subject for that's the worst way to enter an endeavor, half cocked in the wrong direction, but somethings going on there,

some went on to the advertisement of there own classes in the news papers on their own, printing up hand bills and such,
...

Kenny,
(i stated Something like ricks snowman, as an example in simplicity)
and i surely know enough to ask before i was to use a tutorial, rick has became quite a friendly feller, i cant say friend, but he outs up with my constant stupid questions, and accomodates me when i buy supplies, i surely wouldn't do anything to compromise his trust and friendship...

i think a minimum of a 2 hour class would be necessary to begin with, if they brought or bought new knives it would take at least an hour to get them all ready to carve with, of course i could bring my 8 inch water grinder and 1" belt sander....to stave off all that wasted time,

Bob, as in the service we all taught the younger replacements the trade, i was training NCO for 3 years which was just coordination between the need for training, the supervisor, and arranging who got the training when, as well as keeping up with the records,
some on hand training amongst the supervisors on regulation changes and record keeping, and some skill level tasking inspections.

but it was never classroom environment.

carving soap and wax was mentioned, well i never did make anything out of soap its too brittle.

ill get with the folks at michaels and see what is involved in their classes, and how their system works, heck who knows this might be a way for me to get a carving club started around here, we got the interest, i cant carve at the doctors office with my little cigar box of tools anymore folks introduce themselves as soon as they see what im doing, and and i got to stop to talk.....

so there is an interest here, and michaels might be the place for us to get started... $10.00 a meeting wouldn't be too much to pay for membership and it would give a meeting place habitable with electricity...

this is mostly ramblings at the present
I do appreciate all the info and suggestions,
i just guess ill have to learn more about the administrative side of it.

i dont think it will be a quick and easy thing, the 90% will be earned it looks like. before and after the classes.


mark you posted some great ideas, think ill print out this forum for reference in ideas for a plan... and thanks for the confidence you have in me... I'm getting to think the public speaking will be the easiest thing this class will involve....

thanks again all.....

[squbrigg]

Thomp ..... Congratulations son, go for it. You will enjoy the experience, and I am sure the students will.

It sounds like others have covered the usual bases for you and you have considered them, good advice. All I can offer is for you to be yourself! Relax and enjoy the sessions. Prepare what you are going to cover on a single sheet of paper before you go, just a list of points you want to make: safety, sharpening, wood, grain, stop cuts....or whatever, just to have as a reminder so you don't forget in the heat of the class. Keep it by you and review it before you let them go.

Beginners are great, full of enthusiasm and willing to learn. Give them plenty of time for questions once you get rolling. You're going to do fine, just think of them as a classroom full of friends you want to share your skills with and soon they will be.

Bob

Bob

[Claude]

Thomas:
You've gotten some good advice here. Just a couple of additions: Michaels has a good selection of Exacto knife handles and blades. Sort through them to find some that are good enough, and cheap enough, to work for a student. They're also sharp enough that all they really need is a little honing. You could get Michaels to give you a piece of suede leather you can cut into strips just the width of some paint stirrer stickes from the local paint store or Home Depot/Lowes. Glue the leather to the paint stirrers, apply a few strokes of your green honing compound stick (or yellow, or white, or...) and the first 15 minutes of class is how to hone an Exacto blade to make it really sharp. As to the gloves, almost anything is better than nothing, so just specify that students must bring a pair of leather gloves with them to the class or they won't be admitted. So, now you have knives, strops, and gloves (they can wear gloves on both hands, since they don't have thumb guards); all they need next is a pencil, a pattern, and a piece of wood.

Not to be too cynical or anything like that, but the more things you can have the student buy at Michaels (such as the knives and gloves), the more Michaels' management will want the class and want to cooperate with you.

Practice carving the pattern yourself using the exact tools and gloves you ask the students to have, so you'll be comfortable at the first class. At the second class, bring your electric grinder/strop, your set of Rick's beginner tools, your Butz detail knife, etc., so the students can see what will really help carve their best in the future. Also for the second class, have a handout with things on such as the address, phone number, web URL for the nearest Woodcraft, Woodcarvers Supply, Rick, or anyone else you think might have good stuff for the to buy - saves them trying to write it all down while your have to slowly spell everything.

Since you were a training NCO, you should already know how to teach a class, but if you're still not comfortable, just pick out a single student and talk to him/her for the first minute; then, shift to another student and talk to him/her for the next minute, etc. Maintain eye contact with the one you're talking to while you're talking to them, and the whole class will think you're wonderful (because you will be!)

I was an instructor in the Navy (teaching Marines, Army, and foreign military), as well as teaching a community college class as a civilian. It gets easier every time you do it. When I first taught Marines, I was petrified; when I finished, I used to start the class with "It's oh-8-hundred, and time to start - for you Marines, that means Mickey's little hand is one the 8 and his big hand is one the 12." That usually got their undivided attention...

Claude

[Thomp]

thanks bob and cladue for the confidence..

claude its not hard to teach someone that is under your control or the control of the ucmj... they got to listen or spend the night in the round bar hotel.. haw..

i do like your ideas on exacto my preferance is excell in throw away tools. the blades are heavier but not as heavy as the warner blades.. and about the same price as exacto..
plus there is several small gouge blades and v gouges available, that could be set into wooden handles which i made 40 of recently in the style of flexcut.

the bring your own gloves and i could get thumb guards from the sweing centers, and (veltrap) sports wrap to cover the high impact spots on the gloves and thumbgards,
(pete leclair uses masking tape.)

im reding more of the lesson plans and such as michels has a board and yahoo has a message area for micheals instructors, mostly belly aches, but some information that makes me wonder whats really up... ill know more soon as im going to meet with the manager tomorrow to get the skinny on this class thing.

i wanted to start a club here at the house but my 3 car garage hasent came home yet.. its still out there in the world aimlessly lost.

thanks again fellers....
thomas.

[squbrigg]

Thomp..... while reading your replies over again, I believe you have the solution for your carving club meeting location at hand. Use Michaels classroom, if they are willing to let you use it, and if it is convieniently located . I'm sure they would be more than happy to if you talk to them about it. Might it be a possibility? Is it's location convienient for traffic to the room without disrupting the store? Just a thought. I'm going through the same thought process trying to find a home for our newly formed club.

Bob

[jillsy]

Thomp,

My first experience in an actual carving class was with a group of only 8 students and the instructor. It was the perfect size. The instructor was able to teach a small class, while still helping us one-on-one.

I understand your fear of speaking in front of people so make it that you're not speaking in FRONT of people! Our instructor just sat at the end of the table so we could all see him, but it just felt like he was part of the group. And keep it light - he'd have us do one thing, then show us the next step, then the next so we'd all be working at the same pace. And he told funny stories and we all got to know each other pretty quickly. It was alot of fun.

If I were there, I'd take your class!

Jillsy

[Irish]

Oh, Thomas, go for it! What you will learn by teaching the class out weights any financial compensation. It's amazing what you get back through teaching.

Susan

[Thomp]

bob , Susan and jillsy..

jillsy,
im your corner if someone else taught i would take the class, ha!
but the truth time and money is what keeps me here local.

i can see in the future a new woodcarving supply store opening here if the intrest can be raised.

i know how to teach classes, or was taught how to by mu uncle sam.. and outline the course with lesson plans and such but its been a while and it would be like a military thing because that's what i know.

bob,
i was thinking along the same lines. meeting at michaels but there in it for stock sales i think, and at michaels prices??? i wouldn't recommend the on hand products except for the simple convenance. michaels has a 10% cut from admission of the class enrollment fee, im sure they would want something per head, that would have to be worked out.

meeting of the club there in the unscheduled time slots, might be something to think about. but not knowing the make up of schedule and rules of failed schedule classes which make the unscheduled classroom time periods might be hard to schedule meetings, at the drop of a hat.
michaels is located on the restaurant row close to the mall and most of the shopping areas here with big roads and such, so as for me its convent i can walk there..

on another note:
while reading the Micheal's instructors forum on yahoo it makes me think there is very little cooperation or coordination between anybody, corporate to managers to workers seams like very lax communications, and it looks like it would be easier to do something without permission and beg forgiveness after the fact it may be the norm, very little cooperation for the needs of the classes. and the schedulers have to be physically tracked down, while some are classes are even relocated and conducted in the isles of the store..

But that's all somebody else's opinions, gripes and belly aches and not of my experience. And i shouldnt pay attention to the belly achers i know, but there is quite a lack of positive influence on the micheals instructors fourm.

Susan,
yes i love to teach in the simple enviroment of my niece and 3 nephews,

and when the 'ill never be able to!' comments turn into the " LOOK..I CAN DO THAT" smile and gleam in their eyes is reward enough,

[Graywolf71]

The public speaking part got me too Thomp. I used to do candle making classes at my local library's "brown bag lunchen" and i studdered through the whole thing. Most people didn't notice, so intence were they on the course.
I, like everybody else has said, made up a list of materials for them to do it on thier own and just gave instruction.
Not much else i can give advice on that others haven't covered already, but this,

PICTURE THEM IN THIER UNDERWEAR!

It works well and you'll be smiling through the whole thing and they'll be wondering why.

Michael Gray

[Thomp]

Originally Posted by Graywolf71

--snip---
Not much else i can give advice on that others haven't covered already, but this,

PICTURE THEM IN THIER UNDERWEAR!

It works well and you'll be smiling through the whole thing and they'll be wondering why.

Michael Gray

Dang mike,

i got problems enough speaking in front of people, but to imagine them in their underwear??
i can see you ain't been to michaels lately and seen them cuties running around there..
that would present an entirely different problem,