Vance Wood wrote:
As to the students, well that's a different issue. Until you have had some of the things I have mentioned happen it is easy to say you share your knowledge, on that I agree. But; when you have some individual contradicting everything you say it's like some of the issues you run into on the web without the delete button.
Again I place the majority of the problem in the lap of the Clubs and Organiztions in that they either don't know or don't care about the kinds of problems envolved in Demos and Workshops. When things go badly it is so convininent to blame the teacher. The participants do. Having said that I cannot in my wildest dreams conceive of the Club leadership comming forward and saying; "No No, it was our fault".
Does anyone see any pigs flying over?
I have to disagree on blaming the club for bad students. The club's job is to get as many members as possible. Quality doesn't matter. The bad ones will drop out anyway. When you try to popularize bonsai, you can't be selective as to who to popularize for. You have to include
everyone on this planet. Workshops are part of this promotion business.
The second part, dealing with the participants that is, is the teacher's problem. The club doesn't know how to do this, the teacher should. I know it's very difficult to deal with a student with big ego. But it's part of being a teacher. You have to use psychology and any tactics in the book in order to get through the workshop. And most of all, have a thick skin. If the student tries to kick you in the groin, just quickly turn aside, to avoid the blow ;) .... and you cannot kick back! (well, may be in the parking lot, on the way home)