Joyce Lee on fri 25 may 01
Frankly, my studio and my person are often about as messy as one could =
imagine... jumping from one involved activity to another as I often do. =
Doesn't bother me one whit. I do have a cleaning schedule, though, and =
sometimes even follow it.....=20
However, if I were teaching ceramics in an art center or an academic =
setting, I'd have to clean up my act.... and the classroom... for that's =
what it is, after, all.... a classroom .... which must be monitored the =
same as any other publicly funded program. The archives probably are =
full of suggestions for cleaning routines which may help your teacher, =
if it isn't already too late. It's a sad state of affairs, but once =
decisions are made to "fire," "get rid of," "help the teacher find a =
more appropriate situation" etc, they are seldom undone.... perhaps may =
be postponed if there's enough hue and cry over the "letting go" of a =
loved teacher... but once the brouhaha dies down, the teacher probably =
will no longer be there.... especially with summer looming and those who =
care spread to other sites... sad.... yes..... but true.
If I were that teacher, and felt that my job might be saved, I'd make an =
appointment (not with the administrator... that's probably a lost =
cause)... but an appointment with a local high school or college =
ceramics teacher... ask to observe his class with special attention to =
the Cleanup Routine and Safety Rules around the kiln. Most teachers are =
more than willing to help out a beleaguered colleague IF they understand =
the situation and IF they don't feel that they might be stuck with =
"takin' you to raise," as Mama Luce often said. As a teacher, I =
occasionally had teachers from our local private schools .... a couple =
of times from home schools ... ask to come visit to see how somebody =
else "ran things."=20
Since I taught non-academic classes as well as academic (photography, =
Yearbook, Leadership Training) and was activities director, my =
not-so-academic corners of my classroom were often piled with on-going =
projects... with the academic students functioning from the middle of=20
decorations for the next dance, (teaching in the midst of helium filled =
balloons of many colors that often lost gas and drifted to the teacher's =
noggin sometimes lent a little unplanned or unwanted levity, as far as =
the teacher was concerned) or strange props "needed" for the talent =
contest, posters for EVERYTHING, ad sales account books ... plus ALWAYS =
... "important... cannot be misplaced" pages and photos for the next =
deadline etc. No big problems... not for me, anyway ... I confess that =
I loved all of it and function better than some administrators liked in =
the midst of chaos....... seeming chaos...... but not really. Now that I =
think of it, much like my studio today .... clean basically, with odd =
corners of treasured messes here and there. As is my house, and my =
closets, and my cabinets, and my car, and my truck .... and my =
bookcases, and my corral, and my desert garden ....... but basically =
clean, ok? OK? What can I say..... I was an administrator, and like all =
administrators .... anal retentive, was it, Mr.Mayor? .... don't do as I =
do; do as I say.
Joyce
In the Mojave overcome with THOUGHTS of all that cleaning just waiting, =
waiting, waiting ... well, straightening up anyway ... this post has =
plumb worn me out .... might have a glass of wine and go read.......
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