mel jacobson on tue 23 apr 02
proof is always the bottom line in all things.
you have to step to the line.
euphorian thinking does not help. training always
wins. luck does not play a part...ever.
so, when the kid dives in the pool and swims the 200..
how fast did he go?
what kind of dive did he do?
what was the time on the 400 relay?
what kind of pots went into the kiln.
how many?
when my boys would be ready to swim in the state
meet...we always said...`good skill`. never `good luck`.
we wished the other boys `good luck`. never our boys.
they knew that they had more skill and conditioning...now prove it.
7 state championship teams and 8 runner ups in my 16 years
of coaching that team. the year i was in japan they placed 17th.
the four years after japan we won the championship all four
years in a row. then i left the program.
they have not been in the top 15 since.
our team would swim more yards in warm-ups than the
team we competed against swam all week.
my kids threw thousands of pounds of clay. thousands.
they developed skill. we were proud of that.
fired everything.
my bias was always directed at college teachers that abused
my students with...`we don't make pots here, your skills
do not count...we do metaphor and art.`
they would leave...hurt. never to return.
it was my fault, should have taught them to kick them
in the balls.
mel
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
Kathy on wed 24 apr 02
Hi mel,
This begs the question, "what can a teacher do for a
student that the student cannot do for him/herself?"
When I figure that out, I'll teach again.
It's easy to push too hard, especially with very
young people. My theory--your beloved students were
not the victim of "evil college teachers." Rather,
they were the victims of not dealing with a problem
successfully at the time.
A harbored bitterness would follow me into my studio
in the morning. I would not store my garbage in the
studio, or set up my compost pile on the floor where I
work. No, no, I take the compost outside, put it in a
pile and plan for its usefulness.
The problem that you keep bringing up is real, if
uncommon. How can a solution elude you when you are in
the midst of crafting one?
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people's approval
and you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step back.
-Tao te Ching
Yours,
Kathy
> my bias was always directed at college teachers that
> abused
> my students with...`we don't make pots here, your
> skills
> do not count...we do metaphor and art.`
> they would leave...hurt. never to return.
> it was my fault, should have taught them to kick
> them
> in the balls.
> mel
=====
Kathy
Barronett, Wisconsin
kathymaves@yahoo.com
www.greendragonstudios.com
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Michele Williams on wed 24 apr 02
I'm not sure kicking balls would have made things any better, but I would
have asked, "When you raise a cup to drink your tea, would you rather have
it well-done and artfully so, or do you just want a metaphor that leaves
your lap artlessly damp?"
Michele Williams
----- Original Message -----
From: "mel jacobson"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 6:40 PM
Subject: teacher/a bit more
> proof is always the bottom line in all things.
> you have to step to the line.
> euphorian thinking does not help. training always
> wins. luck does not play a part...ever.
>
> so, when the kid dives in the pool and swims the 200..
> how fast did he go?
> what kind of dive did he do?
> what was the time on the 400 relay?
> what kind of pots went into the kiln.
> how many?
>
> when my boys would be ready to swim in the state
> meet...we always said...`good skill`. never `good luck`.
> we wished the other boys `good luck`. never our boys.
>
> they knew that they had more skill and conditioning...now prove it.
>
> 7 state championship teams and 8 runner ups in my 16 years
> of coaching that team. the year i was in japan they placed 17th.
>
> the four years after japan we won the championship all four
> years in a row. then i left the program.
> they have not been in the top 15 since.
>
> our team would swim more yards in warm-ups than the
> team we competed against swam all week.
>
> my kids threw thousands of pounds of clay. thousands.
> they developed skill. we were proud of that.
> fired everything.
>
> my bias was always directed at college teachers that abused
> my students with...`we don't make pots here, your skills
> do not count...we do metaphor and art.`
> they would leave...hurt. never to return.
> it was my fault, should have taught them to kick them
> in the balls.
> mel
>
> From:
> Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
> web site: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
>
>
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melpots@pclink.com.
>
Tommy Humphries on wed 24 apr 02
This reminds me of a story I read somewhere...either CM or another mag.
Seems this kid wanted to do functional work, but the prof. wanted some
sculptural work completed for a passing grade. The student repeatedly balked
at the idea, but was finally convinced by the threat of a failing grade to
do a sculpture.
So the student goes into the studio and begins to throw together all the
scrap he can find, impaling it with whatever was laying around...let it dry
and fired it. Then he took any and all paint he could find and in a random
fashion coated the "sculpture" with several coats. He then took a hammer and
beat on the sculpture breaking bits off, leaving cracks etc.
Needless to say, he won honors for the art he created.
Several staffers offered to buy it. Including the honorable professor.
He refused all offers.
On the final day of school, he took the sculpture to the roof of the art
department, and to a cheering crowd, threw the art to the pavement.
He walked away from clay for 20 years after that...he was so disillusioned,
but he finally returned, and is (I assume) still making functional pots
today .
Tommy
----- Original Message -----
From: "mel jacobson"
> my bias was always directed at college teachers that abused
> my students with...`we don't make pots here, your skills
> do not count...we do metaphor and art.`
> they would leave...hurt. never to return.
> it was my fault, should have taught them to kick them
> in the balls.
> mel
>
> From:
> Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
> web site: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
>
>
Lee Love on wed 24 apr 02
----- Original Message -----
From: "mel jacobson"
> when my boys would be ready to swim in the state
> meet...we always said...`good skill`. never `good luck`.
> we wished the other boys `good luck`. never our boys.
You are familiar with it I am sure Mel. In Japan, they don't say "good
luck!" They say, Gambatte!
Gambatte: (n) tenacity; endurance
attitude that one must keep going no matter what (lit. gambarism)
to persist; to insist on; to stand firm; to try one's best;
--
Lee in Mashiko
"The lyfe so short, the craft so long to learne." - Geoffrey Chaucer
(c.
1340-1400).-
._____________________________________________
| Lee Love ^/(o\| Practice before theory.
|
| Ikiru@kami.com |\o)/v - Sotetsu Yanagi - |
`~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'
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Power unto all things to work and live." - Goethe -
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