Elizabeth Priddy on fri 14 jan 05
The following is based on my real life experiences and perceptions, so special ed MFA's be aware that these are just my own methods that have worked well for me.
Usually, children's classes will bear the same price as for piano lessons. that is what parents expect for an art class.
Nursing homes are difficult. Here are some problems. Remember, this is Nursing Homes, not Senior Assisted Living, which is different and basicly the same as adult. The clients are usually infirm, which could mean they may not remember what they did the day before for finishing projects. Their physical strength is impaired as well and so fine manipulation of the clay is a problem. Many will attend in wheel chairs. They will not want to get dirty because laundry and ability to clean themselves is an issue. They can be quite hostile and depressed so you have to be prepared for this. I did this for quite a while, and it can take its toll on you emotionally dealing with a client base that is essentially being warehoused for death. This is not some spin I am putting on it, I have talked with many many people in this situation and they are fully aware of their circumstances and are generally offended by the Mary Poppins approach. They tend to feel it is one more instance of people
treating them like children when they are fully actualized adults who simply have physical or mental limitations.
Now on the positive side. These people genuinely appreciate real activities. If you tailor it to deal with the problems listed above, the conversation among these groups is fascinating. I have found the most diverse groups of people! All brought together by the universal equalizer.
Think in terms of creative one off classes. you provide an already bisqued piece that they can paint and get back, like a plate or bowl form that will take a standard clear glaze on top of velvet underglaze paint. They might not be able to draw, even if they have been able to in the past due to shaky hands, poor eyesight, or mental impairment. So you can draw a design of their choosing on it with a pencil and they can coler in the lines. Ask general questions like what is their favorite flower and draw a large general design of that flower covering the whole thing. If they are capable of detail work they will run with it. If they are not, the simplicity will make the project more doable and they will enjoy it more. Bought bisque and lowfire is fine. With soft clay you can work with medallions that you can return prestrung. Many like making projects for their grandkids but be sensitive to the fact that many of them are there precisely because they have no one to give things
to (or care for them). Ask them where they are from and draw a picture of something they mention in their description of where they are from, like a large crab or fish for someone from the beach. A very interesting retired merchant marine enjoyed painting a tall ship, as he crewed one when he was young.
Remember that learning new skills becomes more difficult as you grow very old, for may reasons, so work with skills they have first. Don't patronize.
Almost all of this also applies to developmentally challenged adults and adult care facilities also are a market for classes. Many of the physical problems with extreme seniors are less of an issue with these groups, but you have to keep it simple. Beads work well and small sculpure that can be incorporated with beads to make very interesting necklaces. There is usually a recreational therapist on staff who can help you with these groups. you will need to keep it down to a 1 to 1 or 1 to 2 teacher ratio for develpmentally challenged adults. The facility can provide program assistants. A weekly class is much appreciated and doing the same thing over and over is fine. Ask the program assistants the mental age of your clients in this case. A perfectly normal looking person may be five inside. And a Downs syndrome adult may look 18 and be in their 40's and have the mind of a person in their 40's. You won't be able to go by your standard visual cues with this type of group. I
once asked a man if he had brothers or sisters and he said that he had a brother but that he died. I was assuming it would have been recent as he looked about 20, and he said 30 years ago. I was sure he was mistaken and later asked the program assistant, who confirmed that the man was 47 and that his brother died in a motercycle accident 30 years ago. Know who you are dealing with before you get involved. Don't be nervous around them. For the most part, they don't think they are different. You are the odd one on their turf. But get involved, these folks are really fun, mainly because they don't carry a lot of the baggage that comes with adult students-you don't have to cater to eager egos and marriage counseling in pottery class for once!
Which brings us to kids. Segregate your classes by experience once you have a stable of students. Offer private lessons for $25 per hour if a child wants to learn to throw. Don't try to teach kids under 8 to throw, they are usually pre-operational and cannot mentally grasp the spatial relations necessary to throw. When they seem bored, ask them what they would like to make,if they collect anything, if they have a favorite comic book hero or animal. Go to thrift stores and find books with pictures of animals that they can copy on slabs, coloring books are good, they can tear out the page and trace the design with a pencil, making a nice incised pattern on a slab that can then be made into a flat dish, etc. Let them paint with slips on slabs if they don't like to get dirty. For wind chime projects, have them make a pinch pot first and fire the chime parts in the bowl with the name underneath. Keep the projects small in size for transportation. Size, as in making Big things, is
only an issue for adults for the most part, kids like interesting more than impressive. Don't let parents pressure you or the kid to make "presents" for people, it takes the fun out of it for many kids and the parents should be ashamed of themselves.
Just some stuff off the top of my head. Your mileage may vary, of course.
Loretta Wray wrote:
Greetings,
I could use a little advice (have I come to the right place?)
I've been trying to come up with ideas to generate a little income that
would use my "addiction" to support my "addiction."
Last year I taught kids' clay classes and found it enjoyable over all, but
it seemed that ....
Elizabeth Priddy
252-504-2622
1273 Hwy 101
Beaufort, NC 28516
http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
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