Here a few things to bear in mind when offering advice and opinion on a student’s work, both before and after it goes in the kiln. Ongoing appraisal is a key element of a student’s journey. As the teacher, you have the experience and background knowledge to offer an informed perspective on their glass, and it’s a perspective they will really value. It’s a responsibility which must be handled respectfully and with proper thought.
Before it goes in the kiln
Think ahead
Your students need you to anticipate what will happen in the kiln. What will the design decisions your student makes now mean for the final piece? Is the piece going in a mould? Will varying thicknesses in the design result in an uneven piece that won’t look as good in the mould? If the piece has any internal inclusions, do you need to take any steps to minimise bubbles? Pull on your knowledge and make suggestions where appropriate, getting ahead of issues that your students aren't able to foresee yet themselves.
Offer personal insight
It's not just technical insight that is beneficial to your student. You're special, with artistic preferences, style and opinions developed on your own journey as an artist. You will have thoughts that are unique to you, informed by your personal experience and this is a beautiful thing to share – your advice as a fellow artist, not just as their teacher. Is your student's work reminiscent of another artist you love? Perhaps you can identify an artist in another medium that used shapes or colour in a similar way that you think your student would love? Have you been to a gallery, an outdoor location or anywhere really that you feel would be inspiring to your student? Helping them develop their research skills and broaden their inspirations is super valuable, and it's enriching for you to share that passion too.
Acknowledge their process
Comment on the transition from initial design into project development, this is as, if not more important that appraising the artwork itself. What have you noticed about the student’s process? Do you recognise anything that they’ve learnt or a way in which they’ve improved? When you’re learning, it can be difficult to articulate your own progress, and some feedback from you can help your student see the bigger picture and get a better perspective on their artistic development.
When it comes out of the kiln
Celebrate what works
This is the easy bit. Look at colour, shape, lines, theme, execution of practical skills and acknowledge the successes of the piece. Be specific, and do a quick re-cap on what they did and what they used to achieve the great results. It can be easy to forget especially if it is a week/weeks since they made the piece.
Be upfront about things that haven’t gone as expected.
It happens. Sometimes things don’t come out of the kiln exactly as we’d expected or hoped. Glass or details can move, you might not have got the firing program quite right, the student might not have been able to visualise exactly how the piece would turn out. None of these things make you a bad teacher, but you need to explain exactly what has happened and why. Things not going to plan is actually a great opportunity for your student to further their knowledge. Blaming the ‘kiln fairies’ or worse, the student, doesn’t help the student to learn or progress.
Ask the student how they feel about the piece…
… and don’t make comments that assume how they feel, such as ‘This is fantastic, isn’t it?’ or ‘You must be so pleased.’ If they aren’t, or they have questions, blinding them with positivity may make them reluctant to talk to you about any issues they can see. Instead, ask direct questions about specific elements of the piece, such as ‘What do you think about that reaction?' or 'Does it look as you hoped now that it's slumped?'
On my monthly courses, I look at and take notes on my students’ work between sessions and often we will discuss everybody’s work as a group so everybody learns from each other’s successes and failures. My students have let me know they really enjoy this, so for me a collaborative approach is really effective. On shorter courses though, especially where there are less students, there is time for one-on-one appraisal and this often works better for that format. Whatever the course, just make sure you're setting aside some time to talk to your students about their work. It's valuable for you too. I can't tell you how much I've learnt from appraising my students' work!
Catherine Dunstan is a glass artist and teacher working predominantly with fused glass. She also has seven years’ experience producing glass courses with local and international artists, booking them to teach in the UK.
The Resources for Teachers blog speaks mainly to those teaching glass, but its content is also applicable to creative courses in other mediums.
© Catherine Dunstan Glass 2019. All rights reserved.