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activity, but the hands and fingers do the
actual work.
It is by touching the tools and feeling
the result that you gain understanding of
cause and effect and develop confidence
and skill. In many crafts it is said, “You
have to feel it to know it.”
Experiential perception
Information is accumulated and processed
from any or all of the above. Experiential
perception is the culmination of process-
ing all available sensory perceptions into
a body of knowledge.
Cumulative awareness
Whether learning through in-person en-
counters, reading books and magazines,
watching videos, or even self-guided
experimentation, we are essentially
gathering information that we can use
and apply and further develop through
our own, individual experience.
What it takes to teach
Proficiency is vital, but it takes more than
that to be a good teacher. You must also
understand the processes well enough
to be able to explain them to others, and
be able to transmit information clearly
and effectively. The teacher should be able
to not only show how something is done,
but also to explain why.
Often, a workshop student will ask,
“How are you doing that?” I respond by
saying, “I am going to show you how I am
holding/using the tool, but more impor-
tantly, I will tell you why I am doing it this
way.” Being able to explain why a tool is
held or used a certain way, and why a
material responds or a process occurs,
is what differentiates demonstrating
something from teaching how to do it.
In order to be a good transmitter, a
teacher needs to be:
- Skilled
- Confident
- Organized
- Focused
- Well prepared
- Receptive to questions
- Able to provide answers
If teachers don’t have an answer, they
need to know where to suggest their
students might look for the information.
Teachers also must be attentive to a
student’s individual needs and sensitive
to their self-imposed limitations. At the
beginning of learning anything new,
there’s generally some degree of trepida-
tion, which leads to hesitancy. In metals
and other visual arts, there’s usually a new
tool or hand position that is uncomfort-
able until the student understands the
how and why and acclimates to its use.
A good teacher needs to be able to en-
courage students, reassure them, help
them recognize the first glimmer of
success, and transform that into the
beginning of confidence. More than
anything, a teacher is a facilitator and
enabler — in a good way.Why teach?
The teacher is the consulting engineer
who enables the student to build a bridge
to span the chasm between where they
are and where they want to go. Teaching
is also dedication to the perpetuation
of knowledge; it is what keeps that vast
ocean of information from receding and
drying up.
In the interest of full disclosure, I will
mention that I did not set out to be a
teacher. I spent 30 years as a professional
goldsmith; teaching is my “Act II” in life. It
is a path that found me, not one I sought,
but it is the one I am traveling at this point
in my career.
Although I wasn’t formally trained asan educator, the body of knowledge I
acquired in my studio practice gave me
a good understanding of cause and effect
and enabled me to effectively transmit
process and technique. I am delighted
to be able to share that experience with
others and help them move forward on
their own path of creative expression.
Teaching and learning go hand in hand.
When instructing others, the teacher will
inevitably also learn new things. I’ve found
that the more I teach, the more I learn.
Not only about the topic I’m teaching, but
about the activity of teaching itself.
I have my peers and teachers to thank
for helping me develop as a practitioner,
and I have my students to thank for help-
ing me develop as a teacher. I also have a
very special colleague to thank — my late
friend Sigrid Schneider, a fellow teacher
and goldsmith from Vienna. Sigrid en-
couraged me toward my Act II with the
observation that, “The main reason to
teach is because nothing else can ever
be as fulfilling.”Michael David Sturlin
is an award-winning
goldsmith, jewelry artist,
and educator. Contact
him via email at
michaelsturlinstudio@
cox.net.