Teaching ~ I really enjoy teaching however over the past ten years or so I have found that it just isn’t economical. I can’t afford to teach. I don’t have a studio that is adequate for teaching so I have to travel and be away from my own business. Travel has gotten extremely expensive and so have my supplies (tools and silver) to teach. The pay at the couple schools I have taught at has really not changed to reflect those increases. The pay I would need to compensate me for not being at my own business is five times (maybe more) what I would get paid to teach the class. It just doesn’t make sense for me.
I agree that the online classes have gotten really good. Some being ‘interactive’ in real time via live video. Anyway just an explanation on why I no longer teach… it’s too expensive.
Might I suggest to those looking for instruction, especially beginner type, to look for a Mineral Club in your area. Go to amfed.org and search for your state to find one close to you. Although the names of the clubs say “mineral”, believe me they are so much more. Our local club, the Tampa Bay Mineral & Science Club, teaches lapidary, faceting, wire wrapping, glass fusing, chain maille, gem trees, and of course silver smithing. I teach an intermediate metals class called Creative Metal Work that includes cold connections as well as mixed metals.
Dues at these clubs are generally very low, ours is $20 a year, and classes are taught by unpaid volunteer members. We occasionally have guest instructors for workshops when we can find one, for instance Kim St. Jean and Aggie Weesie have both been guest instructors.
Wait, Jo…you mea people aren’t knocking down your door begging for you to teach??? What’s WRONG with these people!!! They should jump at the opportunity to have you teach! But it’s the same old sad thing of not paying anyone anything or demanding the masters to let you teach. And if you got that masters, you’d never make enough money to pay the damn thing off. Anyone would be lucky to have you teach them. EL
What a fantastic & wonderful idea. We need this feature installed as soon as possible. No other jewellery site is doing this kind of ‘wanting to teach’… I was nearly kicked off one site for wanting to advertise my services to teach setting…;(
I teach, in fact teaching is taking over my career. I do have a studio
classroom, I rent in an industrial so square footage is inexpensive. I take
4 or 5 students per session, I have 3 classes running right now and enough
students on my waiting list to start a 4th.
My students are all my age or older, I’m 55. I always ask, “where are the
young people?” So I am in search of them.
Sam Patania
Tucson
Steve Ramsdell, look at your states laws, in some states you can have someone sign a waiver of liability for injury. I know a studio in Denver that has operated that way for years.
Videos are wonderful. I sure wish I’d had access to them when I started
out in 1969. That said there is still nothing like have a live teachers to
interact with as well as the camaraderie of fellow students.
At 64 and suffering from chronic pain in my neck, lower back, hands and
shoulders I’m at the end of my bench career. Following the old adage “Those
who can’t do, teach” I have started reaching out and teaching more lately.
None of the local art schools will hire me because I don’t have an MFA. I
have a GED:-) l Have offered to go in on my own dime to the local public
schools that offer metals just to help the teachers and encourage kids.
They won’t answer my messages. So my only choice locally is to teach at a
local community center run by Portland Parks and Recreation. Because I do
not have a BFA or MFA I get paid less than the other teachers. One of whom
I had to explain what an ultra sonic is used for. Sigh.
I don’t really teach for the money. I knew that going in. However it
would be nice to be paid based on my skill and knowledge set rather than
some letters after my name.
OK rant over.
I feel it is my duty to pass on the skills I learned form folks who
learned their skills before WWII. We need to encourage our local schools to
offer more Vocational training. I am also a big fan of Be A Jeweler. www. beajeweler.com/ https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#
Hmmm. I teach many workshops throughout the year. Just finished a 4 day intensive here at home in Seattle at my friend’s teaching studio – Danaca Design Studio and two shorter intensive (2 day Flex Shaft and a 3 days of Creative Surface Development) at Metalwerx in the Boston area. Next year is teaching in TN, SF, LA and Austin. So sone of us are in fact teaching in real time .
I teach every Tuesday evening from 6 until 9. anyone can come in a learn something no matter what your skill level. It costs $135 plus materials for 4 3 hour sessions. You don’t need to come every Tuesday, you pay for 4 sessions you get 4 sessions. you can work in any material you like. I limit my class sizes to 6 students and have never had a problem filling a class. My workshop is set up for myself and 6 others. They are usually very fun and social nights with music learning and the odd beer or glass of wine unless students are underage. I take students as young as 12 and as old as you can get and till shake your head.
Les Riddell
Objects Of Art Limited
Old Cromwell Historic Precinct
Central Otago
New Zealand
I am in the Corpus Christi, Texas area. When I have "knocked"on jeweler’s doors here to ask if I can pay them per hour to teach me (my materials, my tools in their store), in their slower seasons, as well as offer to do whatever else they might need from cleaning to polishing (once I am working at an acceptable skill level, of course) to sales, the answer is basically “you might take business away from me.” Please understand, I am not a novice, having been creating my own designs (part time)since the late 90’s but I do have splinter skills. I’ve knocked on many doors, but it seems that I have not found the people who can see past their fear to helping another aspiring artist out. It is not something that I understand, but have come to accept. Hence, I am now enrolled in online classes at Jewelry Training Solutions. So, I guess what I am saying is that not all jewelers have the openness of heart and the desire to train and teach. If I lived close to you Jo, I would seek you out in a heartbeat! I know there is much I could learn from you!
My guess is this is just an excuse to cover the real reason of just not wanting to be bothered with trying to teach some one. Because every person they hire from the sales staff to the book keeper has the potential to learn enough about their business and customers to become competition. Jewelry store owners have an unreasonable fear of competition instead of recognizing that it is probably their own fault if business is not as good as it could be. It’s just easier to think that it would be better if they didn’t have any other jewelers to compete with for the local business. I have had to sign non compete papers to work in a store. I only lasted 2 years at that place. No fun at all.
beajeweler.com has a list of schools and resources. It is a web site sponsored by MJSA and a number of others in the industry."
You have to be careful. I saw a local school listed and when I went there to see what they had added for jewelry classes, they had no clue what I was talking about.
It seems people can add a listing and the site just accepts it as legit without checking.
Hi Gerald! We administer the BEaJEWELER site for MJSA, and we do review and approve anyone who submits for publishing as a school. Would you mind telling me (if you prefer offline, andrea.hill@strategywerx.com) which listing you visited so we can clean up the listing? We want it to be accurate!!
Also, while we’re on this topic, we are trying very hard to build not only the best schools database through BEaJEWELER, but also a powerful mentor and apprenticeship database. If anyone wants to be included in that, PLEASE just let me know! This is such an important topic.
It was a local school and I did not want to disparage them by name. As soon as I saw your website several months to a year(ish) ago, I visited and found a local school listed. It is a great school but I found zero for classes that a new jeweler might need to help with learning the basics to help get a job in the jewelry trade.
Madison Area Technical College. 1701 Wright Street, Madison 53704, Wisconsin.
Less than a year ago hey had no credit classes at all about jewelry arts that a student advisor could find. No CAD for jewelry, no basic metal arts program at all. No jewelry drawing. no gemology. Nothing.
So I just looked just now and it seems they have added two basic classes. Please accept my apology for my earlier email. From what I could find earlier, my statement seemed legitimate. I see now that the school has recently added a section for art transfer students.
It looks like no one has signed up for any of them so far.
I should see if they need another instructor but with no degree, I am sure that will not happen!
No worries at all Gerald! When we attempt to build public service databases
like this, we truly benefit from the input of the public! I speak for both
myself and MJSA when I say we always want to be able to check out concerns
and make the product better.
I see that we’re Wisconsin neighbors! I’m over by Lake Michigan, between
Milwaukee and Fond du Lac. Where are you located?
I am in Fitchburg WI. A bedroom community next to Madison.
We have a huge amount of “art” jewelers who stayed here after graduating from the arts program here at the UW.
I keep trying to think of ways to get the technical collage here to add basic bench jeweler classes. Basic classes on repairs and basic bench tasks. I have seen so many new graduates come through the door with some pictures and full of hope thinking they will start at $60,000 a year and be a big designer. It made me feel bad when I had to ask them how many rings they can size in a day (most have never), chain repairs. explain the steps in polishing (most can’t), etc. Most schools do not teach the skills needed for an entry level jeweler.
I know a few great designers in town and some were hired with art degrees. But the all started at minimum wage or a bit more, and they all started with polishing jewelry for half to more than a year before they ever sat at a bench.
It is all good to learn the Art side of jewelry, but that is rarely where a paycheck to pay the bills comes from. I wish I had a way to get this idea in front of people at schools so they can put in some classes that will help new jewelers get jobs.
joy kruse wild prairie silver
Anyone would be lucky to have you teach them. EL