In the past 10 years, I have had many interesting students in my ceramic classes that are part of the continuing education program.
Some of my students are funny characters, and some of them have interesting stories to share about their lives and careers.
I have had educators, artists, carpenters, nurses, dentists, housewives, financial advisers, engineers, professors, and architects, etc.
Our classes are Washington State approved for clock hours, therefore, I have educators coming to our class to have fun and earn their credits.
Educators are nice to have, because they are professional teachers, and that gives me another perspective on what a teacher do in some instructional situations.
Dentists and dental hygienists are almost perfectionists in the class. It is the nature of pottery making that unpredictability presents itself at any moment. Therefore, I always remind students to be easy on themselves, and don't fight with the clay.
Through the computer gaming industry in this area, we occasionally have students from Nintendo and other companies. They are all very artistic and some times a little crazy. That is just my point of view.
One of the largest manufacturers of airplanes, Boeing, is in this area. Some times, the Boeing employees come to my class. They often request for a certificate, so they can ask for reimbursement for taking this class. As long as they complete 70 percent of the class, our program will issue a certificate at the end of the session. That shows the employer understands and supports their workers in their own development through lifelong learning.
Another large company in this area is Microsoft. Most of the time, I have at least 1/3 of the students in one class. One time I had half of the students from the company. Usually, I do not ask questions other than on the subject of ceramics. But, it is fun to listen to their unique interview process, (for example: being interviewed in a room with no chairs, but only one bean bag), and other matters they shared with the class. Microsoft is a company filled with ethnic diversity. Therefore I had students from everywhere in the world such as: India, England, Israel, Venezuela, South Africa, and Turkey. For three semesters, I had several Turkish people in the class. They are the very sunny kind of people, women are pretty, and men are handsome. I learned to say "Hello", in Turkish, "Merhaba", and said it every time when we met in the class. One time, I sang a Turkish song to them so they translated the ancient folk song back to me. In the past, Microsoft also offered reimbursement for their employees to support their personal development outside of their campus. (note: Microsoft people call their office: campus.)
The reason the majority of the students come to the ceramic class is for self enrichment. The reason they chose clay is because they have worked in it when they were younger in college or high school. Students in the class are very self motivated, unlike college kids who take if just for the credits.
Having years of teaching experience and meeting with interesting people, these are the best rewards I have for working outside of my studio.
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