Yes, so the brinkmanship of adult education is in my favour this time, and on 5th November the course starts. This raises the issue of prepping, and prepping for a class one has taught quite a number of times -- how to keep fresh?
Fortunately I have a passion about creative writing and about archetypes and the Hero's Journey, so I love learning more on all these areas. I have just finished reading The Power of Myth, an interview series of Joseph Campbell (he of the Hero with a Thousand Faces) by Bill Moyers; publisher Doubleday, 1988 [eeek! well, it's new to me!] Super illustrations and marvellous meaning-and-myth talk. I will add it to my booklist handout for students
Am also reading Writing Fiction, Creative and Critical Approaches, by Amanda Boulter, Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. I bought it at the Winchester Writers' Conference in July. Some sound stuff on reading for writers -- and yahoo, she gets into myth and Campbell as well. She has exercises, too, but I haven't read that far yet.
Blogger is playing up right now, so keeping this short. I won't buckle down to looking at my class notes and handouts etc til next week, so the presentation adrenalin builds up to good strong energy for greeting the roomful of new faces.
Showing posts with label adult education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adult education. Show all posts
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Thursday, 19 February 2009
What is the meaning of lifelong learning?
The above question headed a Guardian article on September 9th 2008 and I'm very sorry I didn't tell you about it at the time. If you want to keep teaching in adult education you need to keep at least a bit au fait with the (drastic) things happening in that sector. Spending, budgets et cetera... not very creative but it does affect us teachers of creativity.
That article announced the formation of the Campaigning Alliance for Lifelong Learning (Call), a banding together of bodies (stakeholders, if you use that kind of language) to lobby and pressure politicians re lifelong learning. It could be that U3A (University of the 3rd Age) is what/who we all come to rely on for providing what's called informal adult educaton.
If you are that way inclined, for an update see http://www.callcampaign.org.uk/
For a more recent Guardian article on further education for older adults, see http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/20/furthereducation-longtermcare
These nifty shortcuts to news-right-up-our-alley come to me via the Instititute for Learning http://www.ifl.ac.uk They send a quarterly e-newsletter with news digest links; IfL is also 'our' body for official registration as a teacher in further education.
Frankly (my dear) politicking is not my thing, so if you want even more directly writers-who-teach-creatively news and conferences etc don't forget the National Association for Writers in Education http://www.nawe.co.uk You can even list yourself on offer to go into schools etc. NAWE addresses creative writing teachers going into schools, universities and community (which includes further education).
End of commercial. I see my private writing coachee tomorrow. Next week I will be more creative, less administrative.
That article announced the formation of the Campaigning Alliance for Lifelong Learning (Call), a banding together of bodies (stakeholders, if you use that kind of language) to lobby and pressure politicians re lifelong learning. It could be that U3A (University of the 3rd Age) is what/who we all come to rely on for providing what's called informal adult educaton.
If you are that way inclined, for an update see http://www.callcampaign.org.uk/
For a more recent Guardian article on further education for older adults, see http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/20/furthereducation-longtermcare
These nifty shortcuts to news-right-up-our-alley come to me via the Instititute for Learning http://www.ifl.ac.uk They send a quarterly e-newsletter with news digest links; IfL is also 'our' body for official registration as a teacher in further education.
Frankly (my dear) politicking is not my thing, so if you want even more directly writers-who-teach-creatively news and conferences etc don't forget the National Association for Writers in Education http://www.nawe.co.uk You can even list yourself on offer to go into schools etc. NAWE addresses creative writing teachers going into schools, universities and community (which includes further education).
End of commercial. I see my private writing coachee tomorrow. Next week I will be more creative, less administrative.
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
The size & timing of creative writing
Wow. Started my 5-week Hero's Journey/Writer's Journey course last week, enrolled to the max of 19, with 3 others who turned up. First of all there's Health & Safety, and more than that: rather a lot to teach such a subjective, experiential discipline. But then, I asked for it.
I ran the same course in spring in the afternoons and it drew only 6 people; worse, the summer school repeat had not enough to run. So I proposed to Team Leader that we try evenings. And there you have it, with wings. So much of adult ed is the right time for the right subject for the right market. To bear in mind when pitching your ideas and slots.
These days, too, I think short courses are the way to go -- less commitment for new and/or busy people, and less costly. Of course less money for you; but then more time for your writing.
How to handle such a big group? The course is not planned for workshopping so no one is expecting to read out and get feedback. My plan in any case was to do several exercises per session, some very reflective or brainstormy, thus not suitable for reading out. However, it is nice to hear some work, pour encourager les autres. And, interestingly, the majority are beginners, new to creative writing classes.
So: I will put them in pairs to share some writing done in the session; or even just to talk about it. This gentles newbies into reading out and, just as important, creates supportive bonds of friendliness.
But I will ask for volunteers and hope I get one or two next time, when we advance to Obstacles & Allies.
I ran the same course in spring in the afternoons and it drew only 6 people; worse, the summer school repeat had not enough to run. So I proposed to Team Leader that we try evenings. And there you have it, with wings. So much of adult ed is the right time for the right subject for the right market. To bear in mind when pitching your ideas and slots.
These days, too, I think short courses are the way to go -- less commitment for new and/or busy people, and less costly. Of course less money for you; but then more time for your writing.
How to handle such a big group? The course is not planned for workshopping so no one is expecting to read out and get feedback. My plan in any case was to do several exercises per session, some very reflective or brainstormy, thus not suitable for reading out. However, it is nice to hear some work, pour encourager les autres. And, interestingly, the majority are beginners, new to creative writing classes.
So: I will put them in pairs to share some writing done in the session; or even just to talk about it. This gentles newbies into reading out and, just as important, creates supportive bonds of friendliness.
But I will ask for volunteers and hope I get one or two next time, when we advance to Obstacles & Allies.
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
The brinkmanship of adult ed
Five working days to go and I'm several people below the minimum required to run my Hero's Journey/Writer's Journey short course. I love teaching this course as it hits all my personal buttons. I've devised both craft skills exercises and process-of-writing exercises using the full hero's quest framework. Touches a lot on Jungian archetypes so it is wonderfully, quickly, deep.
I've run it as a monthly full-day course, therefore have all the content plus useful feedback on what works well and what I could drop or tweak. But I need to have a detailed think re putting it into 5 weeks, 2 hours each class.
However, I will now put off the think session until the penultimate day when I hear from the college if the numbers allow. As writers-who-teach-creative-writing we have this dilemma: will I have five weeks of creative heroic questing or will I have five weeks of extra time to get on with my own writing.... ? (See column to right to link to course details.)
I've run it as a monthly full-day course, therefore have all the content plus useful feedback on what works well and what I could drop or tweak. But I need to have a detailed think re putting it into 5 weeks, 2 hours each class.
However, I will now put off the think session until the penultimate day when I hear from the college if the numbers allow. As writers-who-teach-creative-writing we have this dilemma: will I have five weeks of creative heroic questing or will I have five weeks of extra time to get on with my own writing.... ? (See column to right to link to course details.)
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
If you're NOT in regular teaching...
(1) So far as I can gather from the IfL (Institute for Learning) website http://www.ifl.ac.uk if you are currently teaching in FE colleges (funded by LSC (Learning & Skills Council, ie government)) you must register with IfL by 31 March 2008 -- no fee to pay.
(2) But if you teach (train, assist-teach etc) in other LSC funded institutions (say prisons, community education etc) you have til 30 September 2008 -- no fee to pay.
(3) OR, if you do NOT CURRENTLY teach in LSC funded institutions -- but who knows, you might! -- you have until 31 March 2008 to register with no fee to pay. After that date, fee is £30.
I'm thinking of writers and creative types who teach occasional part-time creative writing adult classes... so this would be category 3 if you are not currently in a teaching gig. Most likely you'd register as an associate.
As to what this is all about, see my 15 Jan and 11 March blog entries, the comment from Lindsay on the 11 March blog, and the links under Gov't Now Requires in the column to the right -- the official sites.
Strange breaks with Easter so early this year, are you and your students confused?
(2) But if you teach (train, assist-teach etc) in other LSC funded institutions (say prisons, community education etc) you have til 30 September 2008 -- no fee to pay.
(3) OR, if you do NOT CURRENTLY teach in LSC funded institutions -- but who knows, you might! -- you have until 31 March 2008 to register with no fee to pay. After that date, fee is £30.
I'm thinking of writers and creative types who teach occasional part-time creative writing adult classes... so this would be category 3 if you are not currently in a teaching gig. Most likely you'd register as an associate.
As to what this is all about, see my 15 Jan and 11 March blog entries, the comment from Lindsay on the 11 March blog, and the links under Gov't Now Requires in the column to the right -- the official sites.
Strange breaks with Easter so early this year, are you and your students confused?
Monday, 7 January 2008
New Year, new me, new you
Greetings! I'm creating this blog for anyone interested in teaching creative writing to adults. Especially writers who teach (or are about to teach) creative writing in adult education, at writing events etc. Others welcome too, for instance creative writing teachers of all levels and circumstances, teachers of all sorts, maybe even creative writing students and writing circles.
The blog is to back up my book Creative Writing: the Matrix, Exercises & Ideas for Creative Writing Teachers. Such a small niche (hello, fellow nichers!) that I have published it myself (that's a story for a later blog posting). See http://www.paxtonpublishing.co.uk The book has 95 exercises and 21 mini-lectures plus advice on planning and running a course.
News: If you can get to London, come ask questions direct on Monday 14 Jan. I'm talking at Women Writers Network, 6:30 for 7 pm, Conway Hall, Holborn WC1. For more on WWN see http://womenwriters.org.uk/ Sorry chaps, women only, but I'll be promoting more; watch this space.
Urgent news for all who teach or want to teach adults: there is a new government requirement to register. From March 2008 registering costs £30 but til then it's free. Even if you are not sure you'll teach, or will only teach now and then, you can just be an associate. So do it now while it's free!
And finally... most likely I will update this weekly, not daily. Let me know if Teaching Creative Writing as a blogspot suits your interests. I will blog the progress of Creative Writing: the Matrix, of small publishing, of my adventures in teaching creative writing.
The blog is to back up my book Creative Writing: the Matrix, Exercises & Ideas for Creative Writing Teachers. Such a small niche (hello, fellow nichers!) that I have published it myself (that's a story for a later blog posting). See http://www.paxtonpublishing.co.uk The book has 95 exercises and 21 mini-lectures plus advice on planning and running a course.
News: If you can get to London, come ask questions direct on Monday 14 Jan. I'm talking at Women Writers Network, 6:30 for 7 pm, Conway Hall, Holborn WC1. For more on WWN see http://womenwriters.org.uk/ Sorry chaps, women only, but I'll be promoting more; watch this space.
Urgent news for all who teach or want to teach adults: there is a new government requirement to register. From March 2008 registering costs £30 but til then it's free. Even if you are not sure you'll teach, or will only teach now and then, you can just be an associate. So do it now while it's free!
And finally... most likely I will update this weekly, not daily. Let me know if Teaching Creative Writing as a blogspot suits your interests. I will blog the progress of Creative Writing: the Matrix, of small publishing, of my adventures in teaching creative writing.
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