[Bards] Fwd: [SCA_BARDS] What &Why Documentation? down the line - re: Michael's reminder -

[Simone U'Dunalingh]

Thge followingwas on the SCA Bards list. I found the advice Parctical and  
thought you might also.

tenarts <atenarts at yahoo.com> wrote: Posted by request
You can also find this and other articles at
http://arts.atenveldt.org/


in service
Eden
Teaching
By Lady Eden Blacksmith

The SCA cover 'roughly' the time period of 5th to 16th Century that
is a space of 1100 years. This fact can be intimidating..for how are
you supposed to be able to teach, share, collect, understand or, even
begin to comprehend data for over one thousand years. I wish I had a
quick and easy answer..I am sorry I do not. Instead, all I can offer
is some unasked for advice.

1) TAKE IT IN SMALL BITES.........TAKE IT IN VERY SMALL BITES
Do not try to teach a class on Music of the Middle Ages. That is
broad a subject that will keep you up nights doing research.
Instead, a class on String Instruments of the Middle Ages or better
yet, String Instruments of the 15th Century.

2) GO WITH YOUR STRENGTHS
You can cook so teach coking; you like to fish, how did they fish.
Take a skill you already have and expand on it. If you are good with
cards than teach gaming. Pick an area you feel comfortable with and
share.

3) HAVE FUN
If it is boring to you ..than it will be very boring to your students.  
[ie, jen here - does your documentation GRAB attention also? - because it  
can!] Eden cont.- Look at the material in a new way. Example, instead of
just giving castle terms....build a castle.

4) LET THEM PLAY
While listing the `Comprehensive Study of Clay Jars and How They Were  
Affected by the Economic Landscapes" sounds very poignant its significance  
will be better understood if you tell them while they are making a jar.

5) INSPIRE
Do not tell them everything..leave them wanting more..asking more
questions. We can never hope to know all there is to know, we can only  
try. Never, let them think that this class or any class will answer all  
the questions...inspire them and yourself to keep searching.

6) TEACH IT
If you wait till you know everything there is to know on the subject  
before you teach anything than you are doing a disservice to your self. If  
you feel that you have to be an expert before you can share a piece of the  
puzzle than you are doing a disservice to therest of us. If you feel that  
you can not share the craft or the
wisdom till you know it all than you are doing a disservice to the craft  
and dishonoring the wisdom you have gained.

7) IT IS OKAY TO BE NERVOUS
You are not being judged. [although this thread deals with documentation  
for judging - but the following holds true!] You are not expected to be a  
professional
educator. You are sharing what you have learned with people who want to  
learn it. It is ok to be nervous.(end snip - )(completion of Article at  
the bottem)My responce to her - because I , when ready, want EVERYONE to  
get the same jazzed excitement - ) Just remember - your documentation  
might be the first thing seen:Go Eden!!!!!!!!!!! (GRIN!)

Jen (absolutely being fascinated by the state of the church dictates vs.  
literature, fiction vs non-fiction vs "extant folktales", the  
incorporation and plagerizing of -and the development of the beginnings of  
structured "not quite factual stories 'outside the box'"- and what bards &  
authors had to do to compensate, and avoid being beheaded or imprisoned -  
also the underground railroad throughout europe which led to development  
of the pre-novel,  and the beginning of & honing of storyline, plotline,  
etc. - and a heck of a lot of other interesting stuff - (like scribes,  
scribal errors, and no copywrites, and what publishing was before  
publishing.Also. the metric vs the prose (looser metrics - yet in the  
style of -(1400s) as authors and bards paid homage to correctness and yet  
began to develop a new way to structure outside of the traditional rigid  
meters.Jen and Her Picklebowl -
(continuation of full LadyEden missive)
8) LIMIT YOUR CLASS
Understand the limits of what you can do. If you can effectively
teach blackwork to only 6 people than limit your class to 6 people.

9) DO NOT GO BROKE
Understand that it is ok not to provide each student with 10 pages of
color copies...it is ok to ask for a small donation to cover cost.
Look at it this way...if you have a 10 person limit and you ask for
$5 each that means you have spent $50 in supplies. No one expects
you to provide more than you can. It is ok to cut cost.

10) ATTENDANCE IS NOT A FACTOR
If one person shows than you can teach one person....even, if that
one person is you.

-- 
When you focus on the Negitive that is all you see, when you forcus on the  
positive the world changes--

To view story in progress go to http://Writing.Com/authors/kyiare