Teaching beadmaking and what to know about selecting a teacher

It's a growth industry here in the UK now, and with the rise in people who now own torches and have decided that after three weeks melting glass they're ready to teach, there is a need for some thought on the subject. Making beads is a very relaxing way to spend time, it has several great results. You chill out at the torch, you have something to show for your time and you can possibly sell your work.

But, once you show someone else your beads they say 'WOW' and the next thing you know they're over at yours and there's glass melting going on. It's great fun and happens across the world, people sharing their skills.

Hmmm... so what? What does this have to do with teaching and the rest? It's that next step that counts. The thought is this. I can make beads, my friends love them, we've melted glass together and now I think I should make some money off all this because I want to support my hobby.

Is this really the way to go about it? Years ago, when Mike was first making beads, after more than a year of making and selling beads, he decided it was time to take on the next step of teaching beadmaking. This was with not just time at the torch, an average of 5-8 hours a day, almost every day, but also with 30 years of being an art teacher behind him. You would have thought that he was planning to give lessons on the fine art of (fill in your own heinous concept). Despite the fact that he had spent quite a lot of time working on the plan for his lessons, and based his approach on the ISGB lesson recommendations, there were a few folk who thought that it was a Very Bad Idea, to the point that someone somewhere took it on themselves to write a personal LETTER to Mike, this individual castigating Mike in no uncertain terms for his temerity in taking the step of teaching beadmaking to the masses. No, really, it happened. With luck you'll never get a letter implying you're being mercenary and only teaching for the money without the skill required.


So, what does this have to do with teaching?

Everything, really. Someone, somewhere will decide if you're not suitable to teach. Usually it's a student or a prospective student. They will want to know if you're worth the money they're going to pay for the pleasure of learning how to make beads. And if you are, that's great.
How do they know?

The ISGB has a great guide to teaching beadmaking. They have spent a long time and a lot of thought on the topic, working to help people by preparing guidelines for both teacher and student.

It is important to cover so many aspects of beadmaking, not just 'here's a torch, light it and don't burn yourselves' and yet this happens. Before you take the step of teaching someone in your home, studio or elsewhere it is vital that you prepare yourself as much as the students. And, this is a very important and... can you make a bead? Not just melt glass, but make a bead. A consistent bead, properly constructed. Do you know what to look for in a bead? Is your technique sound? Do you understand the important basics, not just the fancy aspects of the latest popular glass colour but the sound principles behind beadmaking? If not, then perhaps you need a bit more time at the torch before you teach others?

Read the guidelines. If you're a student, ask your prospective teacher the questions they suggest. If you plan to teach, then ask yourself if you can say yes to the criteria as set out by the ISGB.

The link to the guidelines: http://www.isgb.org/education/standards.shtml

They're the best guide you could possibly ask for.