Transcripts
1. From Creator to Educator: From creator to educator, bridging the gap between
artistry and effective teaching. Teaching a skill is one
of the best ways to consolidate your
understanding of your creative subject area. It allows you to cultivate
a community of like minded creatives and open stores of opportunity in your niche. Hi, I'm Priscilla, a
multidisciplinary educator, top teacher on Skillshare, with a Bachelor of Science, Arts, and a Master's
of teaching. Okay. Are you a talented
creative eager to share your expertise and make an impact as an
educator in your field. Then this class is for you. A few years ago, I
transitioned from the field of Science Education into
my creative business, Cardwell and Inc, where I applied the
techniques I acquired during my teaching career to become an educator
of digital design. These skills propelled me to become a top teacher
on Skillshare. In the creative sphere, I encountered exceptional
artists who had hone their craft through intuitive
and dedicated practice. However, I realized that without effective communication
of their expertise, artists struggled to expand their reach in their
communities as educators. The great news is that
teaching is a learned skill, and I'm passionate
about equipping creatives with the
tools to inspire and educate their own
students while creating new avenues for income and freedom in their
creative businesses. This class is going
to be very practical. From crafting clear lesson plans to mastering
communication techniques, you'll gain a comprehensive
understanding of the keys to excelling
as a creative educator. I'll provide templates and
resources to assist you in planning and communicating your creative
skills effectively. We'll break down one of
my most popular classes, painting digital
watercolor leaves in procreate into key components, enabling you to apply the same processes to a skill
that you want to teach. So if you are someone
who wants to use creative education to empower students with practical skills, enhance your credibility as an educator, generate
additional income, and build a community of
like minded creatives, don't miss this opportunity. All you will need
for this class is one skill in your creative
workflow that you are passionate about
teaching and a desired to effectively
communicate it to your audience. If that sounds like
you, join me in class.
2. Class Project: For your class project, you will be tasked with applying the teaching
framework provided in your class resources
to craft a lesson aimed at teaching a beginner
in your subject area. You can access the resource in our class resource
section on the web, not the mobile version
of Skillshare. From there, you can download
it to your file storage and utilize it in a digital app
like God Notes or Notability, or printed out and
fill it out manually. If you'd like feedback
on your template, you can upload it as
a class project in the tab just below
this video. All right. Enough talking, let's dive in. Join me in the next lesson
to discuss how to establish your credibility as an educator in your field of expertise.
3. Establishing Credibility with your Audience: In this lesson, we'll
begin by discussing how to communicate your
identity as an educator. This is the introduction
to your audience. Establishing credibility
as an artist is crucial because it
builds trust with them. While having qualifications or a degree in the field is
a solid starting point. It's not the only way to
demonstrate expertise. In the creative realm, many
artists are self taught and establish credibility through practice and experience. Don't be discouraged if you
lack formal qualifications. Showcasing your work is an
effective method to do this. A portfolio, demonstrating
your mastery of a technique is in valuable. You can share this
by cultivating a strong online presence through your website and
social media channels. Collaboration with other artists or participations in exhibitions and shows is another
effective way of displaying your body of work. Additionally, creating
tutorials, sharing your workflow or sharing
testimonials from students, clients, or collaborators,
enhances credibility. This reassures
your audience that you possess a credible
understanding of your subject and can offer valuable insights
that they can learn from. Now, I'll use myself as an
example and share how I would establish my background
to illustrate this concept. First, I hold formal
qualifications, including a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science and
a master's of teaching. I'm a top teacher on Skillshare, offering iPad based courses, focused on illustration,
animation, and surface pattern design. I have an active Instagram
and Pinterest page that showcases my
workflow, fabric designs, and Skillshare courses,
as well as a website, so that my body of work
is easily accessible for my students, clients,
or collaborators. I'm an established
surface patent designer, specializing in vibrant
colorful designs with nearly 200 prints
available for sale on fabric and homewares
at my spoon flower store. My prints have been
featured multiple times on the Spoonflower
website and Instagram, as well as their
holiday magazine and in her umbrella magazine.
Now it's your turn. Take a minute to complete
the class resource by providing three
examples of how you can showcase your expertise and establish credibility in
your desired subject area. It does not need to be an essay, just a concise summary of who you are and
what you bring to the table as you introduce yourself to your
creative community. Okay. Once you are finished, join me in the next
lesson where we will discuss how to identify your target audience. Okay.
4. Identifying your Target Audience: M. In this lesson, we will discuss
the importance of identifying your
target audience. This is not a formal part
of your lesson plan, but this step is crucial for effectively communicating
your skills in your lesson. It's the background
you need to set yourself up for a
success as an educator. So imagine planning a lesson for university students and then delivering it to a
class of first graders. Despite your preparation
and expertise, the lesson becomes irrelevant to them because it's not tailored
for their background, their level of expertise,
interest or skills. Because it's targeted at the wrong audience,
they become disengaged. That's why clearly identifying and understanding your
audience is essential. Let's begin by creating a profile of your
target audience. What age group do you feel most comfortable teaching
your creative skill to? Where is your audience
located and what is their educational level and
professional background. What skill level beginner,
intermediate or advanced? Do you want your
students to have? For this lesson,
we will focus on targeting beginners
because this allows us to establish
foundational principles and create a baseline for future
classes to be built upon. This may seem a little
daunting at first, but don't be discouraged. Begin by researching
tutorials in your skill area. If you are just embarking
on your educator journey, this is a great starting point. Pay close attention to who the audiences of
these tutorials are, the specific needs and the pain points that
students may have. What are students wanting more explanation
or elaboration on? What do students find
frustrating about the process. Addressing these challenges is critical because as an educator, you want to provide value
to your students and help answer questions about the process that you're
instructing them on. Answers to these areas can
then be incorporated into the stages of your lesson and we'll add value to that lesson. Now, let me provide
a practical example using my own audience. My audience would be
typically aged 25 and above. They come from all
genders and are transitioning from traditional
art into digital art. They are located worldwide. My lessons focus on
digital art on the iPad, targeting illustration and surface pattern
design enthusiasts and focusing on apps that facilitate and simplify
these processes. My students prefer self
paced online learning, and they are often
professionals learning the skills outside of
their nine to five jobs. They gather on platforms
like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest,
YouTube, and Skillshare. They appreciate
structured lessons with clear communication
and visual aids. Their pain points
include mastering the interfaces and tools of
digital design apps like procreate and being able to recreate traditional
textures and workflows digitally and creating an authentic
representation. My teaching style emphasizes clear structured lessons
in an online environment. Now it's your turn. Take a moment to complete
the class resource and create a profile of
your target audience. Considering the specifics of the audience you want to reach. Then join me in the next lesson
to learn how to transform your skill into a class project that you can craft
a lesson around.
5. Crafting a Project Based Lesson: In this lesson, we will discuss crafting and resourcing
a project based lesson? First, you need to
select a topic and a skill that you are
passionate about teaching? You may have an interest
in several areas, to narrow and streamline your
topic to a specific skill. Try and consider the
following points. Is this a skill that
you have an interest in and are confident in
teaching enthusiastically? Is there a skill or area that others frequently ask
for your assistance on? Have you created
any tutorials on a specific technique that has resonated with your
audience on social media? Is this skill a
foundational technique that you can build upon later? Is this skill easy
for beginners, but allows room for creativity? Can students apply this skill practically to their
creative workflow? Are the tools for this
skill easily accessible? And is your skill an entry level skill
that beginners can grasp in ten to 15 minutes. Now, you might ask why
ten to 15 minutes. The answer is that as
an expert in the area, something that might
take you 15 minutes will probably take a beginner
half an hour to absorb and you want
students to feel like the goals you are setting are able to be reached
in this time frame. A clear project
ensures that there is a clear outcome that they come away with at the
end of the lesson. I'll use my class as an example. As an artist, passionate
about watercolor painting. I was aware that it
had a wide scope of possible subject areas like
landscapes or portraits. However, these were too
broad for beginners and did not meet the criteria that I'd given myself to
streamline my skill. I honed in on a
specific skill that beginners could digest and
feel confident executing. In my case, painting digital watercolor leaves in
procreate met that criteria. I was confident and
enthusiastic about using the interface as I use it daily to simplify my
own design workflow. I've had friends, followers, and clients ask me about my technique or
commission projects using my digital
watercolor style. Painting watercolor leaves
was easy for beginners, yet engaging and allowed for creativity in color
variations and arrangements. Students could apply it to their creative workflow
as clip art and graphic assets for
various projects like surface Patent design or
social media graphics. Meeting these criteria
help me to narrow down the specific project and skills needed. Now it's your turn. I want you to take
some time to think about the specific skill
you are wanting to teach. Use the points given in the template to narrow
down your project, and then meet me in the next lesson to look
at how to communicate the tools necessary and plan the resources needed for
your project based lesson.
6. Introducing the Tools and Resources: In this lesson, we'll outline
how to identify the tools and resources needed to teach
your project effectively. This is an important skill to
identify and communicate to your students at the beginning of your lesson in
your introduction. Next, you need to outline
what the class is about. Use your project to help
you establish this. What are students going
to learn in this lesson. Drawing from the work we
did in our previous lesson, explain what they're
going to be able to create by the end of
the lesson and how this is going to provide
value to them in terms of their workflow or
real world applications. You'll notice that I've
not specifically gone into the skills they will learn
to achieve this project yet. As when we sequence the lesson, you'll learn how to break
that into clear steps. Before we get there though, you need to consider what tools students need to
carry out this skill. If you're a guitar teacher, for example, you may
need a guitar in a peek. If you're a chef,
it may be flour, eggs, milk, and sugar. For me in a digital space, my students need
to have an iPad, a stylus, and the apcreate that I use to create
the watercolor leaves. It's important to
state the materials clearly and early in
your introduction. Next, I want you to think
about how you can provide additional resources to help a beginner come along on
the creative journey, is there a resource
that you could provide that helps
simplify the skill they are learning or allow students to have a clear
guide through the process. If it's a musical instrument, perhaps you can supply a
piece of music that has a basic core progression that
you would be teaching them. If you're a, a recipe guide with clear measurements
that they can follow. In essence, allowing them to use the same tools that you're using to help them
along the way. In my class, I created a
watercolor canvas, brushes, and color palette so
that at each stage, students were using the same
tools that I was using. If students were using a
different brush or couldn't get a watercolor texture that
resembled what they saw me do, it could immediately
put them off learning the skill because it now
appeared unachievable. Okay. Using the same tools
that I'm using ensure consistency and
boost student confidence. Take a moment and in the resource section
of the template, write down all the tools necessary for a student
to complete your project, and then consider and write down any accessory materials or guides that you may
be able to provide a beginner to assist them
in learning this skill. Then join me in the next lesson to plan your class introduction.
7. Setting a Clear Foundation: So far in this class, we have established who you
are and your credibility, identified your target audience, outlined what students will learn and how it
provides value to them, given students an overview of the tools needed
and the resources that you can provide to assist them in
completing the skill. So in this lesson, we're going to open
the class with a clear foundation for the
skill you are about to teach. This entails considering the
prior knowledge students need to carry out the
lesson effectively. This will shape
that introduction for your lesson and
establish its groundwork. Here are some points to guide you in structuring
this introduction. First, provide a brief
overview of the tools, the instrument, the program or the interface
you'll be using. Explain how students can find and access the resources
for the class. Describe the setup process. How do students get started. Introduce the basic functions
and explain how to access them and customize them to suit the students
preferences or workflow. Outline any basic
steps or exercises students can undertake to become more familiar
with these tools. So for instance, in my digital
watercolor leaves class. Students need to. Firstly, grasp the
apps basic interface, the gallery, the
tools, the brushes, the layers, and color palettes. Then I guide them
on accessing and importing their class
resources and setting up their canvas and brushes so that they will mimic traditional watercolor techniques
effectively. Next, we delve into
practicing basic drills to help students get
comfortable with creating those brush
strokes digitally. Once this groundwork is set, we can start on our leaves.
Now it's your turn. Take a moment to apply these steps to your
creative skill. Consider what foundational
concepts students need to grasp as they
begin your class. Take some time to write down your responses that are applicable to your
creative skill, and then join me in
the next lesson to discuss sequencing the
rest of your lesson.
8. Creating a Clearly Sequenced Lesson: In this lesson, we will set up a sequence of steps to guide
your teaching process. Now that you've established
the foundation, it's time to plan
the steps needed to take beginners from the
basics to the final project. At each stage, consider a mini
goal that can be achieved, aim to keep each step or a mini section under 10 minutes from
maximum effectiveness. If you anticipate it
will take longer, consider breaking it into smaller segments or
being more concise. Focus solely on the
steps that are essential for beginners and avoid
going off on tangents. Keep your explanations clear
concise and well sequenced. Again, using my
class as an example. Once I've taught how to create brush strokes in
a digital medium, the next stage is creating leaf shapes using
those brush strokes. We work through a series of drills to teach
different leaf shapes. On students feel confident
we'll progress to putting the leaves together
to form twigs and branches. Building upon the skills that they had
previously learned. At each stage in my lesson, the many goals that
students will achieve are confidently navigating
the procreate interface. Then creating controlled
brush strokes through drills. Next, crafting leaf shapes
with brush strokes. Then adding color variations to mimic traditional watercolor, using selections and
the adjustment menu. Once that's done, creating
wreaths confidently, using the symmetry tools in procreate to create
various orientations, and finally, turning
those motifs into clip art with a
transparent background. Whenever you introduce
a new process or tool, consider the why, the
where, and the how. By this, I mean, clearly explain why you chose that process or tool and
what it accomplishes. Then how to execute it. Okay. Remember that your students
can't read your mind. Processes that may
be intuitive to you may need explicit
explanation for beginners. For instance, when
teaching students the process of making color
changes in a digital canvas, first, the why, I
want them to create color bleeds and variations that mimic traditional
watercolor. This can be done using the selection tool and
adjustment menu in procreate. Then the where, I show students where to locate each of these
tools in the interface. Finally, the how, I demonstrate
how to make selections, gradients, and color
adjustments in the leaf. Always aim to visually model the process. Now it's your turn. I want you to outline the
steps you need to get from the foundation to
your final project. Think about a mini
goal or mastery that students can achieve at
each stage of your lesson. Reflect on the stages and think about where you may need
to address the why, the where, and the
how so that students don't feel confused or you
don't lose them along the way. Model first and then provide an opportunity
for your students to practice mastering that skill before progressing
to the next stage. This may be through
repetitive exercises or drills to build up
confidence in that area. I would also encourage
you to informally teach a beginner like a friend
or a family member. They will be a great
resource to show you areas that require more
explanation in your lesson. This feedback is
invaluable as a teacher. It allows you to learn to anticipate the challenges
that beginners may encounter in the
learning process and incorporate support and guidance
for that in your lesson. All right. Enough
talking now over to you. Take some time, work through
the steps in your template. And once you're done, join me in the next lesson to talk about
how to wrap up your lesson.
9. Concluding your Lesson: In this lesson,
we'll discuss how to wrap up your creative
lesson effectively. The first thing
you want to do is summarize the key concepts and skills covered in your class to reinforce your
student's understanding. Whenever possible,
connect these skills to real world applications and demonstrate how they can
benefit their workflow. Lastly, inspire creativity by
offering opportunities for students to explore their skills further and apply them in
those practical contexts. So in my class, I encourage
students to experiment with various color palettes and arrangements for their
reads and motifs. They can then use these
creations as products for fabric design or even as frames
for inspirational quotes. Encourage students to share their work with the
creative community. This promotes feedback and collaboration
amongst students, fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Feedback is invaluable for
both students and educators. Invite feedback on your lesson. Welcome suggestions for
your improvement and areas of interest for
future exploration. As an educator, view that feedback as an opportunity
for growth and learning. Recognizing that teaching
is an ongoing evolution by listening to
your students and incorporating their input
into your teaching practice. You will continue to improve
and grow as an educator. Okay. Take some time to
apply these points to your creative
skills and complete the lesson conclusion part
of your class resource. Then join me in the next
lesson to discuss how to communicate effectively to
an audience as an educator.
10. Effective Communication: In this lesson, we'll
explore how to become an effective communicator
when addressing an audience. This is essential for
engaging with your audience, projecting confidence,
and conveying assurance in your expertise. Imagine if I walked
into a class with my head hunched down,
shoulders dropped, not making eye
contact, mumbling, rushing my words while reading
from a sheet of paper, how would students respond? It would likely be a very
frustrating encounter. Speaking clearly ensures your
message is conveyed loud and clear without confusion
or misunderstanding. Always use clear and
straightforward language, keeping it simple, don't over complicate or over
intellectualize. Next, enthusiasm is contagious. B passionate about
what you are teaching. Our fun exercise to help
you do this is to record a voice memo of yourself reading a paragraph. Then
record it again. This time, smile the whole time. Then play back both voice memos. You can actually hear the
difference in your voice and your students can too and
they respond in kind. In person or on camera, your tone and your face reflect your enthusiasm as you
deliver your lesson. The next area, that is important is the pace
of your lessons. Pay attention to the
pace of your speech. Listen to your favorite
instructors and educators to understand their pronunciation,
intonation, and rhythm. Speaking clearly enhances
comprehension and engagement. Imagine sitting in a room as
someone who talks a minute, barely pausing for breath. It can feel really overwhelming. On the other hand, imagine listening to someone who speaks so slowly that you get
bored and start to nod off. Either extreme is not ideal when it comes to
engaging your audience. Aim for a pace that feels
natural and comfortable, but also allows your students to understand each word clearly. By controlling that pace, it helps students to absorb
that information effectively. Maintain eye contact
when speaking, whether in person
or on the screen. It builds trust and rapport and communicates your
sincerity and authenticity. It also encourages participation
and fosters connection. If you find this challenging
when teaching online, a teleprompter can help you
to maintain that connection. Whether it's giving
a presentation, leading a workshop
or teaching a class. Remember the power
of confidence, clear communication, and controlling the
pace of your speech. They are the secret
ingredients that turn an ordinary talk into an
unforgettable experience, leaving a lasting impression
on your audience. That's all for this lesson. Join me in the next lesson as
we explore the benefits of incorporating education into your business strategy
as a creative.
11. The Benefits of being a Creative Educator: To conclude this class, let's discuss the benefits of incorporating education into
your creative business. As artists, our craft is
our main source of income, but teaching about our workflow can provide an additional
revenue stream. Fortunately, there are
numerous teaching platforms available for creative today, such as Skillshare,
YouTube, and social media. It's essential to research
where people who share your creative passions gather
to learn about your craft, and this will guide you
to the right platform for you to begin to
launch your classes. Be selective about
where you invest your energy and focus on areas that reward
you monetarily. Conduct an audit of your
business to compare the time and energy invested with the income generated and the value
placed on your work. While it's natural for creatives to
prioritize creativity, a thrive in creative business requires critical analysis
of income streams. So consider investing
your time and energy in areas that are going
to value your expertise. Now, teaching doesn't happen
overnight and requires an investment to create those classes and build
community over time. The joy of education, though, is seeing another artist thrive and unlock
skills that they may have never achieved without you stepping out
and sharing your process. I want to leave you with
the understanding that your uniqueness and individuality
is your superpower. It doesn't matter how many
times the topic has been taught or who else is teaching
in that subject area. Your personality and
your teaching style will resonate with someone out there waiting for your insight to help unlock their creativity.
12. Final Thoughts: Thank you for joining
me in this class. I hope it has equipped you with practical skills to enhance your business through
creative education, whether online or in person. Don't forget to upload your lesson template to the
class project section below. If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment
in the discussion section. Additionally, if you've been
inspired and would like a personalized guided
tour through planning and crafting your creative
class in your subject area, I now offer one on one online coaching sessions here on skill share
through my profile. We can start with
your class template as a baseline and
then take a deep dive into streamlining your
ideas and structuring them to effectively
communicate your skills. So let's turn those
creative ideas into impactful lessons together. If you have a moment, please consider leaving a
review of the class. Your feedback means a lot
and helps me to refine my classes in a way that provides value to my
student community. I'm so excited to see how
you are going to apply the concepts from this class to develop your creative
teaching skills. Have a fantastic day
and happy creative.