So, This week so far has gone a little like this, Monday a.m, college teaching the little darlings about media in particular Photography, great fun, however this group are not your normal students, these kids are the rejects from other colleges so an assortment of problems, but great fun none the less. In two weeks time I am taking them with 2 other tutors on a trip to a town centre with the hope of shooting homeless people (part of the criteria for the BTEC award), so they are really excited, then I overheard the conversations, 'we could go into TK and do some shopping', 'lets go to costa for a coffee' 'I need a new skirt for a party, there are some great shops there', STOP, I have to bring to there attention that this is not a jolly or a school trip, there are going there to shoot photographs for their assignments, smiles now melt into disappointing looks, followed by comments like, 'I ain't shooting some homeless person he may attack me', 'I really need to by a skirt' I want to go to the shopping mall', ' I will ask Michael, he will let me go to Costa', at this point I get their attention by slapping a piece of wood on a desk, I then point out that anyone caught shopping, coffee drinking, in fact going anywhere other than where I point them to go, they will be severely dealt with when we get back. This produces moans and groans and comments like, 'Well I ain't going then'', 'I gonna go shopping anyway'. Such a lovely bunch of kids, but great fun. I really need to find that old cattle prod I have somewhere.
So, onto yesterday, Level 3, year 1, Film and TV students, these guys are the opposite to the Level 2 media students, most are bright and keen, however there are a couple in the 2 groups that I had yesterday that are really mouthy smart arses.
Yesterdays subject was, Understanding the principles of Video Technology, Part 1, Television Standards, so this is a real techi unit, I talk about PAL,SECAM, NTSC, TSC, Aspect Ratios, Component and Composite Video, I also cover the cabling etc, so far they have been having a great time shooting videos, making a small Documentary etc, but now it's time to do the had stuff, a lot of research on their part and producing a PowerPoint Presentation in a weeks time.
£ slides in and they are looking at me like I am talking some foreign language, so I ask what's up? they all come back with the same answer, why do we need to know this stuff? I explain that if they check the course details that they should have read when signing up, that it explains all the modules the course requires, moans, so I continue, as I finish each slide I ask for any questions, nothing? SO i continue to the end, I ask again 'Any Questions' then the reply from smart arse No 1, ' Well I know most of this stuff because I have a Play Station', 'Good' I say' "Yeah" he replies, "No problem, I will have this finished before the weekend", Thats good I say as there are another 3 Lectures following this one starting next week with Broadcast Systems, their faces are a picture especially SM No1, I tell the class, any problems or further questions speak to SM No1 and then dismiss them and go to my next class.
I know that this module is quite hard, it's really a techi's thing so they will struggle and my email inbox will be full by Friday with a million questions, I don't mind but I hate a Smart Arse, maybe he will learn from todays experience that you are never smart enough to bull shit a bull shiter.
I am leaving now for the college, Level 3, Year 2, Film & TV students, today I will show them 'Question Time' and discuss the layout and production techniques, for the last 4 weeks I have been teaching them about Multi-Camera Techniques, after Easter they have to go to the studio and create something similar for their assignment.
Then My evening will be covered by my Adult Learning clas of Level 2 Photography, 9pm I finish, Home by 10pm, then hopefully I can fix my sons watch before I finally get some rest.
Today is going to be a long one.