This document summarizes the final day of a printmaking collaboration project with students. The students worked in pairs or groups to plan and prepare print plates in the first half of the session. After a break, they began printing, with some students printing their plates together like a puzzle while others made sequential stories. Two unsure students got advice on overlapping their plates from the teacher, and their outcome turned out well. At the end, the teacher spoke to some students about their future plans and university applications. Overall, the students learned printmaking processes and gained confidence over the three days, while the teacher felt they achieved their goal of gaining teaching experience.

1. FINAL DAY – COLLABORATING
For the last day,we decidedasa teamto set the studentsthe
task of producinga collaborative print.The studentshadtoget
intopairsor groups anddecide onan image to workfrom.This
meantthat for the firsthalf of the session,theywere planning
and preparingtheirplates.Itwasinterestingseeingsome of the
studentshave tocompromise theirideaswiththeirpeers,
similartous duringthe trainingdaytasks.
Afterour30 minute break,we beganprinting.Some of the
studentsusedthe settaskindifferentways.Forexample,some
printedtheirplatestogetheralmostlikeapuzzle whilstothers
made a sequential storylikelayout.Twostudentswhowere
unsure onhow theywantedtherestolookaskedme forsome
advice.Ihad a lookat both theirplatesandsuggestedthey
overlappedthemonthe same bitof paper.Theyseemedtolike
the ideaof thisandso wentforwardwithit.I guidedthem
alongthe way,as itwas a technique theyhadnottriedyet.
However,once theyprintedit,Ithoughtthe outcome was
great.
As itwas our lastsession,Ithoughtitwouldbe a goodideato
talkto the studentsmore abouttheirfuture plans. Ispoke toa
fewof themabout whethertheyconsideredgoingto
university.One girl toldme she hopedto eventuallygoto
universityinGlasgowandshe askedforadvice aboutapplying.I
explainedmyexperience of applyingtouniversityandtoldher
howthe processworks.
The studentsseemtohave learnta lotabout the printmaking
processesduringthe three days.Itwasalsoevidentthatthey
had become muchmore confidentwiththeirmarkmakingas
we progressed.Ilovedseeingthemreallygetinvolvedwiththe
processesandhavingfun.
The experiencehasalsotaughtme a lotaboutworkingwith
youngerpeople.Asteachingisacareer I have beenconsidering
for the future,Ifounditveryuseful tosee how the whole
atmosphere worksandhowthe teacherhas to prepare forthe
lessonstomake sure the studentsare doingwell.
Lookingback onmy ‘hopesandfears’I feel thatIhave
definitelyachievedmyhope of gainingmore experience in
teaching.Alsomyfearof ‘not beingable toengage withthe
student’s’wentawayasI managedtospeakto most of the
groupand give themhelpful advice throughoutthe project.