The importance of proper handwriting

[Wahlnuts1]

As a beginning bonsai student, each lesson one is told they must practice wiring , practice wiring, practice wiring. Not every student has such desire and perseverance.
As a good teacher, one must provide instruction, not destruction, each lesson sharing knowledge and offering encouragement. This will grow the students desire and perseverance. Just as a master grows a bonsai tree. (Poetic, isn’t it?)

 

[Anthony]

It is in Chaucery Scrip.

 

[Anthony]

So another concept is ------

when going to study with a teacher, be as though you were empty.
Think empty jug.

Then there is the age thing -------------- some schools have an age restriction 27 or so.
Why, because the normal person has a personality that cannot really learn after the
age of 27.
As we say down here --------- the head is hard.
You have to prove you can still learn.

Plus, first hand I have seen the arguments that occur when the student is around the
same age as the teacher.

Why do you think it is so hard to pass on simple ideas on Bonsai ?
Why do the many not want to learn how to experiment ?
Why.................................
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Vance Wood]

As a beginning bonsai student, each lesson one is told they must practice wiring , practice wiring, practice wiring. Not every student has such desire and perseverance.
As a good teacher, one must provide instruction, not destruction, each lesson sharing knowledge and offering encouragement. This will grow the students desire and perseverance. Just as a master grows a bonsai tree. (Poetic, isn’t it?)

Nothing can be more encouraging than results, even if the methods of getting there were painful. Sometimes a teacher is a task master not a wizard with a wand of power. If you as a student don't like the direction you are going get on a different train.

 

[twisted trees]

As a good teacher, one must provide instruction, not destruction...

Now there's a catchy slogan.

 

[kakejiku]

I am not sure if I agree with anyone. This is obvious a swipe at the teaching methods of Japan...but In my opinion there are many different types of learners. The four I most commonly saw (I taught skiing and snowboarding for 4 years professionally) were:
1. Thinkers
2. Feelers
3. Doers
4. Watchers

Thinkers like to listen to verbal explanation, visualize in their head how to tackle problems.
Feelers like others to physically go through the motions of what they are doing and will understand through sensory motions, particularly touch.
Doers like to actually try out the skills that are being explained and taught. Trial and error seems to be their best guide.
Watchers like to observe how something is being done and then try to replicate it later on their own.

A good teacher can cater a lesson to every type of learner and maximize the students strengths and what works best for their situations.

Just like we shouldn't box a student into one type of learning strength, we should not criticize or box all teachers into one type of teaching style...and to box all Japanese teachers into one type of, or method of teaching would show to me someone who has not spent any or much time in Japan at all...

 

[Anthony]

Actually, my comments deal with European teaching methods.
Specifically the Ateliers that have lineage back to Da Vinci's Atelier
and the French of the 1700/ 1800's.

I don't know anything about Japanese teaching.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[twisted trees]

In the search of beauty does beautiful handwriting help lead you there?

 

[Anthony]

The idea is - discipline -- as the Italian teacher saw it - twisted trees.
He used the hand writing bit to weed and the last student was easy to finish off.
The Irish of the 70's train the same way, I was taught by the Irish.

Gets only the strong, and less than 0.1 % of the world's population turn the planet.
The rest are there to supply new turners.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[twisted trees]

The idea is - discipline -- as the Italian teacher saw it - twisted trees.
He used the hand writing bit to weed and the last student was easy to finish off.
The Irish of the 70's train the same way, I was taught by the Irish.

Gets only the strong, and less than 0.1 % of the world's population turn the planet.
The rest are there to supply new turners.
Good Day
Anthony

My first job in a sign shop I was first given a long-handled bristle brush. Known otherwise as a broom.

 

[Bonsailane]

Rafael Najmanovich: So the Italian poet was using the Japanese model of teaching bonsai to teach Poetry?

Interesting

 

[Random User]

I know that I already said that I was leaving again after my last post, but I tripped across this thread and wanted to reply.

I have accreditations of different sorts and one of them happens to be a teaching certificate.

While reading Walter's story, I began to smile. During my time studying, I had a Psych Prof who, although highly unorthodox in his approach to teaching, was the most humorous and effective teacher I ever had.

One day at the beginning of an hour and a half scheduled class, near the very end of the term, he posed two short question, and without hearing anyone's response, he replied to his own questions with a short statement:

He said, "I want every individual in this room to think about the very best teacher you have ever had, and the things that he or she did that made them special..." (about 3 minutes went by, then he said) "Now I want every individual in this room to think about the very worst teacher they ever had and mentally list the things that made them so horrible as a teacher."

After another three minutes he said, "For your entire teaching career, avoid doing ANY of the things that the second teacher did"... he got up from sitting on the desk in his usual position, smiled, and walked out of the class. He never showed up for class again, but in the last two or three classes that we had left (and felt compelled to come to), what do you suppose we discussed?

The question the OP raises for me is, "what did the teacher learn in his own class?"

Later

 

[ColinFraser]

Something else that might be missing from this discussion (forgive me if I missed it) is the distinction between a casual student taking weekend classes in their hobby, and an apprentice or very serious student learning a trade/craft/art full time.

Someone with a teaching style like Walter's poet probably isn't good to take occasional classes from as an amateur; however, a great artist who doesn't teach well might nevertheless be a good mentor to an apprentice who works with him everyday and watches closely . . .

Perhaps the "wax-on wax-off" "mop the floor" approach doesn't work for hobbyists paying for classes, but that isn't always the context. Just something to think about when comparing apples to poets

 

[Anthony]

Or Colin, Mr. Pall overstating to get responses?

See his tale of woe for his friend who has asthma.
Not quite the comatose tale.

The Poet might have simply got fed-up with non - poets.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Victorim]

See his tale of woe for his friend who has asthma.
Not quite the comatose tale.

Bit of a shitty thing to say to anyone there pal.. Or am I missing somehing
..

 

[wireme]

I know that I already said that I was leaving again after my last post, but I tripped across this thread and wanted to reply.

I have accreditations of different sorts and one of them happens to be a teaching certificate.

While reading Walter's story, I began to smile. During my time studying, I had a Psych Prof who, although highly unorthodox in his approach to teaching, was the most humorous and effective teacher I ever had.

One day at the beginning of an hour and a half scheduled class, near the very end of the term, he posed two short question, and without hearing anyone's response, he replied to his own questions with a short statement:

He said, "I want every individual in this room to think about the very best teacher you have ever had, and the things that he or she did that made them special..." (about 3 minutes went by, then he said) "Now I want every individual in this room to think about the very worst teacher they ever had and mentally list the things that made them so horrible as a teacher."

After another three minutes he said, "For your entire teaching career, avoid doing ANY of the things that the second teacher did"... he got up from sitting on the desk in his usual position, smiled, and walked out of the class. He never showed up for class again, but in the last two or three classes that we had left (and felt compelled to come to), what do you suppose we discussed?

The question the OP raises for me is, "what did the teacher learn in his own class?"

Later

Sorry to see you go, I've enjoyed your posts and nice to have a little bit of the rare SK representing!

 

[MichaelS]

You can't teach music, you can't teach poetry and you can't teach bonsai.
You can only tell or show people how you see things. The rest is up to them.

 

[MichaelS]

"

plant_dr, post: 517306,


"Bonsai experts around the world''

What exactly is an ''expert'' though. Some of these people are still in their thirties. It takes at least that amount of time to figure out what a bonsai even is - or means. Maybe expert technicians not bonsai experts.

 

[Victorim]

"


What exactly is an ''expert'' though. Some of these people are still in their thirties. It takes at least that amount of time to figure out what a bonsai even is - or means. Maybe expert technicians not bonsai experts.

Ah my recurrng nemesis.. how to I get more of it?..

 

[music~maker]

"


What exactly is an ''expert'' though. Some of these people are still in their thirties. It takes at least that amount of time to figure out what a bonsai even is - or means. Maybe expert technicians not bonsai experts.

Oh boy, is this going to be another one of those arbitrarily and narrowly defineds term like "art" for you?

Let's just nip this one in the bud. Age doesn't necessarily have any relationship to level of expertise whatsoever. It certainly can be an indicator, but the amount of time per day/week/month/year spent on something, the amount of overall effort, the quality of that effort, quality of practice, quality and availability of mentorship, natural aptitude, etc, etc, etc, etc, all play into somebody's level of expertise.

And if you want to claim that a certain number of years are required, that's fine (though the specific number would clearly be debatable and vary by person), but number of years doing something would certainly be more relevant than a person's age. Some people get involved in things very young, and are easily as good as the adults by the time they're in their early teens. Is that person at 30 really not going to be considered an expert? Some people spend 25 years doing something, but essentially repeat the same year over and over again. Could they be considered an expert at anything but mediocrity? Doubtful. I've seen plenty of real-world situations where a person with 4-5 years of highly trained experience easily bests the 25-year weekend warrior.

But I kind of suspect what you're really getting at is your arbitrarily high bar for the term "artist", and trying to suck us back into another technician vs. artist debate.

How about we cut to the chase, shall we? The term "bonsai expert", as used in this thread, is almost certainly the more broadly defined term that most people here would use to label the people on that list. It refers to those who have significant expertise and accomplishments in the field, a high amount of breadth and depth in their skill set, and who are probably also in the role of "teacher" at the stage they're at. And yes, most people here would probably also call them "artists" as well.

Gray areas, my friend, gray areas. Life is full of them. =)