College - how do they teach practical lessons?

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KayaPapaya

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Hello all I'm new to the site (wave)

Can I ask you all a really bizarre question?

How does your college teach practicals?

I am doing 1st year of NVQ2 and I am really strugling with the practical side of things.
Our teacher seems to show us somthing once - one demo on a stage. That's it. Then let us work on blockheads then walk round 30 minutes later saying no that's wrong, or yeah that's good. then clear off again, and then do the same.
I am just feeling really out of my depth. We then do it one week and then don't go back to it for 5 weeks when she says lets do an assement.

My hairdresser told me, that how she was taught, that her whole class stood roudn in a circle and they all head blocks on stands - the teacher is the first one, and they follow what the person next to them does - like Chinese whispers type of thing, and teacher stands behind WATCHING them.
I am really starting to wonder whether it'll be worth moving colleges or actually whether I want to do the next year of the course - I know shes a new teacher and frankly I won't stay if she will do the course next year. I struggle with confidence as it is, and I'm really struggling with her teaching (or lack of it).

So Please, how are you shown at your college? Maybe this is normal and I'm just not getting it quick enough, I don't know. I prefer being shown, then shown again, and again, and then working on somethign for weeks until we get it. In other disciplines, you learn routines I know it's probably not the same in hairdressing but I am not sure if it's her teaching, or me being thick :(

I also know I must practice more as well to gain confidence but it's a problem when I have a full time job as well :(
 
In mine we only have small classes of like 15 ish, teacher does a demo then people have a go on their own blocks and if they get stuck or need help teacher comes and helps them to understand. I think we had 3 hours of cutting a week last year, so first we spent a few weeks on each cut - one length, forward grad, block layers, graduation etc and then we kept practising all year and revisited each one a few times to make sure everyone got it.
 
In mine we only have small classes of like 15 ish, teacher does a demo then people have a go on their own blocks and if they get stuck or need help teacher comes and helps them to understand. I think we had 3 hours of cutting a week last year, so first we spent a few weeks on each cut - one length, forward grad, block layers, graduation etc and then we kept practising all year and revisited each one a few times to make sure everyone got it.
Ok thank you faerififi - so it sounds like that's how hairdressing is taught.

We did have a stand-in teacher one week, and she taught differently - watching us as we did it. Rather than wandering off.
I think maybe it bugs me slightly as some girls/ladys have more skills than us beginners,and because they know what they're doing, she kind of hangs round with them more. Last week teacher spent an hour cutting one of the girls hair (her faves) and left us all waiting for assesment books to be filled out. It mightnot have been so bad, if she had let us watch her cutting so we could learn. But she's not watching us doing anything either.
I don't know. I am not sure about the teaching at this place at all. with rollers and stuff it's not so difficult to pick up, but cutting is really tricky (for me anyway).
A few others feel the same.
Maybe I was expecting more 1-on-1 teaching - we're only a group of 12 now as well, so she could spend more time watching us and helping.
 
My first year in college the tutor was rubbish, we all moaned, quite a few dropped out but it wasn't until Easter we said anything. The college was great about it but said we should have told them sooner, so my advice is talk to the rest of the class then talk to someone higher up x
 
In my training we used a separate salon laid out like a regular salon, we would have our heads at a mirror and the tutor would show us once, but explain every cut she made (would take about 1 1/2 hours) then we would attempt on our blocks and ask if there was a stage we were struggling with.

I switched college half way through and wouldn't change it. I was shows about 15/16 different cutting techniques as every tutor had a different method. Was great. Xoxo
 
Yep, thats how we have been taught (17 of us all at different levels).

We were taught one length cut for two weeks (6hrs) and then we didn't go back to it for 6-8 weeks as we were learning other styles. Our tutor came round and watched us and checked through the cut thoroughly and was always responsive when we need help.

It does depend on the tutor though, my tutors are great but have had stand in tutors who are not... so it really makes a difference.

Very similar experience to the rest of the comments!

(PS One thing I felt helped me - I wrote out an idiots guide after each cutting lesson whilst it was still fresh in my mind so when I come back to any cut - I have a written record in my own words of what I need to do)
 
Thank you all for taking time to reply to me.
I think maybe the teaching method is right, the tutor maybe not so good. we've had about 8 or 9 drop out too.
going to look at a different college next week to see what its like.
 
Ok thank you faerififi - so it sounds like that's how hairdressing is taught.

I think maybe it bugs me slightly as some girls/ladys have more skills than us beginners,and because they know what they're doing, she kind of hangs round with them more. Last week teacher spent an hour cutting one of the girls hair (her faves) and left us all waiting for assesment books to be filled out. It mightnot have been so bad, if she had let us watch her cutting so we could learn. But she's not watching us doing anything either.

That would of really peeved me off, i hate favoritism in college especially if they are not helping you with the skills you need to pass your assessments. Since i've been at college i've seen a lack of interest coming from many tutor's, they just don't wont to put 100% effort in doing the job they were employed to do.

I think your class should just get together and go and see someone higher up about how this is effecting you all.
 
Try to speak to your tutor directly about it and ask her to demonstrate again the techniques that you are not confident with.

Remember, her job is to provide sufficient training to enable you to reach a minimum standard of hairdressing.

Otherwise, speak to you head of department/faculty. Send them an email if you don't feel comfortable discussing the problem face to face.

Try not to feel intimidated. Explain what the problems are and suggest how things might be improved. E.g. Repeating demos, getting the group to follow each stage on their head blocks etc.

Also, make good use of books, dvd's and online tutorials (Myhairdressers,com). Check out your college library.

Best of luck with your studies.
 
are you on a mature course so you only have the one tutor? my advice would be speak to her and tell her you're not getting it, then if she still doesnt make an effort to make sure you understand and have it in your head go higher and then atleast you have tried to sort it out
we had a similar thing at college with a NIGHTMARE lecturer who was rude and no work we ever did was good enough for her, in the end after being spoke too like an idiot infront of a client (i was nearing the end of my 2nd year) i told her i was an adult and i didnt appreciate being spoke too like a 5yr old and wouldnt tollerate her doing it again - she backed right off from then on but still enjoyed nothing more than failing all our written work on grammar and spelling etc :O i was 27 not 17 lol - she even wrote a whole paragraph on someones work and said delete what you have written and insert this :O needless to say they went to the head of the department but thats how much of a control freak she was

in general i think what youve described is how the course is taught, also worth remembering that everyone learns at different paces so some might be getting it dead quick, also there is only so much you can do one or two days a week and theres alot to fit in so if you kept going over things you wouldnt get half of it done

i personally dont think you learn enough on a mature course, my confidence is shot as apart from the minimum clients for assesment (2 on each cut) we had hardly any practical experience

but stick with it and explain you're not happy, its there job to make sure you are learning
 
I totally feel for you Kayapapaya.

I felt my Level 2 was self-taught! The tutors were hardly in the room - when we had a problem, we had to run round the college trying to find them! The teaching was so poor.

We spent one afternoon theory on colours! Can you believe that? We couldn't!

We did complain but the tutor used to go beserk at us all - frightening some people.

For me, it was a complete waste of money. I learnt far more in my work placement which I would recommend.

Hope that helps! :(
 
I totally feel for you Kayapapaya.

I felt my Level 2 was self-taught! The tutors were hardly in the room - when we had a problem, we had to run round the college trying to find them! The teaching was so poor.

We spent one afternoon theory on colours! Can you believe that? We couldn't!

We did complain but the tutor used to go beserk at us all - frightening some people.

For me, it was a complete waste of money. I learnt far more in my work placement which I would recommend.

Hope that helps! :(

Chats where I'd see my bottom and throw a wobbly back, I don't accept being spoken to as a child now, I didn't at 16/17 and I didn't at 13, many teachers of mine found they would get a better response from me if I was spoken to in a civilised manner, i didn't really have any complaints at college, except toward the ed when I left for another college, the head of dept asked my mum in for a meeting where there was 4 staff standing and her alone in the chair being spoken at.
I go a call in salon off her to say what happened, so I took off, told the tutors "I will be back when I'm done with the head" went down to the meeting room, and went straight in (she had a meeting with another member of staff then) so I just had them both, said it was a descusting practice and that there was no need for 4 people to be there speaking at 1 person, that it was intimidating and nasty an I would be informing the head.

Needless to say she was a bitch to me after I'd had a private meeting with the head so I left for a really nice college where I could pop and see the head each week for a chat about how progress was made and how improvements to the whole teaching programme could be made, this was done with all students and staff.

So don't give up hun, just take it further xoxo
 
In my training we used a separate salon laid out like a regular salon, we would have our heads at a mirror and the tutor would show us once, but explain every cut she made (would take about 1 1/2 hours) then we would attempt on our blocks and ask if there was a stage we were struggling with.

I switched college half way through and wouldn't change it. I was shows about 15/16 different cutting techniques as every tutor had a different method. Was great. Xoxo

I wish. About 10 minutes for us then struggle on your own - only cut one layer at a time so I can check. Then stop and chat to her friends for 20 minutes, so you're bored by the time she gets to you, and then if it's wrong wait another 20 minutes until she checks the corrections. Watch her role her eyes at you when you ask for help.
I actully now think its me she doesn't like.She was incredibly offish on my lesson this week.
 
are you on a mature course so you only have the one tutor? my advice would be speak to her and tell her you're not getting it, then if she still doesnt make an effort to make sure you understand and have it in your head go higher and then atleast you have tried to sort it out
we had a similar thing at college with a NIGHTMARE lecturer who was rude and no work we ever did was good enough for her, in the end after being spoke too like an idiot infront of a client (i was nearing the end of my 2nd year) i told her i was an adult and i didnt appreciate being spoke too like a 5yr old and wouldnt tollerate her doing it again - she backed right off from then on but still enjoyed nothing more than failing all our written work on grammar and spelling etc :O i was 27 not 17 lol - she even wrote a whole paragraph on someones work and said delete what you have written and insert this :O needless to say they went to the head of the department but thats how much of a control freak she was

in general i think what youve described is how the course is taught, also worth remembering that everyone learns at different paces so some might be getting it dead quick, also there is only so much you can do one or two days a week and theres alot to fit in so if you kept going over things you wouldnt get half of it done

i personally dont think you learn enough on a mature course, my confidence is shot as apart from the minimum clients for assesment (2 on each cut) we had hardly any practical experience

but stick with it and explain you're not happy, its there job to make sure you are learning

Hi, thank you for replying. So Yes I'm on the evening/mature class.
I/my class have the rolling eyes rather than patronising talking to child thing - like we're inconvenience to her. We laughed this week as she said assessors are coming in XX date, and you need to be on time -no chatting wearing full kit (we do) we always wait 10 minutes for her to have her catch up in staff room etc. And she said, I'll try something a bit different on this day I will do a presentation and then I will do some 1-on-1 with you all. lol. Decide to teach us properly as she's being assessed. :/
So this week she spend most of her time bleaching her supervisors hair.
Its good you stood up to teacher and said no more. Good for you. I think I will see what the other college is like and then decide what to do. Maybe will need to chat with the course leader adn say - come on this is rubbish. I've paid a lot of money to do the course teach me please!
And true some girls and ladys will pick up quicker. I guess I'm slower, but will get there I am determined.
I like to thank everyone for taking time to reply to me. I think there is hope then redbillie if you are still working even though college was bad for you to.
 
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