Max the Mutt Animation School Blog
This is the place to stay on top of what we are doing at Max The Mutt Animation School
Last week the Toronto Star ran a big article on surveys of Canadian university profs and their growing difficulties with incoming students. My guess is that this is a North American problem that affects the US as well as Canada.
Let me begin by saying that every school wants students to succeed. That’s self interest as well as dedication to helping the next generation get educated. I also believe that incoming students want to succeed.
The increasing difficulties seem to be caused by what happened before students got to post high school education. The profs noted that students didn’t seem to have experience working hard and consistently to achieve goals. They had difficulty with sustained focus and concentration. They didn’t seem to have respect for the learning process and were seen text messaging and receiving calls during lectures (not very inspiring for an instructor).
When I attended college no one ever told us how to behave or what was expected of us. I don’ ever remember an incident of disrespect, talking in class, interrupting by entering the room late. It just didn’t happen.
When I took classes at The Art Students League, the class was huge. There was never a disruption. No one entered late or left while the model was posing. No one spoke or fidgeted during a pose. It wasn’t something we even thought about. It was just appropriate behavior. Students who didn’t want to work took off for the cafeteria, but they never disrupted a studio. There was a sense of purpose that permeated the halls.
Instructors are motivated by passionate, hard working students. So are models. For everyone life is richer when we are not just working to earn dollars, but feel that we are part of something meaningful and worthwhile. In a mediocre setting everyone achieves less. In a serious setting, everyone achieves more.
The discipline and training it takes to learn to be completely in the moment (that’s what focus is) is the prerequisite to transcendent experience and mental health..it’s the stuff that art is made of.
No matter what school you attend, in order to reach your potential, you will need self discipline, drive, focus, concentration, and a sense of humor. You will need to multitask and organize your work and your week. You will need the faith that your hard work will eventually pay off. You will need to develop an awareness and respect for your art, your talent, and the rights and needs of other people. You are a major player in the quality of your education. Without your cooperation the best instructors and the best curriculum in the world can’t succeed.
