1st Day of Class - Welcome Back LCAD Students

First day of classes at Laguna College of Art & Design, this is one of my all time favorite schools. Total student body of about 300. Small classes where I get to know my students and even my students` names. When I teach this same class at the University I have over 80 students in a giant lecture hall and I don`t even try to learn names.

I have been running the LCAD class at about 15 students for the last couple of years. That is a great size. Lots of time for one on one. I get to know my students, their work and their work ethic and that makes it easier to recommend them for jobs and internships that always seem to come my way.

I got my student roll at the end of last week and I was a little shocked to see that have 24 students enrolled. Still a good size class. Okay, a little harder to learn all the names. Still a very workable number. But here is the thing; my class is 1/12th (8%) of the whole student body of Laguna College. So in LCAD terms I have a very, very big class but in University terms I wouldn`t have a class at all.

Don`t get me wrong. There are joys in teaching at the lecture hall leave. It is a different dynamic and if you can tap the energy you can really drive home a point. But it really is different working the big rooms as any mid leavel rock band can tell you.