THE PHOTOGRAPHIC EYE

CLASS VARIATIONS
28
than continually striving to break new ground. One alternative to assignments
from the teacher is to let each student commit in advance to a topic
or theme and then go out to photograph it. This leaves considerable room
for individual interests, while preserving a coherent structure and clear
expectations.
There are a number of ways to adjust this core class structure according to
your particular circumstances. If your class meets five days a week, you
might "double up" with two assignments and two crits per week — though
this may be too demanding. Alternatively, you might schedule, say, crit sessions
for Monday, an assignment shooting session (many can be conducted
in or around the school building) for Tuesday, research projects for Wednesday,
darkroom work for Thursday and critiques of other photographers' work
for Friday.
If your darkroom facilities are limited, you might organize the class into
several groups, having one group use the darkroom while another is doing
research or crits. If so, we recommend re-organizing the groups at intervals,
so more advanced students can help others. If you also teach other art classes,
you might arrange for groups of two or three students to use the darkroom,
during other periods. If you don't have access to a darkroom at all, you can
make do without one, thought this will add to the expense and diminish the
learning experience. Perhaps raising money to purchase darkroom equipment
— through exhibits and sales of class photographs — could become a
collective project.
Other possible variations include:
• using class time to mount prints, making extensive use of the "cropping
exercise" (in Chapter 3 , page 65), either privately or in front of the class.
• arranging for a drama class to provide models (perhaps in stage dress).
• concentrating on playground activities if the photography class coincides
with an elementary recess.
• having photography students take an active role in producing the yearbook
(as already noted), perhaps doing senior portraits as well as candids
and sports photography.
• mounting periodic exhibits, possibly on an exchange basis with other
schools.
• taking field trips on foot in the school vicinity during class periods.