Page 6 of Learning Curves

Audrey smoothed a hand over her hair for approximately the fiftieth time that morning, catching her ring in the process.

She freed it from her hair and spun it idly on her middle finger.

It was a handcrafted gift from a talented friend, an oval-shaped turquoise stone set into a delicately carved silver band, her favorite piece of jewelry.

Her first class started in ten minutes, and she was annoyingly fidgety.

She’d gotten here way too early, eager to familiarize herself with the classroom and make sure she knew how to work the equipment, which hadn’t taken as long as she’d expected.

Now she found herself standing at the front of the room, trying not to look like an overeager amateur if any of her students showed up early.

Since she had time to kill, Audrey pulled out her phone and snapped a quick selfie standing at the lectern with the empty classroom visible behind her. She texted it to her parents, knowing they were eager for a glimpse of her at her new job.

Probably because of her nervousness, she’d guzzled entirely too much water, and now .

.. she cast a glance at the clock hanging near the door.

Yep, she still had time to visit the restroom before her class started.

Was it okay to leave her laptop here while she stepped out?

She closed it to make it less noticeable on the lectern and then ducked into the hallway.

Several students stood at the end of the hall, wearing backpacks and laughing together.

The sight filled her with a warm sense of nostalgia.

She’d loved being a student, all the way from elementary school to her postdoc studies.

Nothing energized her like a classroom, and now she would get to spend her career in one.

Audrey slipped into an all-gender restroom—something she was thrilled to see that her alma mater had adopted since she was a student—and took care of business.

When she returned to her classroom, two of the students she’d noticed earlier were seated in the back of the room, looking at their phones and talking quietly.

“Hi,” Audrey called to them as she took her spot at the lectern. “Welcome to the new semester. Is this your first class of the year?”

One of them shot her a vaguely annoyed look for interrupting their conversation. “Yeah.”

“It’s my first too,” Audrey told her. “I’m Dr. Lind.”

“You’re new here, right?” the student asked. “I don’t remember seeing you last year.”

“That’s right. I’m really excited about this class too. I’m a potter in my spare time. In fact, I brought a few of my pieces in today for inspiration.” She gestured to the blue ombre glazed bowl and etched mug on the table beside the lectern.

“That’s cool. How did you make that rainbow effect on the mug?” the girl asked, focusing all her attention on Audrey for the first time.

“It’s one of my favorite techniques, and we’ll be learning it in this class.

” Audrey lifted the mug and approached the two students so they could get a closer look.

“I apply liquid wax to the clay while it’s at the leather-hard stage, then use a stylus tool to carve my design into the clay.

After it’s completely dry, I brush the paint on one color at a time, wiping away the excess with a sponge.

The wax keeps the paint from adhering to the main surface of the mug, so the result is this rainbow gradient in the design I carved. ”

“It’s so pretty.” The student gazed admiringly at Audrey’s mug, holding out a tentative hand. “May I?”

“Of course.” Audrey handed it to her. “Have you used a pottery wheel before?”

The student nodded. “Yeah, but I’ve never created anything this cool. You’re really going to show us how to make one of these?”

“I really am. What’s your name?”

“I’m Sophie Bellanger. This is my friend Emma.” She gestured toward the girl sitting next to her.

“Nice to meet you both.” Audrey saw the way Sophie’s eyes lit up over the idea of making beautiful ceramics, and she felt the same spark inside herself because she was doing it . She was inspiring new artists.

More students had trickled in now. Audrey walked around the room, letting everyone see the mug. A few of them looked bored, but most seemed interested in creating something like it. This was one of Audrey’s favorite things about ceramics: you could customize your pieces however you liked.

She loved to make her ceramics fresh and colorful, but her techniques could be applied to pretty much any style the potter preferred.

She was only expecting eleven students for this first class of the morning.

Enrollment hadn’t reached capacity, which was disappointing, but hopefully the numbers would improve in future semesters.

By the time the clock showed nine, she counted eleven people in the room.

“Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Ceramics I. I’m Dr. Lind.

In this class, we’ll cover basic techniques for using the pottery wheel, trimming, carving, and decorating your piece, and firing it in the kiln.

Our Monday sessions will meet here in the classroom, and on Thursdays we’ll be in the studio on the first floor to practice what you’ve learned while creating your own pieces.

You can expect to have at least five finished pieces by the end of the semester.

Are there any questions before we start? ”

As it turned out, there were. Audrey answered questions, walking between desks to get to know her students. She had prepared a selection of slides for today’s lecture, going over the syllabus as she introduced the topics and techniques she would be covering in class.

She also wore a microphone attached to the collar of her shirt. She’d been informed last week that there was a deaf student in this class, so she was using software that transcribed her words as she spoke, displaying them on the screen at the front of the room for accessibility.

Audrey lost track of time as she immersed herself in the class, pleased with the attentiveness of her students.

Before she knew it, her time was up. “Office hours are posted in the portal if you need anything before our next class. Otherwise, I’ll see you in the studio on Thursday for our first session throwing on the pottery wheel.

We’re going to begin with a simple bowl, so be thinking about how you’d like to customize your piece. ”

Everyone headed for the door, phones out as their attention turned to their next class or whatever else today held for them.

Audrey began to shut down the AV system, since this was her only class in this room today.

One student lingered, a girl with light-brown skin and a high ponytail.

She had introduced herself earlier in class as Laya LaRue.

“Hi, Laya. Is there something I can help with?” Audrey wished she hadn’t just shut down the screen, since Laya was her deaf student.

“Thank you, Dr. Lind, for using subtitles during class,” Laya said, her words a bit slurred. “Will that be available in the studio too?”

Audrey nodded. “I actually meant to email you about that. There won’t be a screen in the studio, but I can send you login information for your laptop or tablet, and you can view the captions there. Will that work?”

Laya’s expression brightened. “Yes. Actually, I would prefer that in class too.”

“You got it. I’ll email you this evening with the login information.”

“Thank you.” Laya signed the expression as she spoke.

Audrey didn’t know much sign language, but she’d learned a few basic phrases in college, so she signed her response as she said, “You’re welcome.”

Laya grinned. She made an unfamiliar sign that began with what Audrey recognized as the letter L , then pointed at herself.

Audrey mimicked the gesture as well as she could. “Laya?”

Laya nodded, repeating the sign for her name until Audrey had gotten it. Then she waved. “Bye, Dr. Lind. See you Thursday.”

“Bye, Laya. It was a pleasure talking to you.”

Audrey watched her leave, then finished packing up her belongings.

As she left the classroom, headed for her office in the next building, she could feel the wide smile on her lips.

Her first class had gone so well, and she was more pumped than ever for this job.

It was already amazing, and she hadn’t even taught her Women in Art class yet.

She stepped outside, following the sidewalk toward Holman Hall. Idly, she repeated the sign for Laya as she walked, committing it to memory so she could greet her student in the future.

“Hi, Audrey!”

She looked up, waving at Mercy as she passed. “Hi.”

“How was your first class?”

“Really good,” Audrey told her. “Also I think this new transcription software is going to be a game changer for accessibility.”

“I agree,” Mercy said. “I’ve started using it in all my classes. A lot of students like having the option to see what’s said in class. I think it helps with comprehension of the material across the board.”

“That’s such a great point. My last girlfriend always used subtitles on the TV because she said she picked up on so much dialogue she would have missed otherwise. Do all the professors use it?”

Mercy shrugged. “Most of them don’t unless they’re notified about a student who needs accommodations, and even then, some of the older professors grumble about having to learn the technology.”

“Well, I probably wouldn’t have thought of it otherwise, but I think I’ll use it in all my classes now. It was simple to implement, and then no one feels singled out for needing accommodations.”

Mercy smiled. “Glad to hear things are going well. I’ve got to run, but maybe we can meet up for coffee later this week? I’d love to hear more about how you’re settling in.”

“That sounds great. My social schedule is wide open, so just let me know when and where.”

“Will do. Later, Audrey.” With a wave, Mercy headed down the path toward the building Audrey had just left.