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ART OF STAINED GLASS Teaching Teachers have a very special place in the circle that keeps a craft vibrant and alive. They are the force that transforms stained-glass-curiosity to the stained-glass-passion. They are a vital source of inspiration and self-confidence. If your dream is to teach stained glass, it's important that you know quite a bit more than the basics of the copper foil technique. You need to be very well versed in lead came, reinforcement, panel lamps, lamps on molds, zinc framing, glass types, cutting difficult glass, and what constitutes a feasible pattern. Before you consider teaching, do take the time to teach one-on-one to an interested friend. It will help you reconnect with how much help a person needs to become proficient in glass scoring and breaking, soldering, etc. You will have honest feedback on your performance, most notably by the quality of work your student will produce under your tutelage. One easy way to begin is to introduce yourself to the owners of stained glass supply houses, with an idea for a class. You may need to promote yourself and your class with fliers or postings in public places. br> If your local stained glass shops have a full teaching staff without room for new teachers in the foreseeable future, consider alternative venues: municipal art activities, youth centers, senior centers, native communities, local fine art schools, summer camps, minimum-security prisons. For most of these gigs, you will be expected to provide equipment; grinders, glass cutters, soldering irons, and sometimes even the cost of consumables should be added to your fee. Be sure to have a business legally set up before you begin this journey' you will need it to apply for wholesale status, and to buy directly from distributors. PRO TIP: your local industrial pane glass worker will have tons of free clear scraps for you if you smile and bring cookies. Watch for government programmes that may award grants to promote the arts to children with disabilities, disadvantaged neighborhoods, etc. It is teaching off the beaten path perhaps; but what a wonderful way to spread the seeds of creativity with glass to a wide audience, and an audience that may rewardingly receptive. The longer road is to open a stained glass supply shop, and teach on a regular basis in order to nurture new clientele for your supplies. 
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