Please help me with your opinions.

I am teaching a gumpaste class and I am trying to decide what is best.

1) Bringing equipment that will work but is pretty much a substitute for the preferred equipment (ex. pvc rolling pin instead of good paste rolling pin, or kneeling pad instead of cel pad) Sharing the cutters and equipment that is necessary (which causes students to wait)

2) Having the students buy equipment needed before class (with the students not knowing if they are really going to like working with gumpaste this is quite an investment, but they would have to proper tools to get the best results)

3)working with no equipment and teaching gumpaste the old (harder way for some) where everything is done with no tools, just using hands and fingers.

I'm really torn between these options as you can see. Please, your opinions would be appreciated! I have a class every month and I'm trying to improve them.

I would have a "required" list and a "recommended" list. Example - a rolling pin is required, but a **** rolling pin is recommended. Some of our teachers (art) will have a basic list with suggestions in parentheses behind the item. It lets us choose what is in our budget. When I take spraypainting, I already have a system that is affordable, but will get the recommended system if I decide I like spraying and want to have good equipment. For yours, you can have the basics listed as required, and recommend cutters, etc, and those who choose not to bring them can use a cheap set and share.

You should have the students bring their own supplies. I teach the wilton classes and we have to get the students bring their own supplies. Plus this way you wont lose any of your stuff and try to keep track of who took your stuff. If anything see if there are some things that are cheap for them to buy until they know for sure that this is what they want to do.

When I have taken gumpaste classes we had a list of the items we needed and we brought as much as we had or could get. The teachers have actually had the other items there to sell to us as well. ( good for you if you want to do that) BUT we also shared things that we didn't have and that was ok as well.

I agree with the others, you need a list of equipment.

When i'm teaching i sit down and do the flower and write down everything i'm using. Then i go through that for what can be subsituted with less expensive items. I do seperate the equipment list with the list that is needed for the particular project you are working on, and a general equipment list that is needed for nearly every gumpaste project i teach. this way the students that want everything will know what we are using throughout the classes.

I don't really recomend sharing your equipment cause thats how things get lost and that gets expensive quickly. If you are going to need to share your stuff, mark it! The last class i took, the teacher had all her stuff marked with a dot of nail polish, so this is what i do now. I have everything marked with a red nail polish dot.

Thanks everyone, I've taught for years but you're right about keeping track of my own equipment. It's tough!

Looks like I'll be making a list of what will work and the "preferred" list so the students can choose, that's a great idea.

Thanks again!