Working stylists share methods at vo-tech
Teaching cosmetology to high school students isn't a cut and air dried affair.
Amy Ellison, who has been cosmetology instructor at the Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School, 210 Campus Lane, for the past 19 years, says it takes more than learning how to cut hair and shape nails to become successful.
While she teaches skin care, nail care, cutting, coloring and texturizing hair, she said it's less about clipping and more about understanding, she said.
“I have to teach communication skills,” Ellison said. “These students text too much. It is difficult for these students to communicate.
“They have to know what the client wants and how to do it,” she said. “You say you want a bob, well my idea of a bob may be different from your idea of a bob. Communication is the key.”
To help some of the 120 students from seven high schools who are taking her course this semester improve their people skills and get a little experienced advice, Ellison brought in six professional hair dressers/salon owners and volunteer clients last week.
This was the first time Ellison brought those working the field to instruct students.“What we have are occupational advisory meetings,” said Ellison. “I'm not sure whose idea it was, but the idea of a collection of people from the industry to teach curriculum, it was the first time it came up, and we were excited to have it happen.”For Olivia Macurak, owner of Olympis Salon, 500 N, Pike Road, Sarver, it was like homecoming. She was a Butler Vo-Tech cosmetology graduate herself.“Of course, it's completely remodeled and upgraded. It's nothing like when I went here,” said Macurak.Macurak said the students seemed eager to learn from the Olympis contingent of five stylists in working on the volunteer clients.She said, “We were cutting the hair, and the students would shampoo and assist and drape them with the cape.”“We would do the haircut and they would finish styling. They would blow dry them out and use the product,” said Macurak.Tyler Brush, a third-year cosmetology student from Meridian, found the visitors worth taking up a class.“It was useful to see other people's style of doing the hair and what type of products they like to use,” Tyler said.Tyler said she was going to take the state board of cosmetology course later this month and get her license after graduation this spring. She has a solid lead on a job and would eventually like to open her own salon.
Ellison said the visitors can teach things that aren't on the course syllabus.“I guess the law requires I teach things like proper dress and proper behavior but if they don't have the skills to conduct a proper consulting, they are not going to make any money,” Ellison said.“Your skills can be top notch but if you can't give the client what they want, you are not going to make any kind of money,” she said.Macurak said it shouldn't be a problem with the students she encountered.“They were eager to learn,” she said.Tyler said she was eager to keep on learning.She said she eventually wants to be able to offer her clients massages.“I will have to go to Butler County Community College once I get my feet on the ground and go back to school for massage therapy,” she said.And Macurak said she would be open to making another trip to Butler Vo-Tech.“I think it's a nice field trip for everybody to get together and teach the up and coming stylists,” she said.
