Pysanka classrooms are usually seasonal or transient spaces at best.  Very few of us have the luxury of working in a dedicated pysankarstvo classroom.  I have taught in a kindergarten, in a church hall, in meeting rooms, in a camp dining rooms, in a basement, and in lots of other non-ideal places.

You will often find that you need to take what you can get, but 1) what do you look for in a classroom and 2) how do you set it up?

What should a pysanka classroom have?

Light, and lots of it.  Your students need adequate light in order to see what they’re working on.  This is true no matter what sort of art class you are teaching.  Windows are great, but good overhead lighting will do.

Ventilation.  If you are using candles, the air will get get stuffy, so it’s nice to have a well ventilated area.  Fans, though, are a bad idea, if using candles.

Space.  It’s important to to crowd your students together, so they don’t jostle each other and knock into each other, interfering with each other’s work or causing eggs to be dropped.

Furniture. Tables and chairs that are stable and don’t wobble.

A moderate ambient temperature.  A hot space is difficult to work in. (As before, no fans.) On the other hand, if the ambient temperature is too cool, the wax may not adhere properly to the egg.  I find an ambient temperature of at least 68°F works best.

A flat video screen.  If you will be having a didactic portion of your class, a large flat video screen is great for showing slide presentations or videos.  For small classes, my laptop will do, but having a proper flat screen is so much nicer.  (Projectors and screens work, too, but can be much more of a hassle.)

How should you arrange your classroom?

The photo above gives some idea of how tables should be arranged. I prefer small tables like the ones above, but any will work: round, square or long.  Chairs should be placed so that each student has elbow room, and tables should be arranged so that students can leave their chais without disturbing others.

Dyes should have their own table, away fro the work tables.  In most classes, you will want to have someone manning/controlling the dye table. Students will often congregate around the dye table, waiting for their eggs to dye, so leave room.

Supplies, too, should be on a separate table, if possible: extra eggs, pencils, styluses, candles, handouts, books, etc.

The instructor may with to have a small table, or part of the supplies table, for “consultations”--helping student with choosing or figuring out their designs, dealing with problems.

Other considerations

If I am in a classroom for more than just a class or two, I like to decorate it.  I will hang drawings of traditional symbols, or photos of folk pysanky (the plates from Vira Manko’s 1464 Ukrainian Folk Pysanky are good for this).

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