Teaching quilting - my philosophy

There is something to be said for teaching styles, that is not debatable, in my opinion. What CAN be said regarding teaching - of anything - is that the teacher is there to teach and the student to learn.

In most instances, when teaching a skill, a student without even the most rudimentary knowledge of a subject, will require that knowledge before attempting the skill. Quilting is no exception. Hence, I explain my teaching style and philosophy.

No matter how much any of us find lecture material distasteful, it does have its place; I'm sure we can agree. There is no easy way to present basic knowledge. The key is to make it interesting and explain WHY you are sharing the knowledge. I have had students in my Beginning Quilting classes that didn't know the three grains of the fabric - the names, never mind which was which! Anyone who has made a quilt or even apparel knows that the grain of the fabric is very important. Ditto with much quilting terminology - block, block names, top, backing (or lining), batting, etc. There is just no easy, fun way to introduce vocabulary words and some quilting concepts to students, but through the use of a portion of the class as lecture. Now, I try to make it fun with examples and anecdotes! :-)

Soooo . . . giving the premise above, a student should EXPECT to receive information in lecture form at some time during a quilting class. IMHO, if no such information is shared, then you are not paying for a class. You are paying for sewing time with a group leader who may or may not be right there to answer your question or catch your mistake before you make it.

All of my classes include some lecture time. I spend HOURS preparing an outline, which is given to each student, for the student to keep. My students write notes, draw pictures, etc., whatever they feel they have to do to understand and remember the material presented. If a class is on-going, the students will receive a new handout and my lecture that week corresponding to the new material. The beginning quilting classes I have taught ran for 5 weeks. Four of the five weeks my students received a handout with new vocabulary words and information relevant to the tasks we would accomplish (cutting, pressing, piecing, borders, etc.)

In my opinion, it is not fair to students to "let them run the class." As a teacher, I am being paid to be prepared with material (printed and samples, if necessary), it is as simple as that. I would not feel like I was TEACHING a class if the "we all just came to sew" attitude prevailed.

So, if you take a class from me, be prepared to come and LEARN whether it is through lecture or hands on!

Happy quilting!

The ruling class in America

I don't know how long the link will be good for, but this explains what has and is happening to our great country. Nothing to be proud of and not exactly what our Founding Fathers envisioned. It is a bit of a long read, but worth the time! Thanks to the American Spectator and the author, Angelo M. Codevilla from one of the "country class."

http://spectator.org/archives/2010/07/16/americas-ruling-class-and-the/