How it feels to teach a crochet class-Part one

How it feels to be a crochet teacher (PART ONE)-I would like to start this post with others comments from their experiences then go into my own
Teaching Crochet to Modern Stitchers
Posted by: "Becky Brent" handmadeheirlooms@sbcglobal.net HYPERLINK "http://profiles.yahoo.com/kraftwiz2"kraftwiz2
Sun Mar 9, 2008 10:46 am (PDT)
I have been a crocheteer for almost 40 years, but I taught crochet classes for the first time last Summer. I started with the chain and single, etc., the way I was taught. And many had trouble with it and did not come back for continuing lessons. I like your idea very much and will try it out this Summer. I can see where it would give the beginner a way to make projects and be successful without having to practice and practice. Thanks for sharing your Syllabus.Becky
Teaching Crochet to Modern Stitchers
Posted by: "VICTORIA CARROLL" victoriacarroll@sbcglobal.net HYPERLINK "http://profiles.yahoo.com/yrndsgns"yrndsgns
Sun Mar 9, 2008 5:56 pm (PDT)
The way that I see it is that not everyone is able to pick things up on the very first day no matter how you teach them. If someone was willing to quit after only 1 class then all I can say is that they weren't all that committed to begin with. Don't blame yourself for the few that felt they couldn't learn & gave up. A truly committed person would've asked a lot more questions & kept coming back at least 1 or 2 more times. The problem with today's world is most people want instant gratification & creativity takes more than 1 class to learn. I understand that everyone learns differently but that is where the extra questions come in if they were having a hard time with the way that you were teaching.Basically, I just want to tell you that it's great that you are out there teaching others & you should not feel like it's a reflection on you in any way that those few never came back.. Keep up the good job or passing along your skills to another generation of crocheters.Vikki
teaching and learning crochet can both be frustrating. i'll tell you thatafter the first 30 minutes of trying to learn cross stitch years ago, iactually threw down the sample piece and have never attempted again.however, crochet was different. i tried to learn years ago in college froma friend. no go. about 5 yrs after that, a course was offered at night atthe local high school. i attended all semester and learned absolutelynothing. i couldn't even make a good chain. not necessarily the teacher'sfault - and i recall absolutely nothing about her. again, several yearslater, i took a class at michaels. no go. then, i signed up for a crochetclass at a small local craft shop which deals mainly in beads and modelrockets (what a combo, right??). now, this was easily 20 years after myfirst attempt to learn to crochet. about 5 minutes after that teacherpicked up hook and yarn, i could SEE it and i have crocheted almost everyday since. the learning curve was very quick. as a teacher, tho' (which iam in real life and have taught crochet too), i would not feel a great dealof incompetence because a student failed to master crochet. sometimes themix of yarn, hook, student and teacher just isn't right. another time andplace might produce a diff result.i joke that learning to crochet (for me) is developmental - like learningalgebra. my mind wasn't ready for it til i was 50! that's the year ilearned to crochet. i don't think it was all the teacher(s) - AND i know itwas not for lack of motivation on my part as i kept coming back to it. now,knitting is a whole diff thing. had a good knitting teacher (several yrsafter learning to crochet) and actually did learn to knit and purl - butBORING....TENSE.... not for me. great for others, but i have no plans tomaster knitting. got too much crocheting to do!now, last weekend i learned to finger weave. hmmmmm. another great usefor my yarn stash - and FUN.jd in st. louis
Teaching crocheting
After years of teaching crochet I have found that the students are less frustrated if I make up a single crochet swatch first and teach them the stitches using the swatch vs starting them with a chain. After they get comfortable with holding the yarn and doing the stitches (usually the second or third class) I then go back and teach them to chain and do the first Row. They seem to have a better time doing that since they are now comfortable with the feel of things. Sheila Sanchez
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Hi, my left-handed friend taught me this trick: When teaching someone how to crochet and you are right-handed and they are left, have them sit on a chair right in front of you and just mirror your actions as you crochet right-handed. tingeys8@allwest.net
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John D." <Banacek@coslink.net > teaching some one to crochet a chain loosely & reading patterns When teaching some one to crochet a chain loosely, which is often times hard when first starting out. Have them use 1-2 sizes bigger crochet hook. When reading patterns, often times people have problems as they try to hard by reading a whole paragraph then try to work it. I found by first reading from beginning to the first comma then work that, then proceed in that manner until you're done.
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From: Roxannmoor@aol.com , SHi, I'm a lefty and was taught to crochet by a right-handed woman. She placed a mirror on her lap and had me watch her in the mirror and copy what I saw. I was three and don't really remember but my mom tells me the story often. Roxann
Reasons why potential students would like to learn to crochet (from www.crochet911.com )
Here are some of the reasons why over 24 million people say they love knitting, crocheting and crafting with yarn....
It has a calming effect -- helps relieve stress.
It feels good to work with beautiful yarn colors and textures.
Create sweaters and accessories for yourself.
Gifts "you make yourself" for family members and friends have special meaning.
It’s a social activity to share with your friends and family.
It’s portable -- take it anywhere.
Provides a sense of accomplishment when you complete a project.
Adds balance to a high-tech, fast-paced lifestyle.
Cost-effective hobby -- you can spend a lot or a little!
Maximizes your time while you watch TV or travel.
Carry on a family tradition.
Knit and crochet for charity.
Bazaars and shows -- sell your finished items to raise funds and for business.
Express yourself--design original garments and accessories.
Now as for myself, I have 34 years of crocheting experience and am in the process of becoming a certified crochet instructor by the CGOA (and I think as you read on, you may see why I beleive this is necessary!). So one day, when I was tired of feeling sorry for myself and my predicament (being disabled and unable to return to nursing, my fisrt love and passion,had too many children to even think of trying to go on and geteiter my P.A. or nurse practioner degree-and I had been online and doing craft shows in crochet/sewing under various venues with only sporadic success),I decided to write a letter of interest to BOCES in Liverpool,NY and much to my good fortune (actually all the credit goes to God), they were looking for an intructor as their long-time teacher was moving to something else in life. I was hired after the interview, reference check and of course, seeing pieces of my works, and began teaching shortly there after in January. My very first class was nervewracking due to it being my first time,having 9 students (fairly large, as most classes have 5 on average), and as I was to discover, I had a staff member in my class who belonged at a higher level as she had experience and this class was for people who never picked up a crochet hook before. I do need to stop here and fill in some past relevant points: 1) when I was in 6th grade, I belonged to F.T.A [Future Teahers of America], and I tutored a second grader in math and reading.2) When I was between the ages of 16-20, I would fill in while my mother (a high school English teacher) would run quick errands and help out with her classes, and more so, when she taught night school classes in "Positive thinking, achieving goals and meditation", I was her assistant many times and 3) I served as a tutor for nursing students in groups of 3-4 or one on one during my senior year in R.N school.
Back to my fisrt class-so there were 7 students anxious to learn, one who seemed to be very attatched to knitting and was very frustrated ;as a result she would make her stitches super tight and get into this self-fulfilling prophesy of failure (we tried the extra large "N" hook and she resisted)..and of course there was the staff memeber who tried to sort of "run the show", demanding special attention for her private questions in the middle of me trying to teach the majority a new concept, etc...she belonged in an intermediate class or a one on one situation, but there was nothing I could do about it. I should have been more authoritative and assertive, but instead I tried to use humor and reality centering to attempt get her to let the others learn at the pace of a beginners class...as a result, although my students graded me highly in all areas, they all pretty much complained about the one student who tried to "speed up" the class and requested special attention inappropriately. Many of them wanted the session to continue for another few weeks. The frustrated "knitter"? She eventually lightened up and actually enjoyed herself, mastering one of the stitches called "half double crochet" and went on to create some lovely blankets for her baby.
As I continued to teach, my classes went along very nicely,even as a reult of my students aptitude and newfound passion, we added "intermediate and advanced" levels to the core curriculum fairly quickly. this was beautiful, and I even applied to a local craft store to teach there but discovered they were not offering fiber arts. Then my happy little world came crashing down.
It was an intermediate level class that was seemingly "normal" in many ways...one student had liked me when I was her beginning crochet instuctor, 2 other ladies were very close friends I surmised by the way they behaved together, one student had recently suffered a terrible personal loss and asked if I could tutor her (so she left, understandably) and the final student was a sweet lady who did bead crochet and showed me some of her works (which were beautiful). So by the second class we were down to 4 students which was just fine, as that number is perfect for attention giving and such. I was following a course outline and left room for flexibility of course,and during that class, I made a mistake when trying to teach them something-it actually was that the pattern had an error in it that I had not caught before, so I said "let's scrap this and move onto something else and I will discover/go over it for next week"..for some reason, this turned the 2 ladies that were friends off immediately-I could see it in their body language, on their faces,how they left together during the break (which no one ever took normally) whispering and shooting looks at me. Well I had apologized profusely and tried to remain calm and light in good spirits. Then the stuff really went bad...I was teaching them how to follow a pattern for a basic granny square. I actually worked up a sweat because everyone seemed to be quite bothered by this initally as it doesn't look like a square until the corners are created. well, after a bit three caught on and held up their completed squares and some wanted to and did continue, but remember the "sweet lady who did beaded crochet"? She refused to show me her square and when I gently tried to persuade her and told her how I knew it was difficult for some, but I could surely and wanted to help her get through it. She refused and at break time, she and the rest of the class walked out, down the hall and said they would not be returning. I had to hear from the truly lovely secretary how much my class thought I was a "terrible teacher"...yes, even the lady who was from my beginner class now was disgusted with me. But my story doesn't end here! Part two tomorrow....