I have an extra big after school sewing class this semester, my class went into a lottery system since so many kids wanted to take it. I settled on 12 maximum for basic sewing as long as the majority of them are 3rd graders. I figure that would help make the class a little more manageable. Since it's beginner sewers, and many of them may have no experience at all I figure this might be a good way to start the class, also the class is 10 sessions so I'll be able to see what I need to adjust to make my teaching more effective. Even though its only afterschool I feel like its important these kid's get their 'money's worth', after all, parents do pay a lot to take these courses and I want to give them the confidence that just because the class is in the school its still a quality lesson.
So I'll begin by asking them what they already 'know' about sewing, I'm sure some of the answers will be along the lines of " my grandma showed me how" or "I watched Project Runway". I will definitely try to include the extra 'H' or 'How can I learn more?' so that hopefully students aren't coming to me for every knot and needle thread. Its really important in my classes that some reciprocal learning takes place because this is such a hands-on activity. I've also found that some children are really good at threading needles, while others can ties knots better. By sending kids to the 'best knot tie-er' or asking kids to show fellow students the next step in the project not only is it creating extra moments for me to assist others but its truly helping them learn from each other.
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