Saturday 21 April 2018

I am teaching today

and, as always, I have doubts. Have I done enough preparation?
Teaching adults is so very different from teaching children. 
The language I would use for children is entirely different from the language I will use for today's adults. The exercises I give adults are entirely different from the exercises I give children. I will make certain assumptions about adults that I would not make about children, especially very young children.
Today I will assume that the adults I want to teach want to learn, that they want to be there. I will assume they know the difference between "left" and "right", "over and under", "first" and "second".  I will assume adults have the physical skills to manipulate materials and that if I suggest someone turns something "upside down" or "sideways" then they will do just that without me having to show them. 
I also know that they may know more than I do about certain things and that this should give them their own ideas. It is entirely possible I may need to encourage them to try those ideas - but that is what I am there for. I am not there to dictate the way I might dictate to a child - although, if I am a good teacher, I should not need to dictate to the child either. 
But, I have not taught this material before. I wonder how much I will have to try and demonstrate as well as explain. There is a technique that the students may be able to master today. If they can their work will flow. If they can't then the alternative, the one I had to master, will also let them do the job at hand.
And, above all, I want today to be both a learning experience and enjoyable. This is about a craft that is also an art form.
The Book of Kells is more than a thousand years old. There is Celtic art work far older than that. It is still an inspiration today.
Celtic Knotwork fascinates me in a way I never expected geometry to fascinate me.
I want it to fascinate the students too.

3 comments:

Jan said...

I am planning on making a Durrow shawl. (Ravelry). The outside edge is squares of celtic knots flowing from one square to another. It was to have been my winter project and I have wool from COnvent and Chapel at Rylstone. Lovely people and so helpful. It will still be winter project but I am very unexpectedly moving so will not start it till I am settled again. I am not using the Malabrigo but we have a lovely colour schemm arranged.

catdownunder said...

I know that pattern Jan. It is lovely -hope you find time to make it as well as move. The very thought of moving makes me shudder. We need to be rid of more things here!

Mary Lou said...

I appreciate this take on teaching adults, thanks.