Teaching – a sharing process

 “A life in teaching is a stitched-together affair, a crazy quilt of odd pieces and scrounged materials. It is sometimes tedious and demanding, confusing and uncertain and yet it is often creative and dazzling. I find fragments of my teaching everywhere, like sections of a large quilt.” a part quote by William Ayes from his book “To Teach”

My teaching career is just as the above quote. When researching this for my blog, I had not realized how much of my life has been involved in teaching; well actually this is ALL my of adult life. I have worked as an Art teacher with the South Australian Education Department for the last 45 years as well as teaching in places such as the University of SA, WEA (Adult Learning), running workshops throughout Australia, writing for magazines, giving demonstrations and lectures at quilting guilds, tutorials online and the list goes on and on. I have loved every minute of it. So what is the importance of teaching? It is the sharing of your passion, knowledge and understanding.

They say you never learn as much as when you teach. I personally found that to be true. I always say that when I stop learning from my students it’s time to retire. This has not happened yet; I’m still teaching. Whether I am teaching a class, helping a friend, or typing up notes for a workshop I always come away with new inspiration and a new perspective, added knowledge and understanding. The power of fresh eyes is important and sometimes my students are spectacular. I remember demonstrating a technique in a class when a student asked, “Why can’t you do it this way?”  This often happens and is enlightening. They may see what I am teaching  in a different way and the more you teach the more of these revelations will happen and then you as a teacher find a new and better way of doing things so then you can share this with others. A question I often ask my students all the time is “What If?”

I am beginning my year 2016 with loads of teaching  happening.

Marden Senior College - Certificate Course in Textiles.

Sue's Sewing World (Adelaide) in March - Collage class

AQC - Australian Quilt Convention in Melbourne in April - Creating New Fabric and  a Collage class.

aqc.com.au

Watch the next few blogs to share more details about what it means to share my knowledge and experience in textiles. And please join my blog so you are then be notified with upcoming blogs.

Make a comment too - love to hear from you. 

Preparing samplers for a class in my studio

Demonstrating at the SA Guild show - sharing my knowledge

Discussing a student's (Tess) folder at school - Textile Certicificate course