“I did it!” every few minutes, 15 times.
This is what I heard during the first day of class in Introduction to Fashion and Textiles.
Hearing the excitement of students learning a skill is what keeps teachers motivated after hours of planning and grading.
The classroom glee was from students accomplishing a simple life skill: threading a needle and tying a knot at the end of their thread.
The next two days, students learned to sew two types of buttons and four hand stitches. They will use these skills to make a small emergency sewing kit to keep in their purse or backpack.
We also practiced higher-level critical thinking. We debated questions such as “Why do we wear school uniforms?” and “Why might employers frown on visible tattoos and multiple piercings?” Requiring students to back up their opinions with facts and examples taught them to debate convincingly.
I anticipate more “I did its” as the semester continues. Students will use a sewing machine, predict fashion trends, upcycle thrift-tore clothes, and make pajama pants, among other projects.
Students will serve the Lord as they create items to bring smiles and comfort to the less fortunate. The class will make pillowcases for Charis House, and students may do optional projects such as sewing dresses for Africa, knitting scarves for the homeless, and making blankets for Project Linus.
I expect my other classes, Nutrition and Wellness and English 9, will produce some “I did its” of their own. What a blessing it is to be a teacher!
Lillian Anderson,
Family & Consumer Sciences and English Teacher