For a long time now, I’ve had this idea of doing a series of interviews with classroom teachers who have introduced sewing into their curricula and to hear what tips they would give to other teachers.
I thought that these interviews could provide a way of sharing experiences and of fine-tuning their sewing classes.
I wanted to know what worked for them and their students and where the kids had problems and how they solved them.
I wanted to know if they found any particular supplies invaluable, and conversely, was there any supply that they would never want to use again.
I wanted to know what tips they would give to fellow teachers about organising and starting off a unit of sewing with their students.
But most of all I wanted to hear their own reactions to teaching kids to sew and, of course, I wanted to hear about their students’ reactions to sewing.
In short, I wanted all the nitty gritty…the good, the bad and the ugly!
My first interview is with Kylie Gomez from Clifton Park Primary School, Australia. Look out next week for my interview with Jen Shuart.
Scattered snippets from Kylie’s Classroom Sewing Tips
Kylie says she was a little concerned that sewing with so many kids might be biting off more than she could chew but decided to step into the Unknown and give it a try. Go Kylie!
She liked the idea of Sew a Softie’s Global Kids Sewing Party and of kids sharing their creations with others but she gave this idea her own creative twist: she matched each of her Year 5 students with a kindy student who would be their client. Her Year 5 students had to interview their clients and determine what they wanted their softie to look like, then, go away and produce what their clients had described. I love that idea!
Another great idea she used was to get her Year 5 students to make a smaller mock-up of their project before sewing the final version for their clients. I think that’s a really clever way to trouble-shoot.
Kylie found white lumocolor pencils great to use.
And she was surprised at how focused her students were and at how well they took to sewing. She says that her Year 1 students saw the sewing supplies in the art room and kept asking her if they could also sew. She gave them threaded needles and, without any real instructions, they just started sewing and making “little things”. She even had parents contacting her about sewing supplies because their kids were asking to sew at home. So all in all, a big success!
If you’re looking for some how-to videos pop on over to my Youtube channel.
Or if you’re looking for easy sewing projects to do with your students take a look at my latest book The Zenki Way: A Guide to Designing and Enjoying Your Own Creative Softies. It’s the perfect sewing book if you’re teaching a group of kids who have never sewn before!