how do you teach knitting

Allaya, I agree that individual attention to each student is highly effective, however it's not an efficient use of their time, nor yours. I would suggest, for teaching purposes, that you use the BIGGEST needles you can find, and the THICKEST yarn in a contrasting colour to the needles, and first 'show' them that way. Also, are you using any printed material with diagrams for them to work from? JM2C, Noreen who has taught 'Brownies', 'BlueBirds' and Cub Scouts!

Oh, I've tried that Noreen...size 35 needles and some brightly colored Jiffy yarn. These are absolute beginners, so all they do is stare and say, "huh?" I seriously for some of them need to move their hands for them in order for them to "understand," or more accurately, keep them from stabbing themselves. Some of course get it pretty fast, but i honestly wonder how some of these people have survived this long without poking their eyes out with a fork in their adult lives. :)

As for the diagrams, I do have those as well...photographs and instructions, even. However, they either don't want to read them or again look at them and are like, "huh?" If these people could read diagrams and instructions though, my thought would be that they would have taught themselves years ago! LOL

Anyway, I'm sure you can understand my frustration, but I need a way other than getting in front of them and showing them with large needles.

Allaya

Noreen's Knit*che wrote:

You can also go through either easy knitting books or print off pictures that show step by step how it is done to help explain the movements of the knitting. B/c when I had to relearn the crochet I had to find it in a magazine that show diagrams of the movement in it. So maybe that what you need in knitting. Pam-Doggirl3

Ok, Allaya! Big suggestion then.... a SLIDE SHOW! Hth, Noreen who totally empathizes!

Allaya, As an alternative to knitting above your head, perhaps you could sit down and have your students stand (or sit on stools taller than your chair) and look over your shoulder. Might have to do it in two or three shifts, but it's a thought. Of course, a couple of assistants might be good, too. Perhaps a slightly more advanced beginner from the class that was held a week earlier?

-- Carey in MA

Allaya & Carey, But what if some of her students are deaf or have a disablity that for some reason they have to see her face as she is describing the steps to knitting. B/c my crochet teacher a long time ago was a deaf & taught me the basics. Pam-Doggirl3

Pam-Doggirl3, I suppose a mirror on the wall might come in handy then, with Brenda either facing the group(face watched for lip-reading, knitting motions in mirror), or facing the mirror (lip-reading from mirror, looking over shoulder at knitting). Probably the first would work best, as most people would be used to lip-reading while looking directly at the person speaking. (Or was that a rhetorical question?)

-- Carey in MA

When I teach a big class, over 7 people , I have found that I use really big needles and teach in sets of 3 . Going from group to group so everyone can see up close. I also have 1 helper for every 3 in the class. So , 3 in a class , me and 1 helper , 6 me and 2 helpers .... and so on. This way when I am going on to the next group the helper can be with the group I just left and see when someone makes a mistake and help them correct it. The really big needles ( size US15-35 or 10-19) helps all three people really see how the motions are preformed while learning to knit. I have also learned to teach knit then purl and then before anything else , make them drop a stitch and learn how to correct it , make them yo so they can see how it can make a mistake also ( like changing from purl to knit without bringing you yarn to the back 1st) and how to tink back and fix it. I have found that if you teach not only how to fix the mistake but also how they made the mistake in the first place, it helps people " get it " that much faster. I hope this helps. Coggie

Noreen, I agree with you - way back when I was 15 and teaching 4th grade I had to teach knitting as their craft lesson and I did it very effectively that way. They had to make one of those fluted tea cosies in one term so it had to get through to them rather quickly God Bless Gwen

coggietm wrote: When I teach a big class, over 7 people , I have found that I use really big needles and teach in sets of 3 . Going from group to group so everyone can see up close. I also have 1 helper for every 3 in the class. So , 3 in a class , me and 1 helper , 6 me and 2 helpers ....and so on. This way when I am going on to the next group the helper can be with the group I just left and see when someone makes a mistake and help them correct it. The really big needles ( size US15-35 or 10-19) helps all three people really see how the motions are preformed while learning to knit. I have also learned to teach knit then purl and then before anything else , make them drop a stitch and learn how to correct it , make them yo so they can see how it can make a mistake also ( like changing from purl to knit without bringing you yarn to the back 1st) and how to tink back and fix it. I have found that if you teach not only how to fix the mistake but also how they made the mistake in the first place, it helps people " get it " that much faster.I hope this helps.

Pam-Doggirl3

Thanks for the suggestions everybody!

I was actually thinking of bringing my computer to the store and having half view a knitting video whil I show the other half and then swap. People are so lazy, they dont' even want to move from where they're sitting! They figured they've paid for lessons, I should do all the work, I guess. hehehe.

I've already tried a lot of your suggestions earlier, with having them look on, hands above my heads, in groups, etc, but for some reason, they just don't get it, or want to get it until it's done with THEIR yarn and THEIR needles. It's really interesting...I'm sure it woudl make a good phychology paper for anybody looking for a topic. :)

Allaya

Allaya wrote:

Allaya, When I teach Brownies, BlueBirds and CubScouts, I've had them sit in a semicircle behind and around me. Yes, size 35 needles and bright yarn helps alot. Noreen

I'm very glad you asked that question, because I'm about toi start a 'knitting club' at the schoiol where I work. I've never taught a group before, and hadn't really thought about how it's different from 1:1.

I'll start by casting on for them and then they can make garter stitch scarves, I think.

Kirsten. back from the wedding busy-ness :)

SOunds excellent, Kirsten. Keep us posted on their progress. How old are the kidlets?

Katherine