Blog Week: Craft Lessons

[franceslievens]

It must be something that comes naturally when you teach primary school: the need to fiddle with paper, crayons, paint, and other assorted crafts*. If I could, I'd do crafts every lesson. I believe kids learn a lot about themselves when learning to crochet: fine motor skills, perseverance to master something new, the ability to focus and work quietly. I'm not arguing we should start sewing in school and all will be well with the world. Of course kids need to run, and scream, and climb in trees, but giving them a taste of making something, can boost their confidence.
I say "can", because my ideas are all very unscientifically based on circumstantial evidence. Making things doesn't work for every kid. Some are in a constant search for perfection, and never consider their work good enough. Others say beforehand they will fail, and don't even try. Guiding kids towards success is a difficult path. How do you indeed do that? Is there some sort of scientific research on how to teach children how to attain success?
There's lots of trial and error and ideology involved in how and what we teach. So I knit on, in between teaching the meaning of Ramadan for Islam, the way genders are formed by culture, the importance of empathy for the Other, because I believe there are valuable lessons to learn when we make things.

* No, it doesn't come naturally to a primary school teacher. Most of my colleagues despise the afternoons crafting with their pupils.