Over the next two weeks, as the summer comes to a rapid close, I’ll be frantically preparing for the next school year to start.
If you’re a teacher, you already know that the summer is not really completely free. During the summer, we prepare for the next year in various ways: by professional development, by study, by organizing paperwork, by planning classes, and on and on. I’d also say that the relaxing that teachers can do during the summer also helps prepare them for the next year! So summer is a time of preparation for the teacher, and though I am not always as diligent as I should be in this regard, I do at least attempt a modicum of preparation for the next year.
This summer, I have something different to prepare for – something I find kind of exciting!
After a couple years of “subtle suggestion,” I was asked to teach a Needle Arts class in a local high school, as an elective. It’s not easy to convince schools today that some aspect of the Needle Arts can be (and should be – but I suppose this is debatable) a legitimate part of the fine arts curriculum in school, at least as an elective. It’s easier to convince private schools, anyway, and so… voilá… the deed is done, and I am teaching a Needle Arts class this year. It’s an experiment, certainly, but if it goes well, there may be a possibility of expanding.
It works out half-way well for me. I’m pleased as punch to be asked to teach the class. But then there’s the lazy side of me kicking in… My other teaching job is all in the morning – I’m out by 12:30 pm each day – but it just so happens that the elective block that the Needle Arts class will fit into is the Last Hour of the Day, every day. I haven’t taught the Last Hour of the Day in years! But still – this is great for traveling between schools; there’s certainly plenty of time to get to class and to do some pre-class prep every day.
So, in the background for several weeks now, I’ve been working on preparing a year-long course in Needle Arts. I’m excited about it! I’m sure I’ll revisit the topic off and on during the school year – but I’ll try not to bore you with it!
What do you think, anyway, about Needle Arts being a legitimate part of the arts curriculum at a school? I’m not talking about needle arts as a small segment of a “craft” class, but a real, legitimate, hands-on course in Needle Arts…. Do you think it has a place as at least an elective? What do you think would be especially beneficial about it? What do you think it should encompass, topic-wise? I’d love to hear your ideas on this!! Leave a comment below, and let’s discuss the topic!
