quilt class cliques

Donna in Idaho wrote:

Problem is - most (or, at least many) 'teachers' at quilt shops are someone
that knows how to do something and the quilt shop asks them to teach a
class. I'm not saying that they don't know how to do what they do well, I'm
just saying that they are not professionally trained teachers. Some of
them, even though they are very good at what they do, haven't the vaguest
idea how to teach someone else how to do it or how to manage a class.

I know... And very sad it is too.

Just about the worst class I ever attended was by a woman in our area who is
a wonderful machine quilter, but an absolutely horrible teacher. Pretty
soon her advertised classes didn't fill! She was the kind who thought her
word was law, there couldn't possibly be any other way to do something
except the way she said (and I never once saw her crack her face with a
smile!). A good teacher will say, "This is what works for me, maybe a
different way will work better for you." Or, "Learn my method and then try
other methods to see what works best for you."

I, on the other hand, am relatively new to quilting, and no expert when
it comes to free-motion machine quilting... But I *have* taught several
people how to do it quite successfully, including my own son! I
generally end a teaching of sewing day with a mad grin on my face! I
just LOVE teaching kids to sew! I grin and laugh and praise their
efforts all the time, while being totally realistic about the results!
Now THAT works for me!

I do try to teach as many different ways of doing things as I know, and
always point out the one I find works best for me, while telling them
they may well find a different method works for them.

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

Kate, I've found that once a good teacher, always a good teacher -
irregardless of the subject!
--
Donna in Idaho
Website: www.LinusIdaho.org

"Kate Dicey" wrote in message
...
Donna in Idaho wrote:

Problem is - most (or, at least many) 'teachers' at quilt shops are
someone that knows how to do something and the quilt shop asks them to
teach a class. I'm not saying that they don't know how to do what they
do well, I'm just saying that they are not professionally trained
teachers. Some of them, even though they are very good at what they do,
haven't the vaguest idea how to teach someone else how to do it or how to
manage a class.

I know... And very sad it is too.

Just about the worst class I ever attended was by a woman in our area who
is a wonderful machine quilter, but an absolutely horrible teacher.
Pretty soon her advertised classes didn't fill! She was the kind who
thought her word was law, there couldn't possibly be any other way to do
something except the way she said (and I never once saw her crack her
face with a smile!). A good teacher will say, "This is what works for
me, maybe a different way will work better for you." Or, "Learn my
method and then try other methods to see what works best for you."

I, on the other hand, am relatively new to quilting, and no expert when it
comes to free-motion machine quilting... But I *have* taught several
people how to do it quite successfully, including my own son! I generally
end a teaching of sewing day with a mad grin on my face! I just LOVE
teaching kids to sew! I grin and laugh and praise their efforts all the
time, while being totally realistic about the results! Now THAT works for
me!

I do try to teach as many different ways of doing things as I know, and
always point out the one I find works best for me, while telling them they
may well find a different method works for them.

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

Thank you for all your responses -- they were very appreciated it. This was
a very small class consisting of the teacher/new shop owner with a fantastic
inventory of quilt fabrics, myself and two other students who are
friends/neighbors. During the last class the shop owner drew everyone into
a general discussion by relating a personal experience but as soon as she
got busy with store issues, the situation immediately turned back to a
private dialog between the other two students for the remainder of the
session.

I will consider this a learning experience and if an occasion ever arises
where the shop owner asks for feedback I will certainly share my thoughts
because I would like to see her succeed. She has a wonderful quilt
shop.

Thanks again for all your opinions.


"Jan" wrote in message
.. .


Just a lurker with a question -- I have taken many, many quilt classes.
Occasionally I've observed a clique among some of those attending which
really takes the enjoyment out of a normally fun experience where everyone
has a mutual interest. After attending two classes in a prepaid series,
it's happening again and I have no intention of dropping out. It's a very
small group and the store owner is probably already aware of the situation
and trying to ignore it. How does everyone else handle quilt class
cliques? TIA for any feedback on this topic.

Jan

You need to find a buddy to take with. I'd go if I was any closer.
That is the problem with this darned internet. We are all so far
apart.
Taria

Jan wrote:

Thank you for all your responses -- they were very appreciated it. This was
a very small class consisting of the teacher/new shop owner with a fantastic
inventory of quilt fabrics, myself and two other students who are
friends/neighbors. During the last class the shop owner drew everyone into
a general discussion by relating a personal experience but as soon as she
got busy with store issues, the situation immediately turned back to a
private dialog between the other two students for the remainder of the
session.

I will consider this a learning experience and if an occasion ever arises
where the shop owner asks for feedback I will certainly share my thoughts
because I would like to see her succeed. She has a wonderful quilt
shop.

Thanks again for all your opinions.


"Jan" wrote in message
.. .


Just a lurker with a question -- I have taken many, many quilt classes.
Occasionally I've observed a clique among some of those attending which
really takes the enjoyment out of a normally fun experience where everyone
has a mutual interest. After attending two classes in a prepaid series,
it's happening again and I have no intention of dropping out. It's a very
small group and the store owner is probably already aware of the situation
and trying to ignore it. How does everyone else handle quilt class
cliques? TIA for any feedback on this topic.

Jan

I'm curious about what clique means when applied to a quilt class since
I've only ever heard the word before in the context of an elementary
school or an ongoing social network. In my experience, the real problem
with a clique (the way I've always used the word) doesn't show up when
I'm with the clique members. They manage to be polite when I'm in the
room. The problem is when someone leaves. That's when the gossip,
ostracizing and back biting starts. That's when one clique member tells
another that she doesn't like the some third person.


So I'm not sure I've ever experienced a clique while in a class itself.
If I did find people gossiping amongst themselves while I was there,
I'm confident that I'd find the table farthest away from them so I
wouldn't have to hear it and be tempted to tell them to cut it out. On
the other hand, I have been known to pipe up and tell people that gossip
of that nature is wrong and that they should cut it out. Tact was never
my strong point.


The other question is what to do when people who know each other talk
amongst themselves without including people they don't know as well into
the conversation. Much harder question. I might be guilty of this one.
Since I'm the sort who has so little difficulty hearing someone say
something interesting and breaking in with my take on the subject, I'm
afraid I too often expect others to do the same. And I never mind when
they do. If I mention how much I enjoyed a particular movie and someone
at the next table says that she saw it and liked it too-- or didn't like
it at all-- the next minute we're all talking about movies and what we
like and don't like and laughing and disagreeing with each other.


Something else I've noticed that might have some bearing on the
subject-- I've been in a situation where 2 people lowered their voices
and turned away so that no one else could hear what they're saying. It
happens in a way so that I don't notice at first (since anyone is
welcome to have a brief private moment in a larger group), then suddenly
realize that I'm sitting right there being totally ignored in the rudest
possible way. I never figured out what to do in that situation. I
stopped going to that quilt store altogether. (The owner was worst the
offender.)


But in a class, that might not be a bad thing. At least I'd be able to
get the teacher's attention for a private lesson. Of course, if the
teacher is only paying attention to one group of students while ignoring
me, I wouldn't call the problem a clique as much as a clueless teacher.


--Lia

Although I am sympathetic to being in a classroom of cliques, I don't
consider two friends who are comfortable with each other to be a clique.
That's just two friends who took a course together. They may be rude,
not including you, but that's not a clique, in my opinion.

Marijke
in Montreal

Jan wrote:
Thank you for all your responses -- they were very appreciated it. This was
a very small class consisting of the teacher/new shop owner with a fantastic
inventory of quilt fabrics, myself and two other students who are
friends/neighbors. During the last class the shop owner drew everyone into
a general discussion by relating a personal experience but as soon as she
got busy with store issues, the situation immediately turned back to a
private dialog between the other two students for the remainder of the
session.

I will consider this a learning experience and if an occasion ever arises
where the shop owner asks for feedback I will certainly share my thoughts
because I would like to see her succeed. She has a wonderful quilt
shop.

Thanks again for all your opinions.


"Jan" wrote in message
.. .


Just a lurker with a question -- I have taken many, many quilt classes.
Occasionally I've observed a clique among some of those attending which
really takes the enjoyment out of a normally fun experience where everyone
has a mutual interest. After attending two classes in a prepaid series,
it's happening again and I have no intention of dropping out. It's a very
small group and the store owner is probably already aware of the situation
and trying to ignore it. How does everyone else handle quilt class
cliques? TIA for any feedback on this topic.

Jan

You paid for the class - The whole class??? Ignore them and finish the
class. They are probably friends ouside the class and just enjoy each
others company.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"Jan" wrote in message
.. .


Just a lurker with a question -- I have taken many, many quilt classes.
Occasionally I've observed a clique among some of those attending which
really takes the enjoyment out of a normally fun experience where everyone
has a mutual interest. After attending two classes in a prepaid series,
it's happening again and I have no intention of dropping out. It's a very
small group and the store owner is probably already aware of the situation
and trying to ignore it. How does everyone else handle quilt class
cliques? TIA for any feedback on this topic.

Jan