Glassquilt

Writing good directions is an art.

donnajean

I am a retired teacher & when I retired, I taught quilting for a while. I made each student pick a simple pattern from the Quilts for Babiies book & I taught by having them read & do the instructionsd one sentence at a time. If they had trouble visualizing the instructions, I would assist, but emphasis was on their reading the instructions.

Alexandra

I teach quilting and how I handle someone needing "that little something extra" is I allow anyone has taken a class to sit in when I am teaching the class again if there is room without paying. Sometimes, a person just needs a little extra help. Letting someone "audit" the class is good will for me and helps a student who might need a little refresher.

NanaCsews2

I agree. Many people need one on one and cannot learn in a group. Too many distractions and makes the reading and understanding so confusing. The lightbulb moment needs to go off and then they get it. Ask me how I know. I am all self-taught with sewing and quilting because of this. Not an attention disorder or anything, just when I want to learn something-absolutely no distractions! Don't even chew near me....LOL

Jan in VA

Yep, there are three learning styles....visual - reading a pattern or watching it being done; kinesthetic - hands on/doing it yourself/feel it approach; or, and aural - hearing about it. Or some of us are a combo of these.

Many, many new quilters are kinesthetic learners; sounds like this is your student. Perhaps a brief show of how to make the pattern will suffice. Telling her (as over the phone) won't help. And doing it for her may not help either. Perhaps meet her at the shop with her block stuff, and walk her through putting it together herself. Once she has made enough quilt blocks, she'll be able to 'translate' patterns herself because she'll be able to "feel" herself making it.

Jan in VA

quilticing

And the sentences are separated. That's the way comic books work. Input a little at a time. Publishers would sell more in this format, I think. Maybe that's why I always design my own stuff.

Glassquilt

Boy, can I relate. I'm the 1st & 2nd. I absolutely hated lectures in school. I bought a battery operated reel-to-reel recorder for them. I'd take incomplete notes during the lecture and the same night I'd play it over & over to finish the notes. Had to have the tape ready for the next day. :(

Hand work/crafts are so wonderful. I see it, do it, learn it and I'm a happy camper. :)

gigi10

This is very interesting to me as I have been asked to teach a couple of classes at my LQS. I have make a supply list for each class. I have to make sure I understand what I want them to do. I was a hair dresser years ago and I can learn best by seeing and doing it as we go along. If a person can repeat the instructions out loud, they are expressing to me that they know what I have asked them to do. This is what I do when teaching little people. I show them, they do it as I watch and by that point even the weaker student has a better idea. I would ask her to come and sit in the next time you are teaching.

vjjo743

When I get a quilt pattern and find it perplexing, I read it several times. The first time it is confusing, next time I pick up something that makes sense to me, and the next it starts to come together. My advice is just to read it until it clicks. That works for me.