Teaching help for badly scared students

[Miss Crochet]

Becky, I think you're right: there comes a point where you have to put your foot down and be firm - otherwise things will just get worse. And the ban on frogging sounds sensible, otherwise they'll never get anywhere...

 

Good luck with it and let us know how you get on!

[flyinghigh]

I think if you have anything you've knitted that has mistakes, bring it in to show them that mistakes are natural for all beginners. I like the other suggestions too about laughing and such. Don't fear the frog... haha.

 

MAYBE you could find some little figurines of frogs... not too expensive.. or something along those lines and give them to the students. My friends got a little fuzzy mole when she was in chemistry to help her remember the mole tool equations thing.

[Becky Morgan]

Wish me luck, everybody. The class is Saturday.

 

I'm used to teaching (or doing history lectures) that get out of hand enough that people come to see what all the noise is about because we laugh hard and get rowdy. To sit in this room full of tense, shivering women with downcast eyes and tears streaming...it's just sad and I don't think I can do another class like that.

[merkity]

now you did it - bad idea....

[Becky Morgan]

I'm back. We had a full house and, believe it or not, a good time! One woman did rip hers out before I could get to her, but she was so darned good-natured about it that I didn't toss her out. She'd dropped a bunch of stitches and was going to just sit and watch everyone else, but by the time we broke for the day she had half of a hat done anyhow.

 

The only one missing was the one who was crying when we started last time. I hate to think what I'm thinking, but she might have been the source of the problem because her anxiety was so over the top. I wish we could get her out of it. (She told her friend she couldn't come because I scared her. I'd like to know how!)

[merkity]

wow - sounds like you made a good start forward in the class - glad to hear