Nervous about teaching

[lee_ann]

So...i wouldn't say i'm a beginner...well maybe i'm more of an advanced beginner...i've been crocheting for a long time, but i do all the same stitches and stuff lol...nothing too challenging. But a friend at work asked me to teach her how to crochet and i haven't the foggest clue how to teach! I taught myself when i was like 11...ive tried to teach others, but they weren't as interested as they thought they'd be so it kinda fell through.

basically i'm wondering how to start out, like what some beginning lessons would be. and also, what would be a good starter project?

 

any suggestions are appreciated!

 

Lee Ann

[Daisy]

If I were in your shoes, I'd start out with a very small and simple project....like a dishcloth. Something that won't be so overwhelming to a beginner, who may get easily frustrated. A dishcloth with single and double crochet is good for starters.....just to get the hang of the stitches and for good practice. Some beginners just find it intimidating just to learn to do the chains.....so have plenty of patience and go slow and explain slow and be prepared to do a lot of repeating.

[tezcatlipoca98]

I've taught a few people how to crochet. When I was doing classes I used to get really unmotivated beforehand, but I think that was more because people pay for classes but want to sit and have you do it for them. The one on one tutorials i've done with friends went well. I'd say start with a simple project like a face cloth like Daisy said. Or you could ask them if there was something they wanted to learn (shells, granny squares..etc). Find out if they are left handed or not. If they are you should sit across from them, as left handed crochet is pretty much a mirror image of right handed. If they are right handed sit next to them.

 

Be confident and it will be fun.

Good luck

[Vik]

You can do it! Remember to have Patience and be ready to explain the same many many times and to show how you do it very s-l-o-w-l-y! Teaching is nice and it will bring you satisfactions!

[WhiteElephant]

I got an art credit in highschool for teaching burnouts how to crochet, and all I started them out with was a chain, SC and DC, because if you really think about it those are the three stitches that every pattern or project uses, with only slight modifications here and there. Have her make granny squares. They are easy, fast and give you a general sense of accomplishment because lets face it, grannies look really cool with very little work. Good luck. Just be patient, go slow, and repeat yourself over and over.... and over.

Tahna

[NexStitch]

I would recommend trying to find out what kind of learner you are teaching. Find out of the person prefers visuals like graphs, charts, and drawing and show examples from books, or if they're more of an oral learner. You tell them orally to do something and show them, and then model what you do. Or, are they more hands-on. You work with them step by step explaining how to do each step and they mimic what you're doing at the same time, because they need to *feel* it themselves.

 

Once you have a grasp on their learning style, teach them how to make a chain and keep an even tension on the yarn and hook. This will take awhile to get used to, so expect to leave ample time for this. Once they get that, do the single crochet. Have in your head a mental script of how each stitch is created (i.e. "To create a single crochet stitch, insert the hook in the next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop. Wrap the yarn over the hook. We call this a "yarn over" or "yo" for short. Now draw through both loops on the hook.") If they're visual, write down the steps for them like I wrote it here. If they're an oral learner, have them re-tell it you. If they're hands-on, make them show it to you as they're doing it.

 

After teaching them just a few things, you should go back and check for understanding. See if they can recall how to begin to chain, and continue. See if they can recall the name of the stitch (sc) and how to make it. If they get it, move on to doing an HDC. Correct anything they don't understand.

 

Once they have a few stitches down and have done enough practicing, do a really small project involving those stitches.

 

Above all, let the learner guide YOU, not the other way around. You'll know if you're going to fast because you've checked for understanding and they didn't get it.

 

You'll do fine! Good luck!

[loopyliz]

All these suggestions are very good. Another thing I would add is affirmation, affirmation, affirmation. No matter what age a student is, they need lots of encouragement that they are definitely accomplishing something. Even if the only good thing you can say at the beginning is that they chose a very pretty color of yarn. Proper encouragement keeps beginners from getting frustrated and helps them be patient with themselves. You will love teaching and soon have many others asking for your expertise. Enjoy!