When you crochet in public, people ask you what you’re
doing.
When you tell them, they ask you can you teach other people.
When you say that you can, they ask you when you’re free.
And next thing you know, you’re running an after-school
class, teaching middle schoolers how to crochet.
That’s how it all began.
But I didn’t want to only teach them how to crochet, I wanted there to
be some academic component to it. I consider a math tie-in – there’s a lot
there as far as gauge, stitches per inch, patterns, felting – but I decided to
go with literacy. Surprise! I presented the idea to the Principal and ta-da –
Hooks & Books became a thing. And I did have to explain to some folks that no, I was not starting a fishing lessons class. Thursdays, after school, yarn, crochet hooks,
and National Book Award winner, Coretta Scott King Award winner, and Newbery
Honor Book, Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson.
Week 1 was an intro lesson, we read a few pages and worked
on chain stitches.
Belated Happy Birthday to author Jacqueline Woodson!
Week 2 - we talked about the importance of names and what
people call you after reading a girl named jack and our names. We continued to
work on the chain stitch – there were a few kids still getting the first chains
going, others whose chain was as tall as they are. For those who were ready, we
moved on to double chain stitch. Talk
about differentiated learning and teaching.
I’m prepping for Week 3. We’ll be talking about the stories
of South Carolina and perfecting the double chain.
One more stitch, one more page….
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