I had to smile broadly when I read Carol Miller’s account of how and why she started her online Quilt University. You see, I have been “there”…”there” being teaching in public, and I can agree with its drawbacks, and the need for an alternative.
For example, when I taught classes for our local community education program, I also was relegated to the art department. I learned that I had to carry my own cleaning supplies and wash down all the tables from the paint spills of the day, before students arrived.
Since I didn’t want to ask students to tote their sewing machines, and because I was mostly teaching hand quilting and hand appliqué classes, and needed the machine only a little bit, I would bring my own machine for their use. No matter how many times I’d tell beginners to turn the wheel only toward them, inevitably, they would turn it the wrong way, every time, risking damage to the machine.
People would show up late to class, and if arriving with their best buddy, they would consider the night out a chance to catch up on news of boyfriends, kids, work, etc., and their loud, animated talking would disrupt the learning process for others.
Most often, the easiest access door to the assigned classroom would be locked, and in the day before cell phones, I’d find myself trudging around the building and up three flights of stairs to the “office,” to get someone to unlock that door for arriving students.
Since the classes were at night, and there was no lighting in back of the school where most students preferred to park, there were complaints about that from students, due to safety concerns.
Nonetheless, the actual teaching/learning interchange was great! Students would bring in grandma’s quilt or quilt top, ask advice, bring their latest projects or ideas for projects yet not started. They all seemed to enjoy learning new techniques in all of my classes. There was a real sense of camaraderie and excitement that was very fun.
Then, with the start up of yet another (third) quilt shop, in this relatively small town, plus a quilt guild, all of which were giving classes, enrollment dropped off at the high school. It was just more convenient for students to take classes at a place where fabric and notions were supplied, too, saving them time.
However, the final nail in the coffin for my local teaching was when I told, on a number of occasions, the day before, or the day of, some scheduled classes, that due to insufficient enrollment, the classes were a “no go.” That is tough news to hear after preparing lesson plans, packets of information for students, and gathering supplies that represented a large investment of time and money.
All in all, Quilt University makes a whole lot of sense for both teacher and student. Supplies can be gathered ahead of time, photos of finished work can be shared online, questions can be asked of teachers, in a non-threatening environment, and sharing can be done with fellow students. Moreover, in my opinion, the price is right, and the variety of classes is there.
For an insightful look at how Quilt University came to be, read Carol Miller’s responses to our interview questions.
Why is this article on my website? The answer is simple. I continue to support quilt professionals who are making a difference by bringing quality goods and services to others. Carol Miller, Dean of Quilt University, is someone who is doing just that!
To see some beautiful teacher and student quilts, and to find out more about Quilt University, click on the link below:
http://quiltersmuse.com/quilt_university.htm
Pat Cummings
