Collegiality

Being supportive of colleagues is an important aspect of teaching. ATY and I helped LSH pop up completed artwork from her last cycle. This was quite rigorous, as lights were threaded through the holes in the base of the paper mâché creations. We put sticky velcro on the back and made sure the right student's names were with their work. I quite enjoyed this and it was nice to be able to help, and the hallway display looks really effective.

Slouch Beanie

Three of the five classes have to complete the last step of their pencil cases Three lessons remain with Cycle 3 - Year 7's when Term Three begins. There is not enough time left to make the tote bag - I believe this would require a minimum of five lessons. I've created a pattern for a slouch beanie, found from this website: https://mellysews.com/sew-a-beanie-hat-slouchy-hat-tutorial/. I've made a couple of prototypes and adapted the pattern - the first prototype resembled the shape of a piece of bread at the top, because the dart pulled the center of the top in. The beanie will be made with two colours of fabric so it is reversible. 

Three of the five classes have to complete the last step of their pencil cases - stitching the side seams closed; clipping corners and snipping off loose threads. This will mean that the beanies will be a bit rushed, however I believe they will be possible to complete. I've ordered a range of different coloured Polar Fleece from Backstreet Bargains, as well more zips, and some sweatshirting. This is the assessment task I have created for the beanie. 

 

Update, 11/9: Stitching the darts closed and stitching curved lines (whilst maintaining the correct seam allowance) was a little tricky for the Year 7's, even with demonstrations. This is definitely going to be a work in progress. I'm not sure whether I can alter the pattern to reduce the amount of curved lines the students stitch, or changing up the way I 'teach' the students how to construct the Beanie. I was happy with the students abilities to cut out correctly - there were one or two who required more support. Demonstrating how to cut out and stitch the darts closed worked well. I try to do this for every class, which means there are at least 5 extra beanies floating around and I can give these to students who have missed lessons or require extra support.