CFE Reflection Week Two – Myrna Ordona

For Kerri Wallin

I think the big takeaway for me during this second week was the idea of process vs. product. I recall the planning days of my long practicum, where I really brainstormed ideas of how my students would retrieve information on a specific topic; how they would transfer their background knowledge to paper or class discussions. The process of course was the big idea, as that’s where all the “lightbulbs” go off in students’ minds. It’s easy to determine the product of what you want the students to end up with – but how do they get there? For me, that was my big focus for lesson and unit planning.

Shift to a design studio, where the students are paying clients, and the product seems to come before process. It’s understandable, because the products are adorned by the students (they are so eager to complete!) and time is a major factor. What I’ve noticed is the collective high motivation among these sewing students. There is nobody that puts down their work and says “I don’t want to do this”; they want that end product. However, the skills that they are using to produce the end product can be up for debate. For example, the students are required to pin their pieces of fabric together before sewing to ensure the pieces are aligned properly. What happens 99% of the time is the that adults (instructor, myself and other TC) are pinning for them. This is mainly due to students ongoing development of spatial awareness, fine motor skills, complexity of areas to pin, and of course, TIME. If pieces are not pinned properly, then the chances are high for a mistake to occur during machine sewing, and thus the student becomes behind. So I think to myself, should these particular skills be addressed more deeply prior to starting the project? I do catch myself at times as well, where I am helping a student with their project, and I start to feel that the project is becoming my own. Next thing you know, I’m doing more than one step for the student and I realize I have to stop what I’m doing and hand it over back to the student. I can’t help but laugh!

I will say though, as a teacher coming into the field, nothing beats the smile and excitement of a student when they have accomplished something they are proud of. It is rewarding to see students, regardless of what the product is, be proud of what they have done. I know that these sewing skills will develop over time if the students continue taking classes or sewing projects on their own. Time is a funny thing, it’s a blessing and our worst enemy.