Learning how to knit is unique to every individual and can be pursued in a variety of different ways. Every knitter holds their needles differently and knits at a different pace and with different technique. Some knitters find it beneficial to knit in the company of others, using other knitters expertise to compliment their own skills. Experienced knitters could likely complete their project with their eyes closed where a beginner needs to focus on every stitch, concentrating on every different step involved in the process and sometimes asking for help from someone with more experience. Every knitter has different intentions with their art, some wish to make functional items where others wish to create abstract projects that inspire others to think and ask questions. All of these statements speak to teaching, we all teach in different styles and have come to teaching in different ways. Beginning teachers need guidance and support from their more experienced elders, and they need to spend more time focusing on every individual aspect of the teaching practice. Teachers have different sets of values based on their own personal life experiences and their educational background. All of these factors contribute to how differently every teacher approaches their role in the classroom.
To speak to the actual process and results of knitting, I see a direct connection to the diversity in classrooms and what the ultimate goal of teaching is. The process begins with the individuality of every strand. Each fibre included in the project comes from a different background, has a difference level of strength and durability and has been created in a unique way, but shares its origins with the other strands to some degree. Every fibre possesses different textures, colours and qualities, much like the students that we will encounter in the classroom. The process of ‘knitting’ involves bringing together all of those different fibres and building something that functions and works together in a new found community – be it as a hat, a pair of mittens or a grade 4/5 classroom.
The skill level we possess, past experience and the commitment we have to a project are all determinants of the end results. Knitting (much like teaching), are art forms that requires great patience and adaptability. Nothing will be accomplished in one day or with the simple snap of your fingers. As time goes on and you find yourself becoming more skilled in your art form, this should not be interpreted as a sign that you have mastered the craft and have now graduated to putting in little effort or thought to accomplish a task. Instead, It should be seen a sign that you are ready to move on to bigger challenges and have gained the skills necessary to achieve these new, more ambitious goals like knitting a sweater or introducing your class to a subject that you have never explored before.
Teaching means different things to every person and can be related to many things that we experience in our complex lives. Through the process of developing this teaching metaphor, I have realized that all of the connections I make between teaching and my life are to those worldly experiences that bring me great joy and inspiration. A kind of confirmation that I am indeed following the right path.