How weaving with 5th grade fostered teamwork and respect
As a weaver myself, I was excited to teach weaving to my 5th grade students. It’s a tricky skill, especially the set up, but so rewarding when you get the hang of it. Every time I teach it, there’s a few students that pick it up very quickly and there’s some students that really struggle with it. At the beginning of the lesson, I made sure to tell my students that weaving is challenging, and I encouraged them to help each other out. “I love when I see friends teaching friends!” is what I always say.
My students were also very respectful of the noise level in the classroom. We talked about the fact that some people take longer than other people to learn a new skill, and why it’s important for us to respect that through our behavior in the classroom. My students were receptive to this tone-setting for the lesson, and it warmed my heart to see them whispering and helping each other out. One student in one of my classes even walked around to check on other tables and see if he could help.
Now that every class has it figured out, my students love the process!
