Whatever way I bring this subject up it will be seen as being controversial.

However, I’ve had cause for concern recently when  students talked to me about the content of some of their past classes.  One thing I refuse to do is to comment on another Teacher to students….. It would be extremely unprofessional. I could choose to turn a deaf ear…. or I could choose to speak out……heaven forbid…!!!!!

I’ve mulled this over for a week or so and talked to some of my peers….. and no one really wants to touch it. However in the interests of better education in quilting I feel it is a subject that needs consideration.

Maybe this is a subject for discussion in one of our quilting magazines…. I would like to see a magazine that tackles some of these subjects the same as Mark Lupinski’s magazine.

How do you become a quilt Teacher?    
Should you need to get qualifications to teach quilting?
Should there be mandatory Teacher accreditation?

Personally, as a student…..I’ve had a few shockers…. in fact, I owe them a great deal, I was at pains to never be like them, then again I’ve had many wonderful Teachers whom I admire and would give my eye teeth to be able to teach like them.

I had a teacher once who’s demeanor made some students burst into tears. A teacher who sat at the front of the class and told us to turn our book to page 87 and "Get on with it"  and then there was the teacher who told me "You will never make a quilter, you have no colour or design sense"

But then again I’ve had teachers who were so generous with their time and knowledge. Who inspired me to go further and taught me more than the basics….

I recently had a teacher comment to me "I’ve never been to a class, I don’t need to"…. I think I rolled my eyes…. I’m not known for being subtle….  There is so much to learn by attending class and for a Tutor, it puts you back into the roll of student and you look at your classes with a different perspective.

As teachers we need to glean every ounce of knowledge that we can. At and event, I attend every lecture I can possibly fit in. I learn a lot about a person in a presentation, it’s also an affirmation of comradeship in the industry when you support another tutor at an event….

So I’ve said my piece…. it’s something we discuss a lot in the US… but it’s never mentioned here in Oz.