School Crafts and ELT?! I’m a Teacher, Not an Artisan!

Have you ever experienced the chaos of school crafting? If you’re reading this, then you probably attest to the anguish, frustration and occasional frivolity of trying to accomplish such a feat within the time restrictions of our lessons.

“Teacher? I can’t cut this! Help me!” or the classic, “Mary’s not sharing the markers with us!” And let’s not forget, “This glue has dried up, and Mark is using the other one to stick the pages of his book together!”

So many more incidents could be mentioned, however, we still have a long way to go till Christmas holiday and discouraging you is the last thing I wish to accomplish.

Speaking of accomplishments, do your students actually finish the crafts on their own, or is your personal contribution essential? Who am I kidding? More often than not, our personal engagement is deemed necessary to keep their spirits high and have their projects done on time. And even though you marvel at their creations which glamorously adorn the walls of the classroom, (with varying degree of assistance from yours truly), you end up questioning the meaning of it all.

Is the mental fatigue and stress of trying to please both the students and their parents really worth it? No, we’re not - and shouldn’t be - doing this to please or impress the parents. As for other considerations? The cost of materials has skyrocketed, and the precious time devoted to this endeavor could have been allocated to finishing another page in their textbooks, instead of lagging behind.

I’m assuming the role of devil’s advocate but these thoughts have at some point crossed our minds. Fortunately, if you’ve been in the fold long enough, you’ll likely agree with the notion that crafting and language learning actually do go hand in hand. What say you, my disgruntled colleagues? Let’s dive deep into this precarious but well-worthy educational approach, shall we?

Putting aside the time and money required to prepare the desired craft, the benefits our students reap are numerous. Let’s take drawing, for example.

“Elizabeth? What are you drawing there?” I ask in a genuinely curious tone.

“It’s a giraffe, Ms. Katherine! Her name is Daisy!” she confidently replies without lifting her eyes or coloured pencil from the paper.

“What does Daisy eat, Elizabeth?” I ask, reckoning this would be the perfect opportunity to pick her brain.

“I think she eats flowers! I’ll draw some!” she giggles.

“Who are the people standing next to her?” I ask with a sincere yet enthusiastic tone.

“This is me, and the tall one with the blonde hair is you!” she proclaims, proudly handing me her work of art.

Overlooking the crooked smiles and pencil-thin feet in her drawing, I felt great sense of pride in our little chat. Without hesitation, Elizabeth subconsciously engaged in the conversation, exhibiting no anxiety, whatsoever as she was focused on her creation. The fact that she used pronouns, prepositions, and vocabulary we had just learned was all the reward she deserved. Had I questioned her earlier in front of her classmates, she might have crumbled under the pressure, considering Elizabeth is a shy, introverted, and sensitive child. Crafts do, indeed, facilitate expression in a heart-warming fashion, however, here is where things get interesting…

Drawings are a neat way of expression, but grasping materials to craft something? That’s a whole other level. Are your students kinesthetic learners? Let them use their muscles and motor skills! Unbeknownst to them, they are actually assimilating the language while they’re at it!

“Today we’re going to make a cardboard pet!” I proclaim as the students rush in a frenzy to grab the materials which resonate with their own personal idea of a cardboard pet.

Watching them have the time of their lives while gluing googly eyes onto toilet paper cardboard tubes, is something I never get tired of. The banger usually comes at the end when they realize that a word can be used both as a noun and a verb as you instruct them to “glue the tails,” subtly teaching them conversion words in the process.

With their confidence boosted to a whole new level, they first describe what they created and then chase each other around with their “pets,” as you can’t help but contemplate how a simple craft brought such a smile to their faces. Emotional expression via crafts is an undeniable perk, one which no educator should ignore. In today’s stressful and many a time senseless society, our children deserve a chance to feel - anything, if we’re being blunt about it. Art is an expression of the soul and education can prosper within its confines.

Students who avoid speaking up in class due to low self-esteem or self-doubt often find other ways to vent their frustrations or even alleviate them. Care to build your own puppet while learning vocabulary associated with body parts? Piece of cake! Cake, you say? How about prepping some ingredients and have them follow a recipe? Those no-bake recipe cakes you found online are looking pretty tempting ?now, aren’t they? The joy we’ll all experience once they’ve completed their creations - or dessert (I’m getting hungry now) – will without a doubt be totally worth it.

Bonus points for cultural immersion as you attempt to indulge your student’s curiosity with crafts relevant to the customs and traditions of other nations, familiarizing them with new vocabulary, broadening their horizons, and stimulating their worldview. Who would have thought my students would be so invested in creating a miniature Big Ben out of lollipop sticks or the Sydney Opera house with clay, all the while discussing the history behind these landmarks and how they came to be?

Holidays such as Thanksgiving and Halloween, boast a mighty wide range of vocabulary which can put language users to the test through potentially new grammar.

But how did we go from merely “assisting” our students with their crafts to this “indisputable” educational approach? Is it actually worth it? Our profession deems it essential we be patient in all our endeavors and that’s the blunt truth we veterans and newcomers alike should accept. Meticulous planning and coordination with the school and its available resources can offer a plethora of options you can implement in class. With a little patience and a lot of fun, the memories forged are always ones to cherish.