Workshop on sewing

Organisation piloting the Good Practice

High school of Economics “Mirko Vešović” Podgorica

Country

Montenegro

Description of the good practice

During the month of December, three workshops were held in our school on December 4th, December 6th and December 20th, 2024, on tailoring and sewing clothes made of recycled material. The English language teacher, Marija Jakovljević, guided the 3rd grade students through this creative process. The goal of the workshops was to raise awareness of the possibilities of repurposing different materials and clothing, to develop the desire to create objects for everyday use, to acquire handwork skills, but above all to enjoy the process of creation.

Background

Our school focuses predominantly on theoretical knowledge, and every practical skill is directly connected to Economics and Law. This idea seemed as something which might be useful for students in general in terms of acquiring a life skill.

Steps to take if you want to implement the good practice from planning to execution and evaluation if included

1. Planning

  • Defining of the goals : to engage students int  a practical skill, to implement a cross-curricula activity 
  • Preparation of materials and equipment: sewing machines, scissors, chalk, needles, threads , fabrics, cut out templates
  • Planning  the activity : setting extra lessons with the scheduled timetable , finding adequate premises, organising logistics

2. Execution

  • Presenting the information on how to practically do the tailoring, cutting and sewing  
  • Guide students through the activity and monitoring the progress
  • Foster collaboration and creativity as students work together

3. Evaluation

  • Collecting  feedback from students on what they learned 
  • Evaluation of the students’ engagement and their results 
  • Reflection  on  the effectiveness of this activity for future use in various situations and different purposes: it might be an incentive for a future business idea or plan  of the students

Target group/s of the practice

Students in High school of Economics “Mirko Vešović” Podgorica, Montenegro interested in the workshop, with different social backgrounds

Number of students involved

6 students, on of them being SEN student

Benefits, impact on the students and learning outcomes

Benefits, impact on the students and learning outcomes

These sorts of workshops represent something new and interesting for the students. They provide a practical skill which , one day, might be a great entrepreneurial  idea for students to either start their own business or find a job in the fashion industry with an emphasis on the green mindset . Regarding the SEN students, doing group activities are extremely beneficial for their personal well-being and development , according to the sort of the special need(s) these students actually require. Furthermore, in this way , as with any group or team work, the sense of community is increased , along with other regular activities our school and teachers organise. The sense of creating something should contribute to students’ self-confidence and , eventually, even contribute to the school environment itself. Of course, the development and refinement of interpersonal and social in general skills is also quite important.  Because, the general idea of education overall is to prepare students for life.

Suggestions for future users of this good practice

It might seem a bit too much but the basic idea for teachers is to try out something they are familiar with ( their interest or hobby) , to share their knowledge or a skill with students  instead of always feeling pressured to be always professionally developing and learning something new. These sorts of good practices  should be  planned and executed according to what students need and according to what they feel comfortable with, taking into consideration every student , their physical, emotional and mental state. And , it is a good idea to organise small teams. If there is support from other teachers in the school, it is another benefit.

Other languages

Albania – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Kosovo – Montenegro

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