Jean Knight
Design & Textiles Instructor LSA
My name is Jean Knight and I am employed as an art textiles instructor and learning support assistant at Cavendish School. I joined the Cavendish team a year ago having spent 20 years working in mainstream education and Lewisham’s Pupil Referral Unit.
Art textiles is a new subject on the curriculum at Cavendish and the students have all greeted it with enthusiasm. I find it very rewarding to help our students realise that they can all achieve at their own level with a little help. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the beaming smile on the face of a student, who has transformed a design sketch from his drawing book into a 3D object. I am always amazed at the standard of undiscovered talent that our students have.
The students have covered a wide range of topics and skills over the past year from designing and manufacturing P.E Bags with their own personalised logos on them, the logos being based on Chinese symbols. Next they designed and made cushion covers, either for a younger brother or sister or for themselves. The designs for these were all original and very imaginative. Finally the students finished the year by designing and making 3d futuristic insects. The art textiles classroom was transformed into an undiscovered part of the Amazon with strange and amazing creatures crawling up the walls. Huge dragonflies clung to the windows and hung from the ceiling and everyone were amazed at the talent and imagination of the students.
This year has started with the students designing souvenir bags for the 2012 Olympics and again the array of differing designs is amazing.
Our students can be demanding and sometimes challenging, but they are all good company and I feel privileged to be part of the Cavendish team. The demands are great but the rewards are even greater! |
