If you would thoroughly know anything, teach it to others. (Tryon Edwards)

Last week I attended a knitting group. I had a good time, and I haven't decided whether I'm going to make that group a regular thing. I do plan on going to the Boca group regularly, so two knitting groups might be overkill.

I wasn't the only visitor that week. One of the newbies was just learning to knit. She said she had tried to learn before, but had never been able to pick it up. Her friend was determined to teach her. Casting on, which is the first thing you do in knitting, was an immediate roadblock. Friend showed her how to do it, and then the woman tangled up the yarn trying to do it. Friend showed her again, and again the woman got her fingers tangled. Friend showed her again, being extremely patient at this point, and again the woman was confused. I suggested that maybe another type of cast on would be easier to learn. "No," said Friend, "this is the way I do it."

I left it alone at the time, but it's given me something to think about. I've decided people who are the best teachers are the ones that are flexible. I know that it's especially true in my field of teaching, but I think it's essentially true in any teaching situation. You have to be able to "think on your feet;" to accept that not everyone learns the same way; and that there is always more than one way to do get a result.

I have a tendency to think that my way is always the best way. But the truth is that my way is only one of the best ways. My way works for me. But someone else's idea might work just as well. (Wow, that was even difficult to type. I kept wanting to put "almost " instead of "just" in that sentence.)