photos by Brooke Forrest
writing by Julie Riedel
Working with students and fabric is what drives Kathryn Simmons, a part time professor in Kent State fashion program since the fall of 2016. Simmons teaches one fashion fabrics and two fashion visuals classes, while working on a fine arts master’s in textiles at KSU. She always wanted to be a teacher like her grandfather and grandmother. Unlike her grandparents who taught high school history and music, she had a less traditional subject in mind.
Simmons says, “It’s something (teaching) I wanted to do since I was a little kid. I just never realized I could put my love of fashion and clothing into the same thing as teaching. So it kind of evolved that way.”
Currently Simmons is in a jacquard weaving class where she works with jacquard weaving, a complex weave that uses a special loom. She introduces jacquard weaving in her fashion fabrics classes. So, she brings in her school projects as examples. Simmons teaching method is all-inclusive as she tries to use all the different ways people learn. She uses hands on projects, videos, textile samples, Power Points, mnemonic devices, and one-on-one interactions whenever she can.
“I like the one-on-one and being able to show people the stuff I enjoy, and having that aha moment when someone gets it when you’re showing them something and they understand it,” Simmons says.
Simmons cares about mentoring and she still turns to her mentors for help, advice, and support. She hopes to inspire and help her students as much as her teachers have inspired her.
She wishes she could spend more time working with students in smaller class setting. Her ideal class size is 10 to 15 students, but her actual class size is about 25. She’s happy she can interact with students and has even encouraged some to pursue a textile minor.
Simmons is not a member of The Kent State Part Time Faculty Alliance and she doesn’t know much about them. She does think unions are important and supports those who want a union. She’s interested in learning more about the KSTFA, and may even become a member.
Her subject may not be traditional like her grandparents. But Simmons has found a way to combine her passion of fabrics with teaching.
