Wilton Instructors - Please Help
Decorating By cakesbycathy Updated 25 May 2006 , 9:20pm by kaecakes
If you are right handed, how do you teach your left handed students to decorate???
I just started teaching Course 1 class and 3 of the 5 students in there are left -handed (I'm not). We did okay for lesson two, but I can tell that as the it gets more difficult (like the rose) that there's gonna be problems.
I don't want to look like a bad teacher.
What can I do?
Some things I can do left handed--not peferctly, but okay enough to show. Some things I just can't do. Most of my lefty students always just say that they know that they have to do the opposite direction. If they have have problems while practicing, I just really make sure that their hands are in the correct position for them.
I don't think you will look like a bad teacher though, so please don't worry about that. Think of the handful of lefty instructors that have to teach all those righties! 
My daughter is left-handed and the best advice I received for her is for her to watch people doing things in a mirror. That way she is seeing the mirror image which is how she technically does things...backwards! You can put up a mirror behind you and they can watch you through the mirror.
* EDITED * I am not a Wilton instructor, just the mother of 2 left-handed children.
I have my left handed students stand in front of me when I show a technique. That way they are actually seeing the correct positioning of the bag and tips. It works really well for them. As for actually "hands-on" help - try and do some of the techniques at home left handed. I can show them how to hold the bags and simple techniques but that's about it for lefty things. The students understand that it is difficult for a righty to do things lefty - they will not judge you for having a little difficulty when your helping them. Wilton has converted their books to make the left handed students feel more at ease as well as the tips too. It'll be fine. Don't worry so much about it - your students aren't. 
I am left handed and when I took my Wilton course the instructor was able to give me the bag positioning left-handed and then showed me the technique right-handed. Having grown up with right handed parents and being left handed, the best way I learned to do things was to stand facing the right handed person and imitate what they are doing as though the were a mirror image. If you can demonstrate the technique without having the practice board between you, it would be easy for your left-handed student to be able to mimic.
Cathy, don't worry about being a bad teacher because you are right handed. 
I have taught many left handed students over the two years that I have been teaching. I always ask the first night of class if I have any left handers, and tell them to remind me the next weeks to make sure I give them the correct postions.
I agree with those that say to stand in front of them and have them mirror what you are doing. That seems to work best in my classes. When lefties do the borders they will do them from right to left, so you may need to point that out to them.
I've attempted a left handed rose a few times, and it is not nearly as good as my right handed rose. But then again I don't have the same strenght in that hand. I can also do a few of the course 2 flowers with my left hand. I don't think you have to learn everything left handed, as long as you can give the correct postions and be able to help them other wise.
Also for you and any other new (or old) WMI, there is a WMI Selina, that started a Yahoo E-Group for Instructors only. It is a great place to go for questions or help with classes. There are many wonderful WMI's there that give great advice, suggestions, ideas and pick me ups. If you are a WMI and are interested in joining it, PM me and I will give you the information for it.
They won't think you are a bad teacher at all, I have taught lots of left handed students and a lot of them try to do there decorating right handed. I have learned to do most of the course I lessons left handed including the rose. It takes me longer to do them lefty but they look fine. Place your left handed students directly in front of you so they can follow the reverse image of your work. After course I they tend to know know how to follow you.
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