Maya B.

Crochet, Knitting, Fiber Science Instructor

New York City

• I have processed my own fleece and spun it into yarn.
• I love making Legends of Zelda references in class.
• I love visiting different countries, collecting yarn from local farms, and learning about their relationship to the craft and their land.

Hello Creators and Explorers! I'm Maya, a passionate teacher with 8 years of experience as a STEM educator and nearly 2 years of experience developing my own classes as a Textile and Fiber Science Instructor. I graduated with a BA in Environmental Science from Sarah Lawrence College in 2023, while also exploring Neuropsychology and Urban Studies for an interdisciplinary journey. My teaching philosophy centers on the belief that, in an increasingly industrializing world, textile arts offer people a meaningful connection to both ancient human ingenuity and modern scientific thinking. Long before contemporary technology, humans developed innovative and symbiotic relationships with animals, plants, and natural materials to create tools, shelter, clothing, and additional resources that made life more sustainable and connected. I believe learning the crafts of crocheting, knitting, and fiber science is an opportunity to preserve these stories and practices in the hearts and minds of young people while giving them a hands-on way to explore their creativity, problem-solving, algebraic, and scientific thinking skills. I would encourage students to be present, intentionally experiment with their clothing, think spatially, recognize patterns, work through challenges, and transform their abstract ideas into tangible works of art and science. My goal would be to create a learning environment where everyday people can enhance their fine motor skills, bimanual coordination, focus, and project management skills while centering the human story and inventive spirit. Additionally, I also want them to experience the joy, sense of accomplishment, and boost of self-esteem that comes from making something with your own hands. I hope to see you and together explore Earth's systems, how the human experience has been and is still shaped by them, and experiencing the whimsy and creativity of being human and making awesome clothes and objects!