[artstrider]

I am interested in creative ways to begin a new ceramics program (including worksheets, tests, suggested beginner materials, etc.) at our high school. I will have beginners, and advanced. I am a potter and formerly elementary art teacher moving to a HS vacancy.

[cprosser]

artstrider, on 15 June 2012 - 03:47 PM, said:

I am interested in creative ways to begin a new ceramics program (including worksheets, tests, suggested beginner materials, etc.) at our high school. I will have beginners, and advanced. I am a potter and formerly elementary art teacher moving to a HS vacancy.

I have been teaching HS ceramics for the past 10 years and would be happy to share with you-Email me

[Pres]

artstrider, on 15 June 2012 - 03:47 PM, said:

I am interested in creative ways to begin a new ceramics program (including worksheets, tests, suggested beginner materials, etc.) at our high school. I will have beginners, and advanced. I am a potter and formerly elementary art teacher moving to a HS vacancy.

I taught HS ceramics for over 30 years in a moderately sized HS in PA. My ceramics 1 and 2 courses were the only ones in the HS. Ceramics 1 covered hand building aspects including pinch, coil, slab, and extrusion. Ceramics 2 included wheel throwing and combined wheel and handbuilt forms. Because of enrollments in the later years the 2 classes were included in the 1 class. This was not much of a problems as there were only 2-5 students in 2. I would highly recommend a textbook of some sort for grounding. Best bet on all of it is to have a well written curriculum, and philosophy of what you want the students to know before starting into lessons. I believe you will find the pace of HS to be interesting, and quite a change from elementary.

[TJR]

I have taught highschool art for 26 years in Canada. Still teaching! I taught elementary art for 4 years. You will find the pace slower but more fun. I had one Brent wheel in my class, so teaching throwing was a bit of a joke. I am also a functional potter.
There are lots of great ideas on the internet. My classes were divided by grade level, and the projects got more advanced. Begin with the basic handbuilding techniques-pinch, coil, slab.
Make "your favourite food", the anthropomorphic mug, which must incorporate an animal in the shape ie an elephant with the trunk being the handle.
Fire to Cone 06, use commercial glazes. You can bisque and glaze fire in the same kiln. I put the bisque in the bottom. Make sure everything is dry before you fire.
Enjoy.
TJR.

[Pres]

TJR, on 18 June 2012 - 07:20 AM, said:

I have taught highschool art for 26 years in Canada. Still teaching! I taught elementary art for 4 years. You will find the pace slower but more fun. I had one Brent wheel in my class, so teaching throwing was a bit of a joke. I am also a functional potter.
There are lots of great ideas on the internet. My classes were divided by grade level, and the projects got more advanced. Begin with the basic handbuilding techniques-pinch, coil, slab.
Make "your favourite food", the anthropomorphic mug, which must incorporate an animal in the shape ie an elephant with the trunk being the handle.
Fire to Cone 06, use commercial glazes. You can bisque and glaze fire in the same kiln. I put the bisque in the bottom. Make sure everything is dry before you fire.
Enjoy.
TJR.

Actually, and not to argue with anyone, but I used cone 6 during my last 30. The main reason for that was response to the clay. I found that the kids liked the mid range stoneware when throwing, and the body also handbuilt well. I moved into mixing glazes 20 years ago, and never looked back. I have a personal prejudice I will admit that precluded garish colors of 06, especially in the hands of a novice potter/student. In the end the move worked well for me. I bought a series of Bailey wheels when they first came out, and found them to be good for all sorts of student throwing. The money came from tuition for the adult classes. I would charge $60 for 6 Saturdays+material costs. Taking nothing for myself in the long run it was a lot less time than writing a grant, and much more fun.

[TJR]

Pres, on 18 June 2012 - 08:16 AM, said:

TJR, on 18 June 2012 - 07:20 AM, said:

I have taught highschool art for 26 years in Canada. Still teaching! I taught elementary art for 4 years. You will find the pace slower but more fun. I had one Brent wheel in my class, so teaching throwing was a bit of a joke. I am also a functional potter.
There are lots of great ideas on the internet. My classes were divided by grade level, and the projects got more advanced. Begin with the basic handbuilding techniques-pinch, coil, slab.
Make "your favourite food", the anthropomorphic mug, which must incorporate an animal in the shape ie an elephant with the trunk being the handle.
Fire to Cone 06, use commercial glazes. You can bisque and glaze fire in the same kiln. I put the bisque in the bottom. Make sure everything is dry before you fire.
Enjoy.
TJR.

Actually, and not to argue with anyone, but I used cone 6 during my last 30. The main reason for that was response to the clay. I found that the kids liked the mid range stoneware when throwing, and the body also handbuilt well. I moved into mixing glazes 20 years ago, and never looked back. I have a personal prejudice I will admit that precluded garish colors of 06, especially in the hands of a novice potter/student. In the end the move worked well for me. I bought a series of Bailey wheels when they first came out, and found them to be good for all sorts of student throwing. The money came from tuition for the adult classes. I would charge $60 for 6 Saturdays+material costs. Taking nothing for myself in the long run it was a lot less time than writing a grant, and much more fun.

PRES;
I DID MIX MY OWN COLOURED SLIPS THAT THE STUDENTS APPLIED AT LEATHER HARD. I STOPPED DOING THIS TWO YEARS AGO AS THE STUDENTS COULDN'T MAKE THE JUMP FROM DULL LEATHER HARD TO GLOSS UNDER A CLEAR GLAZE. I WOULD GLAZE ALL THE PIECES WITH A CLEAR GLAZE THAT I ALSO MIXED, AND FIRE TO CONE 04. It just became too much work for me in my own studio. Good on you for giving up your Saturdays to teach adults. Maybe you're a better man than me.
TJR.

[Pres]

TJR, on 18 June 2012 - 04:51 PM, said:

Pres, on 18 June 2012 - 08:16 AM, said:

TJR, on 18 June 2012 - 07:20 AM, said:

I have taught highschool art for 26 years in Canada. Still teaching! I taught elementary art for 4 years. You will find the pace slower but more fun. I had one Brent wheel in my class, so teaching throwing was a bit of a joke. I am also a functional potter.
There are lots of great ideas on the internet. My classes were divided by grade level, and the projects got more advanced. Begin with the basic handbuilding techniques-pinch, coil, slab.
Make "your favourite food", the anthropomorphic mug, which must incorporate an animal in the shape ie an elephant with the trunk being the handle.
Fire to Cone 06, use commercial glazes. You can bisque and glaze fire in the same kiln. I put the bisque in the bottom. Make sure everything is dry before you fire.
Enjoy.
TJR.

Actually, and not to argue with anyone, but I used cone 6 during my last 30. The main reason for that was response to the clay. I found that the kids liked the mid range stoneware when throwing, and the body also handbuilt well. I moved into mixing glazes 20 years ago, and never looked back. I have a personal prejudice I will admit that precluded garish colors of 06, especially in the hands of a novice potter/student. In the end the move worked well for me. I bought a series of Bailey wheels when they first came out, and found them to be good for all sorts of student throwing. The money came from tuition for the adult classes. I would charge $60 for 6 Saturdays+material costs. Taking nothing for myself in the long run it was a lot less time than writing a grant, and much more fun.

PRES;
I DID MIX MY OWN COLOURED SLIPS THAT THE STUDENTS APPLIED AT LEATHER HARD. I STOPPED DOING THIS TWO YEARS AGO AS THE STUDENTS COULDN'T MAKE THE JUMP FROM DULL LEATHER HARD TO GLOSS UNDER A CLEAR GLAZE. I WOULD GLAZE ALL THE PIECES WITH A CLEAR GLAZE THAT I ALSO MIXED, AND FIRE TO CONE 04. It just became too much work for me in my own studio. Good on you for giving up your Saturdays to teach adults. Maybe you're a better man than me.
TJR.

Not a better anything, I had so many budget restraints, that I felt like I was going to lose the courses I loved out of attrition. 6 Saturday mornings in the winter really didn't hurt much, and I hate paper work. It got bad though in the end I taught a double session because I had so many enroll. These people were mostly my peers and teachers from other districts. I also had a long standing student that happened to be the personnel director, and the head of the Federal Programs office. It became helpful at the end of a year when people had money left, they started thinking of me! There is a down side though-I was never over weight, and have no history, but the month before I retired I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes. Dr. think I just wore myself out with bad schedule and lack of rest. Lucky thing is retirement let me reverse the trend, and I don't take meds even though I have the disease. You do what you have to do, no right no wrong, just it is what it is. I am sure you do a great job, I only hope that others can learn from my experience and my mistakes.

[artstrider]

Responses are interesting and I like the idea of the anthropomorphic mugs. I do not like underglazes (cone 04) as they tend to look like spray paint and did not use them with my elementary kids, but the previous high school ceramic people only used the underglazes. I have a reasonably stocked elementary supply of Amaco LG series glazes but can not take them to the high school due to individual budgets, etc. Also, what textbook would be suggested in aiding curriculum writing? Thanks~

[Jessica Knapp]

artstrider, on 21 June 2012 - 09:50 PM, said:

Responses are interesting and I like the idea of the anthropomorphic mugs. I do not like underglazes (cone 04) as they tend to look like spray paint and did not use them with my elementary kids, but the previous high school ceramic people only used the underglazes. I have a reasonably stocked elementary supply of Amaco LG series glazes but can not take them to the high school due to individual budgets, etc. Also, what textbook would be suggested in aiding curriculum writing? Thanks~

You might also check the Ceramic Arts Daily Education page. There are some project ideas at the top left, split out by grade level, as well as a number of resources that you might be able to use in your high school program.
http://ceramicartsdaily.org/education/

and the resources page, which is in the middle on the second row of the main education page:
http://ceramicartsda...dent-resources/

[kilnpriestess]

I agree with TJR, that firing to cone 06 works out well for high school students because there are so many good design assignments that you can give them involving color and pattern. I would recommend using a non-talc white clay with some grog or sand if they are throwing or handbuilding. I always fire class work very slowly and have the students hollow things out and poke lots of air holes in everything. I like to start beginning students (high school and college) with the making of clay stamps that I fire early on so that they can use them right away. I also fast dry things with the kiln on low and the lid open so that I can get the work through more quickly. Of course everyone has to find what works best for them. I also like working with white clay because it is easier to clean up after and the bright surface is great for the low temp. commercial glazes.

[Benzine]

I also use a low-fire clay, for some of the reasons mentioned, namely the fact you can fire the bisque and glaze loads together if need be. I tend to avoid that if I can, simply because I've had bisque pieces explode and those pieces land on glazeware, even if they were on different shelves. But if I need a full load, I will fire them together.

Many of my students also prefer using underglazes, which from my experience, turn out better low-fire. One of the schools I taught at, I used stoneware and fire to cone 5. The underglazes just didn't look that good after the second firing.

I would also recommend using a white clay, as they are less likely to stain cloths.

In my first teaching job, I had a Ceramics I and II class. In Ceramics I, I went over pinching, coiling, slab building as well as an introduction to the potter's wheel. In Ceramics II, it was more about styles and concepts, using the processes learned in Ceramics I, and they had to make a set on the potter's wheel.

In my current job, there was no specific "Ceramic" class. So I took the sculpture/ 3-D Art class, and basically made it into a ceramics class. Since I've only got one class to cover everything, I incorporate some projects from my Ceramics II class into the one class. My only regret, is that I just can't give the students the time on the wheel that I'd like to.