As the school year quickly draws to a close, things are heating up in the art room. The high school classes have been exploring the realm of Ceramics for their final unit. Since I have many returning students from 1st and 2nd trimester art classes who have learned handbuilding fundamentals, I wanted to flip the classroom and give my students the opportunity to create a ceramic piece of their choice through an independent project.
During the first few days of the unit, my students learned the stages of clay hands-on through a reclaim process to recycle dried up pieces of clay left over from the end of the previous trimester. We hammered scraps down to a dry powder and rehydrated it in buckets until it was mixed together as a slurry. The slip could then be scooped onto plaster bats to toughen overnight and be wedged into new clay the next morning. Extra clay was never wasted and students got to experience how it is reclaimed.
With our fresh clay ready to go, we began handbuilding by reviewing essential skills through guided exercises of pinching and sculpting clay, to rolling coils and slabs for clay construction. Students drew sketches for their project plans with notes on their processes for creating their ceramic pieces. Some students built functional pieces such as mugs or bowls and others created sculptures like a 20-sided dice or a paper weight in the shape of a guitar.
Next, I demonstrated throwing a cylinder on the wheel in small groups so students could see the steps first-hand before trying it on their own. I also included a few technique videos linked to the class Schoology page and an abbreviated step-by-step checklist on the whiteboard for visual references. Watching someone with experience on the wheel can make it look easy but it takes lots of practice to center the clay and determine just the right amount of gentle pressure to throw a pot.
Students signed up on a rotating schedule on the class spreadsheet to reserve practice time on the pottery wheels. With four wheels available, four students at a time could practice pottery with my one-on-one assistance. Those who were not using the wheels on any given day were working on handbuilding their sculptural ceramic pieces at their tables.
The studio environment was really building momentum when I unfortunately had a sports injury that resulted in a broken bone in my right hand. Suddenly, I couldn’t demonstrate throwing on the wheel or assist my students without the use of my dominant hand for the following six weeks.
As an art teacher, it was frustrating for me to not be able to physically help my students with centering or wedging that required both hands to push the clay. I shared with students who were struggling on the wheel that, “I wish I could help you, but you will have to ‘learn by doing’ instead. It’s okay to experience failures in pottery because you will learn from them and I’m here to coach you through it.”
The amazing thing about being injured is that the students were given full autonomy on the project and able to take more control over their own experimentation with clay. It also helped me realize just how many small things that I had been doing previously to make things run smoothly in the classroom. The class stepped up to bridge the gap with individual students willing to help others by demonstrating techniques that they had learned and more advanced students collaborating with those who were just starting out on the wheel by guiding them with tips and tricks. I also noticed how students were concerned about my hand and offered to help me out as needed.
It was a team effort and community mindset at the end of each class period as people worked together to put away supplies, wrap up clay projects, and wipe down workspaces. It had become a true studio environment where students came into class and did what they knew they needed to do, working together toward the common goal of finishing their projects the best that they could. Students started signing up for multiple time slots and extra periods at the end of the day, planning out their own schedule with the days left on the calendar to manage their time.
My Reflections as an Art Teacher Building a Studio Environment:
1) Gradual release (heavy direct instruction first few days, then less and less)
2) Lots of initial feedback (checking on all students)
3) Not jumping in as soon to assist (giving students space to struggle)
4) Choice (not sticking too rigidly to one specific technique)
5) Flexible scheduling (giving students ownership over how they use their class time)
6) Differentiation / Pathways (extensions, starting students off, supporting students at their level and pushing students who can do more)
7) Focus on Growth Mindset (being okay with mistakes, life lessons)
8) Be Flexible and Adapt to Circumstances with a Sense of Humor (life happens!)
I am proud of my students’ motivation and perseverance throughout this independent unit but I realize that it is a reflection of how we have built this climate together over the course of the year. These are students who I have had in class day in and day out from anywhere between 3-9 months who are comfortable taking risks, problem solving, collaborating, and striving for their personal best. I have made connections with each of them and know my students really well. As we loaded our projects into the kiln for the bisque firing, all that is left for these ceramic pieces are glazing and self-assessments of my students’ progress. It was exciting for me to guide them to the finish line of this pandemic year where we were still able to create hands-on learning experiences as a community of artists.
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