We Teach Clay Julie Neumann

Leah Shuck is a High School ceramics teacher in Pennsylvania. In this episode we talk about her role in the planning and presenting of the PAEA Webinar, COVID and Clay, which took place online this past August.  While teaching in-person this Fall, she explains the changes she made in the classroom to accommodate the COVID guidelines and best practice suggestions.  She talks about which changes will stay a part off her regular classroom management post pandemic.  We talk about tapping into eager students for leadership roles to help manage all the extra work.  She also focuses on ways we can continue to grow and learn as educators.  We discuss getting involved with Professional Organizations to connect with other art teachers.

Karen Witham Walsh is a Ceramics teacher from the largest High School in Ohio.  In this episode we talk about managing the shift between in person, hybrid, and remote teaching.  She describes her process of making damp boxes and tells us how she plans for the students to use them in all of the potential learning scenarios.  We discuss what she will put in her kit and how to teaches safety in the classroom and at home.  She details her approach to the standards by using formative skill builders and then summative learning projects.  Lastly, we talk about her amazing YouTube Channel, Karan's Pots and Glass.  She lets us in on the strategies that work for supporting student learning during normal times, AND during our COVID season. 

Have your students shown you social media videos of the magical “trees” that are created by the mocha diffusion process? IF SO, the video was most likely created by Kevin Kowalski.  Kevin is a High school ceramics teacher in Orange County California.  In this episode we talk creating positive connections with Kids.  He explains how excited he is by the interaction he is getting from his students using social media and the chat function in Zoom.  We discuss the challenge of being in 2 places at the same time in the ceramics classroom when teaching both hand building and wheel throwing.  He tells us how this ONLINE LEARNING has given him the opportunity to create reusable content that he plans to use AFTER we return to in person teaching.   We dive deeper into what’s working during virtual learning and he details a new procedure he uses for monitoring student progress and final projects. Lastly, he tells us about several workshops he is developing for all of us to learn about Mocha Diffusion and Soda Firing.

DeAnn Hanisch is a ceramics teacher in Omaha, Nebraska.  In this episode we talk about her focus on classroom management.  She explains her approach as, “Students come into class and know exactly what to expect.  They can take a breath, sit down, relax, and take in what I have to teach them but also create in their own headspace.”   We discuss her mantra “it’s not personal, its procedural” and how a Ready Board helps to provide clear expectations and classroom protocols for her students.  She focuses on ways to call out positive behavior to support her classroom community and provide behavioral support for students who need it, in-person, and online.  She offers ideas for this year’s ceramics curriculum with a focus on process over product.

Biliana Popova is a ceramics teacher at a small private school.  In this episode we talk about her successes and challenges with sending clay kits home with the students during the COVID-19 shut down.  We discuss the supplies and tools she included in her kits.  Only sending a small amount of clay home provided valuable lessons in recycling and reusing the clay for several projects.  She focuses on the positive opportunities that are presented by our “at home” situation.  She offers ideas for finding objects for texture, teaching students how to take quality photos of their artwork, and making tools with simple supplies. She also offers so many other projects ideas that she is using throughout her multi-level ceramic program.  This year five of her students were recognized at the American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA) SoCal High School Student Exhibition.

Ryan Reich is a ceramics teacher Southern California.  In this episode we talk about everything and one thing at the same time.  We discuss changes in grading.  He tells us how he grades using rubrics with a 1 thru 4 scale.  He says “The joy of art class is NOT being in front of the computer”.  He calls himself a little “crazy” when he discusses being so busy with his own kids.  If you are in this situation, you are probably feeling a little crazy too!  We discuss how to manage all the partially formed greenware and fired bisqueware projects sitting in your classroom right now!  We talk about “our kids”… you know the ones who come to school just for Ceramics?  We sympathize about the fact that our students need our class to fill that primal desire to create. We wrap up with work-life balance for the teacher and artist.  He says the only disciplined thing in his life is making.