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teaching children's classes

updated thu 2 sep 99

 

Susan O'Leary on sun 29 aug 99

Please share any ideas and projects about teaching pottery to 8-10 year
olds. If you know of any books or publications that would be helpful please
list them also. Thanks. Susan

Susan Park on mon 30 aug 99

I have lots of ideas as I am sure others do. Please contact me off list if
you need any more ideas.
Susan in Seattle
ARTSHP@aol.com

Martin Howard on mon 30 aug 99

Susan, I am not a qualified teacher and have not read anything about
teaching pottery to children.
But, at 59, I am retiring into pottery. I give children from 6 to 10,
between 4 and 6 at a time, a good pottery party. They enjoy it, and I do
as well. All they make is turned, slipped, twice fired and glazed and
then returned. An advert goes into the parish magazine, or I telephone
the Mum of the birthday child. I have them for between 1 and 2 hours and
charge according to age and number.

At 6 most can follow my finger movements to create a thrown pot. Some
need another year of so. Girls are better than boys; a little more
responsive to the clay.
All love to hear a story and then use their imagination to make
something from the story.

I make some basic shapes, depending on the theme of the day. Castles,
round cottages for the "little people", pieces to make Gandalf's hat,
etc.

Have at least one other adult with you, to help them to the loo, put on
some protective clothing, wash etc. It is also useful, just in case a
child throws a tantrum or something happens that could lead to some
unpleasantness. Also, that other adult relays and repeats my initial
instructions about moulding the clay shapes, while I am concentrating
with one of the children on the wheel.

How many children are you expecting to teach? I would not like to have
more than 6, or 8 as an absolute max. But then I am not one of those
teachers with eyes in the back of their heads. Perhaps you are :-)

Martin Howard
Webbs Cottage Pottery and Press
Woolpits Road, Great Saling
BRAINTREE
Essex CM7 5DZ
01371 850 423
araneajo@gn.apc.org

Marion Barnes-Schwartz. on mon 30 aug 99

Susan,

This summer I did a wind chime project with that age group. I used clay
I had
slab-rolled (to save time in my case because of limited class time), had the
kids cut out circles in the clay. I used terracotta. The kids collected
leaves and such and pressed the leaves into the clay than they brushed slip
with red iron oxide in it around the leaves. Holes were made. Leaves
removed. Clay was fired. Then the kids strung the fired pieces with braided
fishline and hung the pieces from a branch. The kids loved them.

Marion
BARNSCHWA@AOL.COM

Brian Crocker on mon 30 aug 99

Susan, some many months ago there was much comment 'thread' on Projects for
children, if you can get into the CLAYART archives you are sure to find it
there, there were many and
many it is, of very good ideas I passed some on to a Primary School Teacher
friend
and she had a great time and so did the littlies.

Best of luck..
Brian C..


At 01:43 PM2:10: 29/08/99 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Please share any ideas and projects about teaching pottery to 8-10 year
>olds. If you know of any books or publications that would be helpful please
>list them also. Thanks. Susan
>
>
Brian Comley-Crocker.
4 Erica Street,
Tea Tree Gully 5091,
South Australia. [e.mail] crocker@dove.net.au
Phone/Fax: 08 8264 4136

The Crock maker.

ababy sharon on mon 30 aug 99

Hi Susan.
I have some advises for you.
1) You have to think at the children like they where adults!
2) Let them work with good clay, as good tools are the first step to
successful work.
3)Handbuilding:Slabs, pinching and the most important teach the what YOU
know good.
4)From time to time a new technique so that they will not be bored, from
time
to time working with special clay.
5) Simple marbling terra cota with white clay(the same grog).
6)Examples: I bought some books lately and I found out that I have to
prepare
works the kind I want the children to do,after all this is the beautifull
with ceramics:It is real and you can touch it!
7)When you get the ClayArt letters make a file of "Ideas" keep there
anything that gives you a hint of something you might do with the
ids( After all you can
always delete it).
8)Connect the works to holidays: Here in Israel I start the year with Hanuca
lamps Then go to a planter for the trees new year then Mother`s day and so
on
Books:You have to go through catalogs I can offer: Ceramic Project FromCM

Resist and masking Techniques byBeard Beard
In general Decoration books,project books especially LowFire.
If you want more ideas I will be glad to tell you.
Ababi

----- Original Message -----
From: Susan O'Leary
To:
Sent: Sunday, August 29, 1999 08:43
Subject: Teaching Children's Classes


> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Please share any ideas and projects about teaching pottery to 8-10 year
> olds. If you know of any books or publications that would be helpful
please
> list them also. Thanks. Susan
>

Carolyn Denslow on wed 1 sep 99

Would you be using a wheel, or just handbuilding?
I taught ceramics this summer to 5-12 year olds, we did all handbuilding.
Some of the projects were making a mug, a platter by cutting a shape out of
the slab and propping up the sides, bowls by shaping a slab over a rounded
object, wind chimes, vases... It was my 1st time and I was really suprised by
the ability that most of the kids had, if given the chance they can do some
really incredible things. I had one girl (12) make an 8 piece dish set of
plates and bowls for her mom, they were beautiful!
Well, I hope I was of some help, good luck!

Carolyn
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