teaching adults
 

Hi there
I have just accepted the post of pottery tutor at an adult education
centre. I have been a proffessional potter for 20 years and have
taught a number of people throwing one to one in my workshop. Does
anyone have any hints or suggestions of books or websites that can
help me to learn how to teach adults handbuilding techniques, or have
suggestions for projects? Any advice, and I mean any, would be more
than welcome
Caroline

On 26 Jun 2004 05:20:24 -0700, (Caroline)
wrote:

Hi there
I have just accepted the post of pottery tutor at an adult education
centre. I have been a proffessional potter for 20 years and have
taught a number of people throwing one to one in my workshop. Does
anyone have any hints or suggestions of books or websites that can
help me to learn how to teach adults handbuilding techniques, or have
suggestions for projects? Any advice, and I mean any, would be more
than welcome
Caroline

One hand-building trick that I like allows absolute beginners
to have decent success: tarpaper (roofing felt). First make
a template of normal paper and tape to figure out how things
will go together. I prefer heavy gridded paper (1/10 to the inch)
so you can get consistent dimensions without actually measuring.

Then trace the paper templates onto roofing felt (15 pound weight is
good, about $15 for a huge roll at Home Depot, etc) and cut them out.
Roll out the clay about 1/4 inch thick, moisten the tarpaper, and
press (or roll) onto the clay. Trace around it with a smooth edge
like a butter knife and peel up the pieces, with the tarpaper intact.
The tarpaper acts like a stiffener to hold the structure up while
you join the edges as in normal slab building. (Designs should
have the tarpaper on the outside.) After the piece sets up a
bit, you can peel off the tarpaper for the rest of the drying.

This method removes a lot of the "skill" aspect to the initial
design stage, so the clay stage goes more smoothly. You
might want to have a few pre-made templates to use as
examples, and also to allow the less spatially-oriented
students to start right out with the clay. The templates
can be re-used many times

Hope this helps!


Bob Masta
dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom

D A Q A R T A
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com

That is a wonderful bit of information and now I know what to do with the
roll of tarpaper that I had left from the roofing job :)

"Bob Masta" wrote in message
...
On 26 Jun 2004 05:20:24 -0700, (Caroline)
wrote:

Hi there
I have just accepted the post of pottery tutor at an adult education
centre. I have been a proffessional potter for 20 years and have
taught a number of people throwing one to one in my workshop. Does
anyone have any hints or suggestions of books or websites that can
help me to learn how to teach adults handbuilding techniques, or have
suggestions for projects? Any advice, and I mean any, would be more
than welcome
Caroline

One hand-building trick that I like allows absolute beginners
to have decent success: tarpaper (roofing felt). First make
a template of normal paper and tape to figure out how things
will go together. I prefer heavy gridded paper (1/10 to the inch)
so you can get consistent dimensions without actually measuring.

Then trace the paper templates onto roofing felt (15 pound weight is
good, about $15 for a huge roll at Home Depot, etc) and cut them out.
Roll out the clay about 1/4 inch thick, moisten the tarpaper, and
press (or roll) onto the clay. Trace around it with a smooth edge
like a butter knife and peel up the pieces, with the tarpaper intact.
The tarpaper acts like a stiffener to hold the structure up while
you join the edges as in normal slab building. (Designs should
have the tarpaper on the outside.) After the piece sets up a
bit, you can peel off the tarpaper for the rest of the drying.

This method removes a lot of the "skill" aspect to the initial
design stage, so the clay stage goes more smoothly. You
might want to have a few pre-made templates to use as
examples, and also to allow the less spatially-oriented
students to start right out with the clay. The templates
can be re-used many times

Hope this helps!


Bob Masta
dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom

D A Q A R T A
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com

"Caroline" wrote in message
m...
Hi there
I have just accepted the post of pottery tutor at an adult education
centre. I have been a proffessional potter for 20 years and have
taught a number of people throwing one to one in my workshop. Does
anyone have any hints or suggestions of books or websites that can
help me to learn how to teach adults handbuilding techniques, or have
suggestions for projects? Any advice, and I mean any, would be more
than welcome
Caroline

I teach adult classes, here is my lesson plan for a term. I tend to have
people come back for more than one term and so I allow them to progess at
their own pace and work on what they prefer whether that is wheel or
handwork. Providing appropriate clay for different tasks I think is
important. A strong grogged clay for instance for coil work makes it so
much easier. Good luck.
A

Pottery Lesson for eight weeks

Hutt Art Society Community Education

Term I 2003



First Lesson



Introduction

Show rooms and facilities

Hand out clay to students.

Brief dicussion of safety with pottery.



Wedging. Detailed introduction to wedging with practice and instruction.



Pinch pots. How to make them, what can be made from them. The importance
of keeping the thickness of the clay even and the theory of air in the pot
and the effect of air in clay. Show samples of pinch pots of various types.



Clean up.





Second Lesson



Reminder to check work from previous week.



Discuss Safety in more detail, point out the Potters Beware book.

Ask all students to read this book over the next weeks.



Wedging, check wedging again and give instruction where necessary.

Remind to check last weeks work and finish it if necessary.

Talk about underglaze and how to use and where available.



Slab work. Instruction on slab pots, how to make slab pots, what can be
made from them. Show the correct use of slab roller for safety and the
production of good slabs.

Help with individual projects on slab.



Clean up.



Third Lesson



Reminder to check work from previous weeks.

Wedging..



Coil work. Instruction on the coil method of making pots. What can be made
from coils and how to make them. Use of different clays for different jobs.
BRT available for students to buy. Discuss BRT and what grog in clay is,
why it is used and how grog can be added to other clays. How to decorate a
pot with texture and additions. Making stamps from clay or found material.

Talk about weight of pots, balance and good form.



Clean up.



Fourth Lesson



Reminder to check work from previous weeks.



Help with projects from previous weeks.



Introduction to wheel work, centering, throwing a cylinder.

Discussion about form and weight.



Clean up



Fifth Lesson



Reminder to check work from previous weeks.



Glazing, instruction on glazing, toxicity talk, help with glazing own pots.

Discuss use of masks and different types of masks.



Help with projects from previous weeks.



Turning on wheel for any that have projects from previous week.



Clean up



Sixth Lesson



Reminder to check work from previous weeks.



Help with projects from previous weeks. Wheel work, throwing a bowl.



Individual hand work projects.

Burnishing, slips and more help if necessary with glazing.



Choosing to keep or recycle your clay. Instructions on how to recycle your
clay.



Clean up.



Seventh Lesson



Reminder to check work from previous weeks.



Discussion on firing faults and remedies for these.



Talk about form. Form come's before decoration.



Handles and additions. Pulling, coil, tool, extruding.



Clean up



Eighth Lesson



Reminder to check work from previous weeks.



Discussion on different types of firing, Raku, pit firing, oxidation,
reduction. Temperature to fire clays and different clays. Fit of glaze to
clay.



Finishing off work.





General discussion



Through out the lessons discussions will take place.

These will include the history of pottery. Some examples of specific work
and specific potters. Different styles and cultures. Cultural sensitivity.
Creativity, delight in making your own work.

Thankyou to everyone for responding to my message. I particularly
thank you, Anne-Marie, for showing me your itinerary. Very thoughtful.
I will do my best!
Caroline

"Caroline" wrote in message
m...
Thankyou to everyone for responding to my message. I particularly
thank you, Anne-Marie, for showing me your itinerary. Very thoughtful.
I will do my best!

I should thank Anne-Marie as well for the itinerary. I have no plans of
giving classes, but it shows me what aspects I should concentrate on, so I
have copied it to my computer :-)

Marianne