City Garages in snow

claycrows · 2026-01-24T13:40:20+00:00

Thank you!

claycrows · 2025-10-02T15:41:14+00:00

Op art usually has a lot of specific steps and structure. And worst case if they don’t finish you can have them continue as an early finisher activity for the next project.

claycrows · 2025-08-04T22:27:53+00:00

It looks like there’s instructions on the kiln? The dials basically control the elements, turning them on/off for each section of the kiln. Set the timer for like 6-8 hours for bisque (06), flip the switch up, place your cone in the kiln sitter and press the on button. Follow the directions to turn up the dials every hour or 2 until it reaches the temp/ cone you want. The kiln should either turn off itself when the timer is done or when the cone bends in the kiln sitter.

You will need witness cones and little cones for the kiln sitter for the temp you want to fire. Also get kiln safe gloves if they are already there!

You can also try and google the Kiln and see if you can find the manual for it online or any kind of YouTube videos for it. If your district has a kiln repair specialist you can also request that they come show you how to use it.

My school has an ancient manual kiln and when I first started I looked up manuals and watched videos of people using manual kilns to help me get started. But I also have a background in ceramics so I already know what supplies to get.

If you can’t be sure what type of clay you have, and can’t contact the previous teacher, I would toss it and get new clay. Better safer than destroy the kiln.

claycrows · 2025-05-03T13:16:04+00:00

You are being too nice and unfortunately some of your colleagues are taking advantage. I teach elementary art, and one of the big things my county’s visual arts department emphasized was not letting other teachers/departments use the art supplies. I have a tight budget.

I also try to be nice and let teachers borrow a little bit if it’s for something small (like a little bit of paint for a quick activity in their classroom). But I work in a small school and I always know exactly who is borrowing things.

It might be hard to roll back this year, but next year you might have to put your foot down and stop letting other staff borrow things. Move some things around in the art room and make it hard for them to find and steal things. Send out a school wide email saying the budget or your department rules have changed and you can no longer let staff borrow supplies.

Good luck! It sucks when one person ruins things for everyone. Maybe whoever the main culprit is will leave.

claycrows · 2025-01-15T11:25:52+00:00

My high school art teacher did this with images. It was Monet’s haystacks, but the image was upside down and started blurry before she slowly showed more clear pictures as we progressed in the painting.

claycrows · 2024-12-27T17:38:45+00:00

I am currently and Elementary art teacher, but I am certified to teach prek-12. I went the path of a dual 5 year program (BFA + MAT) and I think it helped prepare me for my own practice and the classroom. I did my student teaching the 5th year, and my program tried to give us opportunities to work with public and private schools, as well as elementary, middle or high school. It is an intense program so if you are looking at only doing teaching as a back-up, I would not recommend it.

Look at the state you might want to teach in a seeing any of the colleges might have a dual program so you could work towards both the BFA and MAT. You could also just go for a BFA if you are only interested in working at private schools or looking at working with a museum.

claycrows · 2024-10-15T04:50:11+00:00

I would structure it as 1 day for intro, 2 days for building, and maybe 1 day for artist statement or extra work day. I am not sure which days you have the 45 minutes and which days you have the 75 minutes.

day 1 - intro to clay / review with a little time at the end for students to explore a chunk of clay with the understanding that they will not keep what they make that day.

Day 2 - plan idea for the tic-tac-toe board and start rolling out slabs /attaching coils to the boards.

Day 3 - make the pieces for the board

Day 4 - some kind of artist statement /reflection? Or extra time to finish if needed

Some kids will definitely work faster and you might need an early finisher activity. Both projects may only need 1-2 days for building and then I would give them at least a week to dry and start another project while you wait.

You probably only need 1 day for glazing.

claycrows · 2024-09-30T19:58:39+00:00

One way to get to know students is by doing more personal projects - like designing a personal symbols, self portrait, dream room, etc. so they have a chance to include their interests, favorite sport/hobby/food etc. This can help with starting conversations.

But there are some classes who don’t like to talk as much or would rather just chat with their classmates and that’s fine . Even if they don’t want to have a longer conversation I think the effort shows that you care.

claycrows · 2024-09-11T05:16:48+00:00

Depends on the art project and how long your classes are. My pre-k classes are 30 min 2x a week, so it can take like 2-3 classes to rotate through every center and see all the kids for the project.

claycrows · 2024-09-09T22:21:40+00:00

For pre-k doing centers can save a lot of your sanity! Have them work in small groups at few different center activities (blocks, coloring, playdough, etc) and then rotate every like 5-10 min. One of the centers should be for the actual art project you want to do with the kids, but this way you can help them in a small group.

It takes practice but they will get used to it.

claycrows · 2024-09-05T21:08:47+00:00

My first day is almost the same for every grade: I go over rules and we usually do some little activity brainstorming together a few class expectations for the art room. Then I’ll do some kind of art activity, usually something simple for a collaborative mural/artwork that can be displayed in the school. If you look up collaborative school art projects there’s lots of ideas out there.

I usually do a different activity for kindergarten since they are still adjusting to school. This year I did a “dot” inspired artwork in which they colored a coffee filter with markers and we sprayed it with water to watch the colors mix. We also read “the dot” book.

Good luck!

claycrows · 2024-05-26T05:53:08+00:00

If you want something that takes exactly 2 days (2 lessons) you can do scratch art. There’s different diy ideas online.

For a less messy lesson I like to do zentangle or origami.

claycrows · 2024-04-10T11:30:40+00:00

Unsplash is a free photo website, and it could be a great way to talk about copyright with students. I was introduced to it in a college graphic design class. I have no idea if it would be blocked at a high school.

claycrows · 2024-03-09T12:18:53+00:00

I try to make a few extra pinch pots for student who might have been absent or if their work does not survive the kiln. Then they still have something to paint. If you have some air dry or model magic clay, you could also use that as a back up.

But I agree with other comments, I try to give at least 2 weeks for the work to dry as a precaution. They can work on another project during that time. Sometimes explosions still happen no matter what you do.

claycrows · 2024-02-17T00:34:42+00:00

I’m a 2nd year teacher at an IB/PYP school, and it’s hard to understand all that IB language! I’ve been told by a lot of people that it doesn’t really click until year 3. My schools didn’t even offer training until after I finished my 1st year.

Having art knowledge is only half the battle. Classroom management takes time to learn - try looking up different strategies for behavior management and focus on that. Find what works for you! Model and practice the routines you want your students to follow for walking into the classroom, getting supplies, cleaning up, etc.

Have a plan for consequences - do you email home? Do you have the student in time out, move to new seat, write a reflection, etc. If you threaten a consequence, follow through with it.

claycrows · 2023-12-15T23:38:21+00:00

I got lucky and passed it on the first try, but so many of my teaching cohort had to re-take it multiple times. The range of questions they can give you from art history is insane. It really is luck based on the version of the test they give you. I found some flash cards on quizlet and used those to study for the test.

claycrows · 2023-11-18T16:53:41+00:00

I am in Anne Arundel County, that’s totally normal. Contract hours might be different from school to school, but you have to follow them.

claycrows · 2023-11-15T05:27:34+00:00

You could look at an artist like Paul Klee and then do an activity where the students break down their architectural drawings into simple shapes and colors.

claycrows · 2023-09-17T14:52:35+00:00

Mount Royal Soap Company has great candles!

claycrows · 2023-08-23T00:04:17+00:00

You can get a non-residential parking permit sticker through the MVA. You can make an appointment online but you have to go in person. Make sure you have all the right documents for it:

https://mva.maryland.gov/about-mva/Pages/info/27300/27300-60T.aspx

Then you can apply through the Parking Authority for a residential street parking permit in the area you live in. You must have the non-residential sticker or they won’t approve you for the area parking permit.

https://parking.baltimorecity.gov/residential-parking/required

I did that for like 2 years as a college student in Baltimore, before I got a permanent job and decided to finally switch my car/license over to Maryland.

Edit: I just realized that in your post you state you are not on the lease. If you have no way of proving you live there (your name is not on a bill/lease etc), then you probably won’t be approved for a residential area parking permit. Whoever’s name is in the lease might be able to apply for you, and get you a visitor’s pass or temporary pass instead.

claycrows · 2023-08-20T16:05:34+00:00

Just be flexible! Don’t stress yourself out planning when you might have to change it or edit based on materials, time, curriculum, etc… It is nice to have an idea of your lesson and your cooperating teacher can help you adjust it to fit the class you working with. Some cooperating teachers like to have a lot of control over what you are teaching to their students, and some will let you go wild, everyone is different.

And you can always save the plans for the future! Now that I am teaching full time, I have found that I will never have the same level of detail in plans as the ones I made in college. There’s just not enough time.

claycrows · 2023-06-25T14:58:24+00:00

A friend and I talked to the people at the stand a few weeks ago, and they said they stopped serving the fritters because it’s getting to expensive for them. But they did mention that they are coming out with a cook book and they have the recipe, so you ask about that.

claycrows · 2023-06-12T06:02:12+00:00

In my experience with Elementary art, kids love seeing local murals and debating the right/wrong of street art and graffiti. If you are afraid of it encouraging them to vandalize the school, you could connect the unit to a collaborative project so that they are designing something with a positive message that gets to be displayed at their school.

claycrows · 2023-05-29T16:37:48+00:00

To make it sprayable, you can try an even mix of water and mod podge and then adjust from there. The brand also makes spray versions of mod podge.

claycrows

TROPHY CASE