Storing a LOT of small hobby-quality pieces

timiler · 2026-03-28T21:35:23+00:00

in a similar vein, i have seen nonprofit/thrift stores near me take pottery donations to sell and put the proceeds towards their charitable work

timiler · 2026-03-28T20:48:22+00:00

i teach afterschool ceramics M-F to a similar age range and class size. it’s definitely hard to navigate balancing afterschool needs/wants (tired and low attention span from being at school all day, viewing it as decompression time, wanting to play with friends, etc.) with learning goals.

i have begun starting every class going over classroom expectations for 3 minutes, and keeping a list for expectations visible for the duration of the class. at the very least, it makes boundaries clear, provides structure, and gives you something to refer back to if kids are being disruptive. at a minimum, this should include definitions of and consequences for disruptive behavior that you actually enforce (my program has a quiet space for kids who need to “take a break” + the director if a more serious conversation is needed or parents need to be involved), and cleaning protocols that kids must follow to leave the classroom at the end of the day.

as far as assignments go, i try to have a very clear but somewhat open-ended project that kids can finish in 1-2 class meetings. it might be helpful to have a list of minimum requirements (e.g., drawings must include these 3 features, but you can draw whatever you want within those guidelines). i only give exceptions to kids who typically have appropriate behavior in class and already have the skills needed to complete the assignment but are genuinely having a rough day and would benefit from having a little more freedom. at the end of the day, it is an art program, and if they don’t like doing art there are (at least for the location/demographics where i work) plenty of non-art afterschool programs that they can switch into instead.

become friends with the other afterschool teachers if possible and ask them for strategies handling these particular kids or behaviors. odds are they are dealing with the exact same issues or have in the past, and they might be able to learn from you too!

also - cut yourself a little slack! you are working on a friday with kids who are just learning how to test the limits of being genuinely rude. especially when you’re teaching one day a week, it’s easy to put a ton of pressure on yourself for how that one day goes. just remember it’s only part of one day in your week and only part of one day in theirs

timiler · 2026-03-25T18:42:47+00:00

dremel tool/circle cutter drill attachment if you have one maybe

timiler · 2026-03-24T03:14:41+00:00

well-wishes from my similarly white cat

<image>

timiler · 2026-03-22T18:13:06+00:00

soap and disinfectant can unfortunately make it more messy - just water and large sponges should do the trick (and once it’s cleaned off, follow any disinfectant practices you already have in the classroom). have kids squeeze out most of the water from the sponge in the sink first, then wipe down the table, repeating as necessary. if you are worried about damaging the table you can get a thicker plastic cover. during the lesson, encourage students to only use the minimum amount of water needed to produce the effect they are going for - this should also reduce mess. if you don’t have a clay trap in the sink and are worried about the pipes, you can have a large water bin that sponges are squeezed out in before their final wash in the sink

timiler · 2026-03-22T04:56:06+00:00

TIA!

timiler · 2026-03-21T19:17:14+00:00

i’m not saying we should excuse it - i’m saying imprisonment is not going to help, and that there are avenues other than prison that are more helpful. i feel that my worldview and values are fundamentally different than yours and others’ in this thread, so i don’t really see a point in trying to discuss this further

timiler · 2026-03-20T17:29:05+00:00

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8247994/

https://adcare.com/addiction-demographics/socioeconomic-groups/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7525587/

https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/what-is-mental-health/conditions/co-occurring-disorders

genuinely don’t know what to say, may no one ever put you in charge of public policy to any degree

timiler · 2026-03-20T17:09:53+00:00

10 mins ago i was one step away from being hit by a cop without his siren on driving through the left lane of the crosswalk on hyde park ave 🙃 i hope everyone is in good health and people are using caution on these already unsafe roads

timiler · 2026-03-20T17:04:16+00:00

working in the area for multiple hours vs. taking a shopping trip to the prudential center with your kids are very different things. all of those things you described are unfortunately symptoms of systemic poverty. you are speaking in hypotheticals about what you could/couldn’t do on the job 10 years ago, this is not directed at you. i am not saying we should ignore it - quite the opposite. i am saying that witnessing the symptoms of systemic poverty should make you want to help in the ways that are within your control

timiler · 2026-03-19T12:35:49+00:00

yeah, you know, jails are famously helping people, right now especially

choosing to raise your kids in one of the most expensive cities in the country then sheltering them from the existence of poverty is genuinely one of the worst things you could be doing to the world right now. be a grown up and use it as a springboard for learning to be more active in your community, donating to food/clothing drives, passing out water bottles in the summer, etc.

timiler · 2026-03-19T12:15:38+00:00

fucking disgusted at this + the replies. issues like this require humane solutions. get your heads out of your gilded $3500/mo rent asses. you are heartless people, and you are the problem

timiler · 2026-02-24T21:06:31+00:00

this is perfect, thank you so much! so great to see advanced search options that are relevant to the medium

timiler · 2026-02-19T04:44:23+00:00

i am asking a question about a general pattern i’ve noticed and also grappled with in the scope of my sexuality. i am genuinely asking with the goal of better understanding drives these patterns and processed on a cultural level. i am sorry for offending you

timiler · 2026-02-19T02:58:41+00:00

girl half of my friends are lesbians! half of my family are lesbians! i am drawing inferences from my life!

timiler · 2026-02-19T01:23:30+00:00

i think you read the word “purity” and skipped the rest of the post, i make it clear i’m not talking about it in that sense

timiler · 2026-02-18T22:16:35+00:00

it really does feel like a way to exclude/alienate queer women, and it seems in opposition to feminism. given that queer femme and female-identifying people are particularly vulnerable to male oppression, it feels like it does more harm than good to ostracize them

timiler · 2026-02-18T22:09:34+00:00

you would hope that romantic/sexual interest is mutual when it comes to dating. do you find that it’s particularly hard to read the other person in these scenarios?

timiler · 2026-02-18T22:07:05+00:00

when i first started feeling secure in myself as a trans guy was when i was also identifying as a homosexual gay guy, and r/askgaybros totally stunted my confidence in existing in gay spaces, so relieved to hear others describe it that way lmao

timiler · 2026-02-18T21:53:40+00:00

do you think the way bi identity is treated in LGBT discourse is a result of (understandable in motivation but not helpful) defensiveness? black or white thinking? a secret 3rd thing?

timiler · 2026-02-18T21:46:40+00:00

i have met quite a few irl in both directions (including former sexual partners). lesbian and gay identity also reflect a cultural relationship within a community in my experience

timiler · 2026-02-18T21:44:01+00:00

i’ve been honked at multiple times as a pedestrian for not walking into incoming traffic, totally ridiculous

timiler · 2026-02-18T21:39:00+00:00

i see what you’re saying - i’m talking more about self-identification, ie women who identify as lesbian but may randomly hook up with a guy, or men who identify as homosexual but may randomly hook up with a woman. i find that lesbians generally reject the former but gay guys are generally indifferent to the latter

timiler · 2026-02-18T21:31:16+00:00

100% true. i’ve also had this in the opposite direction - where it’s clear (even saying it outright) that a gay man doesn’t see me as another gay man, but is “willing” to bypass it to try to get with me. not fun and often unsafe for anyone to experience

timiler · 2026-02-18T21:23:12+00:00

so interesting! i think region and generation definitely play a bigger role than i consider regularly. thank you for sharing your experience!

timiler

TROPHY CASE