Bob Pulley on wed 9 jan 02
We are reconsidering how we run our ceramics program and I thought some of =
you might be able to help. First some background:
We have very popular ceramics/sculpture program in a school of about 1,700 =
students. We have a dedicated clay room, it is old and not real big. The =
room has a little alcove with a vent in the wall. Set into this alcove are =
two big Skutt electrics and an old pug mill. The rest of the room is =
packed with tables, shelves and 4 electric wheels. =20
Since I started teaching here 5 years ago I have been concerned with the =
dust. I put in a big Dust Buster which I run every night, but we mix clay =
almost daily for the 180 or so daily students from 7 classes that go =
through the room. I've been trying to get the administration to consider =
the dust problem more carefully and finally they have gotten a budget and =
there will be a meeting next week to consider the next step.
I am sure one of the items will be to consider if there are options to =
mixing clay. I am of the belief that not many high schools do mix their =
clay. Buying a box of clay per student would be nice if they had a place =
to store it so that they could really take responsibility for the care and =
feeding of their own supply, but, alas, there is no room for the necessary =
lockers. I like having an abundance of clay for the stundents, but I =
don't really care for the clay mixing. When I began this job 5 years ago =
the room was used 4 periods a day and they used 9,000# of clay every 2 =
years. Now the room is used 7 periods a day and we go through 9,000# of =
clay every year not counting reclaim.
The questions:
Do any of you have a similar size program where you use commercial clay?
How do you handle reclaim?
Do the students take ownership of their own clay?
Do you use size limits or clay limits to hold down use?
Have others tried to battle the dusty room problem?
Feel free to answer off line.
Thanks, Bob Pulley
Linda Rosen on thu 10 jan 02
Hi Bob,
I am a technician at a high school of 3000 students ( almost 200 students
use the room) We buy our clay pre mixed. Wet clay is not a problem, dry clay
is. Unless you have a separate room for mixing clay it does seem like too
much of a dust hazard for a busy classroom. We have very limited custodial
help. It is a battle, but when everyone is feeling cooperative the floor is
washed daily. So dust control at the source is important. This is a health
issue for yourself . The students come and go but you stay breathing the air
for years. All the cleaning in the room is wet cleaning.
Your kiln, too, would be better in a separate space. Could you have a door
added to your "alcove?"
We have also rejected the idea of individual hoards of clay as part of our
anti-dust program, keeping all the clay in one central area instead of in
many small bags on dusty shelves. The clay is kept in small portions wrapped
in plastic in one large bin where the pile can be spritzed if necessary to
keep the outsides of the bags from shedding dry flaking crumbs . The
portions are one-class-size as our students have a way of leaving larger
bags open after taking what they need. Adult students seem more able to take
ownership of their clay than high school students, even well intentioned
students. Maybe because the buck stops with them while, for the kids, Mom
and Pop are paying. Or maybe it is hormonal; check out teenage bedrooms. I
have worked in continuing education for many years and that system worked
like a charm there ... not a scrap to reclaim! When individual bags were
tried in this high school in the past the result was lots of hard clay
abandoned in the room. Now we have LOTS of reclaim. If not watched like
hawks the kids will chuck freshly wedged up balls into the reclaim for the
sake of exiting the room 2 seconds sooner ( even though the clay bin is
right next to the exit they would have had to put the clay into a bag and
twist it shut.) Reclaim takes space as well as time. Currently we use large
garbage bins, a couple for each body, which fill weekly. I dry the clay on
plaster bats until it is ready for bagging. The students wedge their own
clay. We have no pug mill and student wedging is ...well... student wedging.
I'd like to give them better clay but wedging for so many would be the end
of my wrists! I understand that in some schools waste clay is simply
discarded to avoid dust problems and the expense of recycling. We have lots
of clay and no limit is put on the scope and scale of student projects (few
choose to do more than is required and those few are encouraged!).
I am very interested in hearing how other rooms are managed. Thanks for
introducing the topic.
Linda Rosen,
Toronto
Original post
The questions:
Do any of you have a similar size program where you use commercial clay?
How do you handle reclaim?
Do the students take ownership of their own clay?
Do you use size limits or clay limits to hold down use?
Have others tried to battle the dusty room problem?
Feel free to answer off line.
Thanks, Bob Pulley
Jim Tabor on fri 11 jan 02
Greetings Bob-
I will get back later on other issues but a tip for clay recycle that works well
for my classes is to have the potters make horseshoes of an apporpriate size that
stand on end. It allows air to circulate and become stiff enough to return to the
good glay bin or reuse during class. I only have 15 potters a day and 60 ceramics
students handbuilding but the potters use more clay. Clay is stored in large
garbage cans on wheels with a plastic liner that is replace with every new batch
of clay. I recycle clay when two buckets (5 gal.) of scrap are full.
I make different clay bodies as needed using a Soldner studio mixer in a seperate
room (the well ventilated kiln room). It is safe enough that I have students make
clay too. I had a pug mill but prefer the Soldner mixer.
Jim Tabor
Bishop Kelley H.S.
Tulsa, OK
Bob Pulley on fri 11 jan 02
Thanks for the suggestions. Another teacher has responded to my question =
and it is good to hear how others do things. My pug mill is about to give =
up the ghost. I have a studio size Soldner at home and I agree that it is =
a very friendly mixer. If I could find space for it I definitely would =
consider getting one. It would also make the job of recycling easier =
because I could trust students with it . The old Walker could so easily =
take somebody's hand off.
We use a very simple clay body for about everything. In Ceramics 2/3 we =
do a raku project so they can get a taste of that. We also do a little =
porcelain piece so they can get that feel, but reclaiming has to be done =
by hand and it is a pain. You can't even get it to slake right.
Bob Pulley
>>> taborj@EARTHLINK.NET 01/11/02 02:14AM >>>
Greetings Bob-
I will get back later on other issues but a tip for clay recycle that =
works well
for my classes is to have the potters make horseshoes of an apporpriate =
size that
stand on end. It allows air to circulate and become stiff enough to return =
to the
good glay bin or reuse during class. I only have 15 potters a day and 60 =
ceramics
students handbuilding but the potters use more clay. Clay is stored in =
large
garbage cans on wheels with a plastic liner that is replace with every new =
batch
of clay. I recycle clay when two buckets (5 gal.) of scrap are full.
I make different clay bodies as needed using a Soldner studio mixer in a =
seperate
room (the well ventilated kiln room). It is safe enough that I have =
students make
clay too. I had a pug mill but prefer the Soldner mixer.
Jim Tabor
Bishop Kelley H.S.
Tulsa, OK
___________________________________________________________________________=
___
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org=20
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
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Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.=
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Bob Pulley on fri 11 jan 02
dear Linda,
Thanks for your thoughtful reply. There are many points in it that will =
be useful to me as we consider how and to what degree we can address the =
dust problem. I'm sure everyone has the same problems to some degree.
I intend to respond to you more fully next week when I get a chance. =
Right now its Friday evening and I have to get my son to an appointment.
Bob Pulley
>>> linda.rosen@SYMPATICO.CA 01/10/02 07:55PM >>>
Hi Bob,
I am a technician at a high school of 3000 students ( almost 200 students
use the room) We buy our clay pre mixed. Wet clay is not a problem, dry =
clay
is. Unless you have a separate room for mixing clay it does seem like too
much of a dust hazard for a busy classroom. We have very limited custodial
help. It is a battle, but when everyone is feeling cooperative the floor =
is
washed daily. So dust control at the source is important. This is a health
issue for yourself . The students come and go but you stay breathing the =
air
for years. All the cleaning in the room is wet cleaning.
Your kiln, too, would be better in a separate space. Could you have a =
door
added to your "alcove?"
We have also rejected the idea of individual hoards of clay as part of our
anti-dust program, keeping all the clay in one central area instead of in
many small bags on dusty shelves. The clay is kept in small portions =
wrapped
in plastic in one large bin where the pile can be spritzed if necessary to
keep the outsides of the bags from shedding dry flaking crumbs . The
portions are one-class-size as our students have a way of leaving larger
bags open after taking what they need. Adult students seem more able to =
take
ownership of their clay than high school students, even well intentioned
students. Maybe because the buck stops with them while, for the kids, Mom
and Pop are paying. Or maybe it is hormonal; check out teenage bedrooms. I
have worked in continuing education for many years and that system worked
like a charm there ... not a scrap to reclaim! When individual bags were
tried in this high school in the past the result was lots of hard clay
abandoned in the room. Now we have LOTS of reclaim. If not watched like
hawks the kids will chuck freshly wedged up balls into the reclaim for the
sake of exiting the room 2 seconds sooner ( even though the clay bin is
right next to the exit they would have had to put the clay into a bag and
twist it shut.) Reclaim takes space as well as time. Currently we use =
large
garbage bins, a couple for each body, which fill weekly. I dry the clay on
plaster bats until it is ready for bagging. The students wedge their own
clay. We have no pug mill and student wedging is ...well... student =
wedging.
I'd like to give them better clay but wedging for so many would be the end
of my wrists! I understand that in some schools waste clay is simply
discarded to avoid dust problems and the expense of recycling. We have =
lots
of clay and no limit is put on the scope and scale of student projects =
(few
choose to do more than is required and those few are encouraged!).
I am very interested in hearing how other rooms are managed. Thanks for
introducing the topic.
Linda Rosen,
Toronto
Original post
The questions:
Do any of you have a similar size program where you use commercial clay?
How do you handle reclaim?
Do the students take ownership of their own clay?
Do you use size limits or clay limits to hold down use?
Have others tried to battle the dusty room problem?
Feel free to answer off line.
Thanks, Bob Pulley
___________________________________________________________________________=
___
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org=20
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/=20
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.=
com.
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