1. Ms. Hart Ceramics Classes 2014 - 2015
Behavioral Agreement
Ms. Hart
Ceramics Classes

2. Procedure for Entering Class
Be on time for class.
Every 4 lates results in a referral and a call home.
Lates are cumulative (since the beginning of the year).
Please wait in the hallway for me to open the door.
Place your backpacks and other items on the windowsill or clay boxes.
Turn off phones and put them away.
Take assigned seats while I take attendance.
Students may be able to choose seats later in the year if they give full cooperation with assigned seats and studio work.
Two top tables will have 2 seats and 4 top tables will have 4 seats – do not move seats.
Students may be moved to assigned seats at any time during the year due to behavior and / or effort.
Failure to take assigned seat will result in a referral for insubordination.
I will discuss the objectives for the day and call tables to get their work.

3. Safety and Respect No students in the kiln room.
Do not touch equipment or tools that you have not been trained to use.
Keep your hands to yourself.
Don’t touch others’ work or take anything that doesn’t belong to you.
Throwing clay or other materials will result in an immediate referral and possible removal from the classroom.
Repeated behavioral issues may result in removal from the course.
Keep conversations and language appropriate for school.
Develop projects that are creative, but appropriate for school.

4. Food You may not eat in the classroom.
Do not expect to finish your breakfast or lunch in class.

5. Teacher’s Desk / Area Don’t touch anything on my desk or my computer.
The rolling chairs are teacher chairs and are not for student use.
Students may not use the computer / printer in class. If you need a printed reference, then you need to bring it to class.
You will not be allowed to go to the MRC to print a reference during class.
Do not open the door to the art work station.

6. Visitors / Extra Studio Time
Students will not be allowed to visit you in the ceramics room.
Students who wish to work in the ceramics room outside of their class time may do so if they have a pass from me or Mrs. LaChow.
If I give you a pass to work during one of Mrs. LaChow’s classes and you give her a hard time or do not clean up, you will not be allowed to work during that period again.
Any of Mrs. LaChow’s students who have a pass to work in my class should check in with me at the start of the period. If these students fail to cooperate with my procedures and expectations, they will not be allowed in the class again.
Students from other class periods will not be moving chairs around the room to sit with their friends.
You may only work in the studio during a study hall or lunch period. You are not permitted to come to Ceramics during another class period.
The studio is not available during Ms. Hart’s lunch period.

7. Music I do not play music in the ceramics studio.
Other art classes may by playing music.
You MAY be able to listen to music in class if I am not talking / demonstrating.
Abusing this will result in you not being allowed to listen to music in class.
Listening to your own music is up to my discretion and may be changed at any time.

8. Phones / Electronics No phone calls or video chatting in class.
You should only have your phone out if your are looking at references for your ceramics work with teacher approval.
Don’t take pictures or video of me or anyone / anything else in class.
If I have to repeatedly tell you to put your phone away, then it will adversely affect your grade and will result in a discipline referral for insubordination.

9. Nails & Clothing
Your grade is based upon the work that you do in class.
Glazes and clay may get on your clothes.
I’m not sure what will stain clothes.
Being dressed up and/or having nice nails are NOT excuses for not working.
Long nails will make ceramics work difficult, if not impossible, to do correctly and have proper craftsmanship.
I will not provide gloves for your nails and you cannot properly work in ceramics with gloves on anyway.
We have some aprons for you to use.

10. Clay
We cannot completely control the moisture content or pliability of clay out of the pug mill or bags.
The fact that you may not be immediately happy with the consistency of the clay is not a reason not to work.
You may need to wedge clay before use if combining pieces or working on moisture consistency.
Use the plaster tables to wedge clay if it’s too wet and add some water to the clay and wedge it if it’s too dry.
Don’t take more clay than you need. You can always get more. Do not create a large amount of clay to be recycled.
There will be new and used clay buckets. Please only use my tables for new / used clay and wedging. Do not use Mrs. LaChow’s clay even if we do not have any new clay – just ask me to get out more clay and I will do so when I can.

11. Leaving the Classroom
If you need to use the bathroom, then you need to have your planner completely filled out.
Don’t abuse the privilege.
Leaving for more than 10 minutes or going somewhere other than the bathroom will result in a “misuse of a pass” referral.
Try not to ask while I’m addressing the class or taking attendance.
Passes to guidance or other appointments.
Please let me know if you have an appointment.
If you can wait until I’m done taking attendance and getting the class started that would be appreciated.
If you ask to go to the nurse, make sure you go and sign in at the nurse’s office immediately.
I check the nurse’s report at the end of the day and going somewhere else will result in a “misuse of a pass” referral.
If you come to class late from an appointment, be sure to have a signed official gold pass with the time on it.
Keep track of your lates and appointments because I put the attendance in the computer at the start of the period.

12. End of the Period
When there are 4 – 5 minutes left in the period (more at the start of the year) I will ask you to clean up.
Please don’t clean up before this time – it will negatively affect your grade and will throw off the timing of the class.
All tables need to be wiped clean with a sponge – even if you feel that you haven’t made a mess or if the table was already dirty.
Please catch any clay pieces in your hand as you wipe the table or use a broom / dust pan before you wipe the table.
Don’t fling clay on the floor because it will create a dusty environment that is not good for the air quality of the room.

13. End of the Period
Either clean your own work space very day or share the responsibility with the table – either way – DON’T ARGUE ABOUT WHO IS CLEANING.
Put away all tools and brushes.
Wash brushes and place them brush side up in the container meant for brushes.
Wipe off tools if they have a lot of clay on them and put the in the CORRECT CONTAINER.
Put any used clay in the USED CLAY BUCKETS (HART) and any useable clay that is moist and wedged in the NEW CLAY BUCKETS (HART).
Stay by your seats until the bell rings. Do NOT walk towards the door.

14. End of the Period Please stay at your seats until the bell rings.
Don’t walk towards the door or the front of the room.
There will be plenty of time to clean up, but you must start when I ask you to.
Other classes are coming in at the bell or I need to leave the classroom as soon as the bell rings.
You need to be completely cleaned up by the bell.

15. Grades
Rubrics are used for projects. These are to give you an idea of what is important for grading.
Grading is done on an individual basis and is based upon a variety of factors.
It is difficult to compare the grades of two students as there are a lot of factors involved.

16. Project Rubrics Project rubrics usually involve the following factors:
Concept / Creativity
Level of difficulty
Craftsmanship
Effort / Time on task / Application of teacher feedback

17. Handing in Work Early
If you hand in work before the deadline, the fact that you had additional time to work on it will be factored into your grade.
If I make suggestions to improve the work and they are not taken the work will be graded harder in all the categories of the rubric.

18. Absences & Deadlines
Since you are graded based upon what you do in class absences will have a big impact on the quality and timeliness of your work.
If you are absent, it is your responsibility to see me regarding what you missed and may need to make up.
You may need to take clay / projects home and/or work during study halls to finish work by the deadline.
Ceramic deadlines can’t just be extended the number of days that you are absent due to drying and firing timing.
Any work handed in late may result in a loss of points and may not be fired.

19. Quality of Work
If the quality of the finished greenware work is not up to my standards, the work won’t be fired.
This will adversely affect your grade because of the quality and the fact that it cannot be glazed.
Work will be graded “as is” and may result in a D or an F.
Low project grades will significantly impact the entire marking period grade.
You may be able to remake the project (at home or during a study hall) for a better grade.
See me regarding this.

20. Lost Work
Put your name and period on everything that you work on at each stage in the process.
If you work is lost you will need to remake it.
If you think that your project is “not on the cart” then please check everything on the cart once everyone has gotten their work to be certain.
If you cannot finish by the deadline, then take clay and project home to finish it or work during a study hall.
If a student refuses to remake the work, he will get a zero for the project.

21. Broken Work
Ceramics work may break at different stages in the process for a variety of reasons.
I will deal with broken work on a case by case basis.
See me immediately with concerns about broken or structurally unsound work.
If you are asked to remake the work and refuse, then you will get a zero for the project.
If you need additional time beyond the deadline to remake the project, then you may need to take clay and the project home or work during a study hall.

22. Getting Back Your Work
After spending weeks working on a clay project, you will probably want it back to glaze and take home right away.
There are many steps in the ceramics process.
We will work on one project, let it dry and get fired, and then start another project.
When that project is done, you will get back your work to glaze.
Glaze fired work will be returned as it gets done.
Please do not ask when you will be getting your work back.
Some work will be displayed in the gallery and you will get it back whenever that gallery is changed out with new work.
Please do not ask other teachers or administrators for your work from the kiln room or galleries.
If you have a question about your work, then hold on to it so that we may discuss it.