Pottery students finish up teapot project
Published 1:00 pm Saturday, June 16, 2007
POULSBO — North Kitsap High School pottery teacher Randelisle Anderson was constantly in motion, walking through Classroom 505 as she carefully graded pottery students’ teapot final project Thursday afternoon.
Such a pace wasn’t unusual for Anderson, considering she’s been a pottery teacher at NKHS since 1993. But she wouldn’t want it any other way.
“This is it for them. It’s the culmination of everything they have learned this school year. They have been working on this final project for the last month,” she said. “All of the students in my pottery classes have been enrolled in this course since September. It’s a two-term course.”
Anderson said she enjoys working with students on an individual basis.
“I love working with students one on one,” she said. “The greatest pleasure for me as a teacher is watching them teach each other once they understand the concepts of pottery. It’s the best feeling in the world to see them excited and enthusiastic about the work they’re doing.”
At the beginning of the 2006-07 school year, Anderson said the majority of the students had minimal pottery experience.
“These projects are professional looking,” she said. “If you looked at the work you would never know it was done by high schoolers. That makes me proud. They have done an incredible job.”
All 150 students were required to create a teapot and four cups out of clay for their final project of the year.
Sophomore Cassy George said the final project took her a month to complete.
“It was fun, each student had to construct a teapot and four cups, too,” she said. “We had a choice between a functional teapot and non-functional teapot. The difference between the two is that the functional one actually works as a teapot and the non-functional teapot looks like it works but it really doesn’t.”
George said she enjoyed Anderson’s pottery course.
“It’s a very challenging class but it’s relaxing at the same time,” she said. “You can do what you want to do and can tweak your project in your own way.”
More than half of the 150 students in Anderson’s five classes went the non-functional tea pot route.
Senior Gary Bleedorn couldn’t wait to sign up for pottery class last fall.
“I really like art and pottery allows you to be artistic. The other reason I signed up is because Mrs. Anderson is a great teacher. She actually was recently voted the best teacher in our school,” he said. “This class is the definition of fun and having a good time. It allows us to be creative and work with our hands.”
“This class exercises the other side of the brain and you need to do that sometimes,” he added. “It’s been a rewarding class, I have learned a lot.”
