Bird Bath Prototypes

Our school garden is right across the hall from my classroom. Since it's springtime, it is full of small birds, and pollinators. We're going to learn a bit about John James Audubon, and then we'll make some bird bath prototypes. We'll fire and glaze them. Next year, we can create some larger versions of the best designs. Bird baths are tricky. The bath has to be able to be separated from the base, to prevent cracking. My prototype has a bath in the shape of a nest, and the base resembles a stump. The bath has a slab on the bottom, which fits into a notch at the top of the stump. That way, it can dry, and be fired without the stress that it being one solid piece would inevitably cause. The clay store was out of my usual school clay, so we're going to be using a low-fire clay called "Venus White".

We might also make some bell shaped wind chimes for the garden. I made some bells at my old school, during a parent meeting. It was not a great experience. So, I'd like to try again, and have it be fun. My boss came to the meeting, but then made up a lie about having to go to a "meeting" at 7 pm at night. She didn't like getting clay on her hands and nails. It was really embarrassing for me, as she left the activity, in front of all of the parents and students. Watching someone modeling disrespect was really weird, and uncomfortable. 

Many of the parents didn't glaze their pieces, so it was kind of a big waste of my money and materials. I really liked my example bells, though. The principal kept telling me that she wanted me to do the lesson again, only with members of the school staff. That never happened, mercifully.

Sometimes when I have a bad experience with something, I like to reframe it, so that the bad experience disappears, and is replaced with goodness. Turning awkwardness into positivity is the way to go, I think. It will be exciting to work on something that will benefit the garden, and make it a lovelier place to be. During the past few weeks, students and teachers have been building planter boxes, and have been planting up the area. It is starting to look wonderful...