When I first started pottery, I found it to be much more challenging than I had anticipated. Although I was aware that it would be completely new and different to anything I had done before, the amount of processes and skills involved it took me by surprise. It took me a few weeks to get comfortable with these skills and I noticed progress as the weeks passed. I even learnt how to use the Potter’s wheel!

In the course of this learning journey, I have found that learning these new skills and techniques has been a lot easier with friends by my side who have more experience than me in this area of art. I ask them for tips and help when I need it and learn from what I see them doing. I’m happy to say that I now have more friends in pottery than I did when I first started it, varying in year groups. Oftentimes, we work on projects together and share our ideas and skills to produce some great pieces, although I have had a few unexpected defects. The pottery classroom is an extremely comfortable, social environment where it is easy for me to learn from my peers, as well as offer a helping hand. Although it has been a challenge to learn so many skills in a relatively short amount of time, the chance to learn from and work with my friends has massively helped me and ensured that this learning experience has been lively and enjoyable.

In this activity, my next steps are to continue developing skills involved in pottery and produces pieces which I can be proud and will remind my future self of this learning experience.

Learning outcomes which I have chosen to focus on through pottery:

LO1-Identify their own strengths and develop areas for growth.

LO2- Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.

LO5 – Demonstrate the skills and recognise the benefits of working collaboratively