A Classroom Visit: The Teacher and Teachees | Jerm Wright, Jack Butler, & Gage Clisby | Episode 529

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Jerm Wright, Jack Butler, & Gage Clisby | Episode 529

We get a real treat in this interview! We head into the classroom of Jerm Wright and spend time with the teacher, and two of his students, Jack Butler and Gage Clisby. This is a great insight into the high school classroom and what the ceramic program is like. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed it.

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What has been one life skill that you have learned specifically from clay?

Gage: I have definitely learned to be patient. To  be patient with the work you really need to stay calm and work with the clay. This applies to other academic subjects like maybe I could get frustrated doing math or whatever. It just allows me to slow down.

Jack: I would probably say you could really royally screw some stuff up but you can fix it to a point that you are happy with. I mean with clay in particular it is meld-able and fluid so you can bring it to a point that you are happy with even if you are really far off your goal. Metaphorically in life that is probably a good attitude to have.

Mr. Wright: I don’t know if it is more a life skill as much as an observation, one of the things I talk about is that working with ceramics is definitely  not fast food. Because I also draw and paint and I do a lot of things, but with drawing and painting it is very immediate, you know, where you mix the paint and there it is, and you can be done with your painting that day. Whereas with ceramics, like what Gage was saying, you have to be patient. Where we live in this day and age of fast food where you order your food, you pay for your food, you get your food, you eat your food, boom, boom, boom. I like that it slows us down in this fast food nation. I also like the connection that it has. It is an old world material and culturally world wide you can see people working with ceramics, and to be able to be a part of that is really beautiful.

What has been a benefit for you in working with a group of people in a large studio setting?

Gage: Here everyone is very kind to each other and we want to help each other out. There is always inspiration going around with people making things all over the place. When I was learning how to throw I would always watch Jack and I would take advice from him.

Jack: I think in parallel to that it is nice to have the opportunity to show people what you are doing because I think in any subject teaching somebody is really one of the highest forms of mastery. It forces you to really think consciously of exactly what you are doing. I think because of that it has allowed me to progress in ways I wouldn’t have otherwise.

Jerm , how does it impact you as you have the classroom studio and your own personal studio? 

Mr. Wright: So I feel like I am a host at a party. I just kind of bounce around and see what every body need. I rarely sit down at the wheel during class and when I do it is working with students. Sometimes I will jump on the wheel to help them. So it is really interesting working with beginners where one wall is super thick and the other wall is thin, and I feel like my skills have gotten better because I have fixed so many over the years. But I will have to say, I am constantly inspired. Even though I might not have time to sit during class, sometimes I will come on the week-ends by myself or in the afternoons and get some throwing in.

Where do you see yourself in the next ten years?

Gage: Good question. I mean I haven’t given much thought to that myself. I’d like to say I see myself being happy in ten years and continuing to throw pots.

Jack: I plan on pursuing a PhD in engineering so I will probably be swamped with work and stressed out in ten year. I don’t know, I hope I like it.

Mr. Wright: I hope you keep throwing, both you guys. Not to make a career out of it or anything but that you have this thing that kind of eases your mind when the world gets heavy.

Jerm, what about you? Where will you be in ten years?

I mean, I will be close to retirement by then, which is kind of crazy to think about. Well, my vision right now is, we have a brand new classroom that we are moving into in August so that is super exciting. It is the first time our school, after 80 years, has built a building specifically for ceramics. so that has been super exciting. So in ten years I hope that program is still going super strong and I hope to set up a good system for that program.

Contact

Jerm’s Instagram: @jermwright

San Dieguito Academy Instagram: @sda.ceramics