This session can be informative for both Art Educators and other Educators who wish to integrate the use of ceramic clay in their classroom, but aren't sure exactly how to prepare and use this unique and timeless medium. Clay is incredibly engaging and versatile, but it can be messy and unnecessarily cost prohibitive if you don't know what you're doing. In this session, we'll talk about what it takes to balance the clay side of the ceramics equation (the session on electric kilns will cover the firing aspect). Learn how to prepare a classroom space for clay without opening the door to a major mud mess. We'll also learn about budget friendly clay tools, how to identify and pick the right kind of clay for your use, and which commercial glazes are accessible for children to use and fool proof for firing. We'll go over the Clay Studio of Missoula's Golden Rules and Core Competencies of Clay, which will help you teach young students to use this medium effectively. If time allows we'll even get our hands in some clay to practice the competencies in a "Clay Olympics" style hands-on learning experience.