Keystone Magazine Learning the Keystone Way 2015-2016 EN | Page 93

and effective interaction between their cultural
experience at the workshop and classroom
learning. In the chapter, students got to read a
few well-known essays by the Taiwanese writer
Lin Qingxuan including Beautiful Minds, Sea
Salt and Mahogany. To have the chance then to
touch, mold and interact with the clay and then
see their finished works half a month later truly
helped the students to appreciate and reflect on
the life lessons they read about with a whole new
perspective.
As one of the students reflected in an essay, “I
don’t really care that much about my work being
perfect, because I have learnt something much
more valuable from the pottery workshop. Like
pottery, we also have to go through life’s ups and
downs, loneliness, pain and hardships before we
can make something of ourselves.”
As Ms. Shi said, “a day working with clay has made
students realize that putting in effort does not
always guarantee success. It is essential to shift
focus from the objective to enjoying the process.
The clay needs to endure unbearable heat to be
able to assume a permanent shape, just as hu-
mans need to persevere through hardships and
challenges to grow and develop. This will be a
lesson that they can benefit from for life.”
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