Ceramics teacher Emily Jones is currently out after dealing with a painful foot condition that requires surgery. Students are now adjusting in ceramics as the class continues under a new substitute for the rest of the year. While Mrs. Jones recovers, a permanent substitute has stepped in for the rest of the school year. Because of their long friendship, the transition has been smoother than expected.

“I’m very lucky because Mrs. Jones and I have been friends for a very, very long time. So the transition has been a little bit easier than probably most because we’re on a personal level that she understands and trusts me to run her classroom. I sort of know the ins and outs of her classroom because I know she’s been teaching at Roseville for a while,” Williams said.

Even with that experience, William says there were still some worries about stepping into a ceramics classroom full-time.

“So, there are you know, there’s some worries that maybe I’m not going to do it right, I’m not going to fill the kiln correctly, I might break a project, but other than that, it hasn’t been too bad,” Williams said.

Teacher aides say the classroom routine has stayed mostly the same, helping students adjust more easily.

“Our job is pretty much the same. We have the same rhythm going. We’ve had her as a sub before, so it’s not like someone we’re new with. It’s nice to have a familiar face. And yeah, our job’s the same. She keeps it running smoothly,” Buelow says.