Of course in pottery we learned how to properly make and shape clay using some crucial techniques. A technique I've used a lot is wetting a part of the clay before trying to attach it so that it sticks together much more easily.
I have actually done quite a bit of pottery in my life but not like pots and cups that are usually made, instead I make sculptures and figures because they are much more fun to make. In my 9th grade art class I made a little shark and I'm VERY proud of it.