Books and Question about Kiln Shelves

This week, I received two books that had a few of my activities published in them!  I responded to a call for lesson plans by Gryphon House and was happy when mine were chosen.  These look like fun books for a pre-school or kindergarten teacher.  The activities are geared for early childhood.  I have been seeking out various outlets for publishing, since I have always wanted to be a writer.  It's also fun to get free copies of the publications and it's a thrill to see your name in print!  When I was little, my dream was to interview celebrities for magazines! 

An activity about rocks.

What can you do with a dot?  You may recognize this project... I recently posted about it on my blog.

This is a weaving project I do with 1st graders, but it can be easily adaptable for younger kids.

And now a question for teachers who are knowledgeable about kilns....

I have a kiln shelf that has glaze stuck to it.  I have tried scraping it off to no avail.  I simply cannot scrape anymore off.  Do you have any suggestions?  Is this shelf a total loss or is there something else I can do to save it?

<------------------- my poor shelf.

And now a happy picture for you!  My niece Sonia and my daughter Daria playing with bubbles.