Influences lesson

Magic for Humans

Is a show on Netflix that I watched and could see myself teaching this quick lesson in class.

Teacher inspiration never fades. (I have a feeling many teachers are using this clip. Unsure of school and copyright legislation.)

Magic for Humans. Season 3 “Power Trip” Three clips would be fun to discuss in I.School. Power of Words, Authority, and Influencers. 

Power of Words 7:15 to 11:00 minutes. Netflix.

Middle School Lesson on the magic of words.Cute.

Power of Authority

Similar to old Psychological experiments, demonstrating the power of a lab coat and lies.

7 minutes. *The Power of Influencers starting at 16:40 minutes.

My personal favorite. I wonder what a class of students would say about this.

Question and follow up conversations:

How do Words, Authority, and Influencers affect your education? (Examples)

Honestly, I think the lesson speaks for itself. One hour of classroom discussion would be enlightening. For me. :)

Application: The Power of Words, Authority and Influencers.

Word. Evil. "extreme moral wickedness; something that brings sorrow, distress, or calamity.”

Authority figure on another school shooting: “What happened today is pure evil.”

I Question? Which is evil, a 14 year old, or school?

Influencers: Media focus on gun control, parents, blame.

Students? Need to report back to school immediately.

Repeat.

Level One: Alone

0: Silence 

Video. Check. Don’t speak. About I.School. It’s personal.

One: Alone. Yes.

Ultimately, you are alone.

You. I School is Your class. You ARE the class- student, teacher and subject. You are #1. 

You are always alone with yourself (your thoghts), right? 24-7. With or without others around you.

Now, what do you want? Have you written anything down yet? Just a question, but can you get what you want? Without spending time getting it? Know what I mean? These things take time. First experiment is to try to get a sense of time. Oh, this will take time. What else are doing?

The goal: What you may want, is this: To be alone and Ok with aloneness. Being Ok, with yourself. More of the time. In more situations; for more of your life.

Activity: AM/PM self-talk.

Eyes closed, First thing in the morning. Before, or after an alarm. 

Ask: How do I feel? This is very important. The more you can simply identify how you feel- you can help yourself already by avoiding traps. Say you wake up sad or angry. Pause. before you talk to someone, you might start a fight unknowingly because you don’t quite know how grumpy you are, say.

BONUS- say “good morning” how did you sleep? did you dream? (if so, write it down- for later I.School),  what is one thing you can do for yourself today? (Glass of cold water- put hand lotion on, wear special shoes… something super simple and easy). 

PM, I’ve been thinking about that one. How about, “What is one thing you learned today?” But my head starts spinning by night. I would need to ask myself that an hour or so before bed. I like to go to bed with stories. And hopefully dream tonight. 

Tip: Reading Mythology helps dreams.

Activity option Part B: Make your bed.

Every. Single. Day. AND, Think about how you want to feel about yourself when you get back into that same bed tonight. Pause.  

Part C- Self-Check

I’m also curious as to whether this one would work but here is my idea: at least once a day. Or Three? The same times every day, stop and make an observation of yourself. Say 10:30 am. Every day. Like a self-check. 

And do something physical every day at the same time. Like- sit up straight- first observe your posture and then adjust. 

If you are in class, talking to someone, looking at your phone/ screen.  10:30 am- take a mental note of what the topic is at that particular time. Note how you feel perhaps. Sit or stand up straight- real slow and cool like. No one will even notice. But do it consistently throughout the school year. Same time every day 5-7 days a week. 

No daily alarms, ideally; no technology to remind you, and become more dependent on. Pick a time, and then trust yourself. Repeat.

Other ideas, 3 times daily- do something physical. Sit up, pull shoulders back, make a fist with your toes, face the palms of your hands up on your lap (like in class)? Go get that drink of water, put on that hand lotion, if these are an option. *be warned, what you condition yourself to do you will start to do automatically. So, make it realistically simple. And not to worry, if you can condition yourself, you can re-condition the condition, again. (Grin)

Why?

Here is my rational: What I hear from students- is a loss of control. A feeling of having no control over their environment. So, I’m thinking this might be a way to re-condition your brain/body connection by giving it a sense of internal or intrinsic control. With you, the I, in command. Like tricking your brain into doing what it probably wants to do in the first place. Have some time and autonomy. Not control, but Self-control,  in what our body and brain is doing and thinking. A philosophy of “Command yourself, or be Commanded” sort of notion.

Also, It may reduce some anxiety, because you will be more predictable to yourself. Something you can always count on. You pick the times. You decide what to do or not do physically and mentally for less than 30 seconds a day. 10 seconds each time. 

Conclusion: 

Thoughts and or activities Week One.

1. AM/PM self- talk.

2. I.Notebook Ideas. Write down wants.

3. Pause Three times a day. Same time. 10 seconds (?) for self-check in. Sit up.

Notebook Questions:

What do you want? (From intro, week one) 

Are your actions matching that? When you are alone?

What is stopping you from getting what you want? 

Who are your influences? (Are you sure?) 

*My past years of videos and blogs are not easily followed, sort of messy. And that is exactly what I recommend for you. Your I school does not have to make sense! It only needs to make sense to YOU. Be cryptic, mysterious, say YES. 

Prep for week 2: What are you Talking About?

Seriously. What consumes most of your conversations? Is that what you want?

Level Zero.Shhhh 2024-25

Levels of Development

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Learning: Recap.

Observation: One can not really feel safe unless the red, physiological needs are met; and one can not really establish intimate friends and relationships until basic needs are met and so on. The top is assumably the goal Ah, “Self Actualization.” Achieving one’s full potential including creative activities.

I.School critique: Maslow’s simple 5 tier design makes sense. Almost like common sense. It’s logical, colorful and easily digested. Basic needs lead to psychological needs and then and only then can you pursue higher, self-fulfillment. Here is my issue- the shape. Yes, the shape. I have seen this triangle for over 30 years in education. It has been upside down.

Basic, physiological needs like air, food and water, are at the least, most minimum of needs. If you do not have access to water and shelter, that is a problem. I’d say there is no advancement if one does not have water. Game over. The triangle leads my brain to believe water is the biggest achievement. The most work. In the red.

While smug purple sits at the top taunting me. If only you felt safe, have love and friendship, then you will have access to creativity. Wrong! Backwards. At the most minimum water and food and shelter- sure. But I thing it takes creativity to work these things out.

Smug purple’s “self-actualization” triangle comes to an end. Finite. When in actuality, once water and creative self-expression mix, it would look like an open angle. Infinite possibilities. Once basic and proficiency are met, the sky is the limit. Limitless possibilities.

It is simple geometry. Just a thought. And not just mine-

Professional Development I.School

It’s August. Time for back to school Professional Development.

Funny, when I used to sit in Professional Development days, I would imagine and dream about what I would be doing when I was not sitting in a professional development day. Now, post-teaching, I imagine and dream about what I would have done differently in professional development times. Therefore,

What I would do differently. By I.Newson,

In my school, I.School, here is how today would go:

10:30-11:00 am Staff Meeting. No food nor beverages will be provided, provided you take the morning to eat your favorite foods, exercise, organize, spend time with someone, if desired. At school, I would like to focus on school and learning. You know, kids. Period. Do what ever you need to do to come to the meeting relaxed and refreshed. Then and only then can we proceed.

During that 30 minutes, we would chat, and get all pertinent information addressed and then staff would chose between three Levels of development.

1. New teachers will find guidance on the basics each school would need to know.

2. Teacher’s Years 3 to Ancient, will have groups to facilitate conversations that will be helpful to kids and you. Trust that teachers will use the time to their advantage. Proficiency.

3. Level III group would be the I.School teachers that are past the first three years of planning thus have time to talk philosophy. My group. Advanced. (Specifics later)

11:00-2:30 Time block is all yours. You know what you need to do.

2:30- 3:15 Take a break from school. Leave. Talk about other things. Do something else. Most teachers will be thinking about school outside of school, most days for the remaining school year. Get in the habit of exploring topics outside education. Develop a clean hobby.

Oh, la dee dah. Wouldn’t that be nice.

Never going to happen.

I used to fantasize about driving around the country in a van when I left education. I also created an imaginary “Philosophical Hot Dog Truck.”

The first one came true. I have spent the past two years traveling the country in a van, with a man. (not as creepy as it sounds). I did not pursue my PHdT, (philosophical hot dog truck) which is probably a good thing. On the plus side, it was educational (and a pleasant distraction from NAEP data points) for me thinking about what a certain philosopher might have as toppings, which led me to think deeper about each philosopher. (A Zen dog with everything; A Nietzsche dog with nothing; A Pavlov “I’ll have what she’s having” dog. The Ethics dog… Well, Ironically, learning certain philosophies created an aversion to hot dogs.

My point is that it is helpful to fantasize while in Professional Development. Prepare for your imaginary future. Plan your retirement. What will you be doing? Today ____, from now?

Funny, I also used to play the “I’d Rather…” game. You know, I’d rather be (sleeping, eating, anything else), instead of, sitting here, in another PD meeting. Now, post-teaching, I go through the day thinking, “at least I’m not at a ….PD meeting” and, I would rather be doing what I am doing right now. Hole heartedly and Appreciatively.

Good Morning!!! Enjoy your day! (or not)

I.School PD '24 Intro

Intro: Levels of Professional Development

Question: What is Professional Development?

Answer: “Professional development is the process of gaining new skills and knowledge to improve job performance and career prospects. It can include any activity that helps you get better at your job, outside of your normal day-to-day tasks”. AI

In other words, develop skills for a job. Get better at a job, even outside the job.

Interpretation: An Educators job is to get students to get a job.

“It is a way for people to assess their own skills and abilities, consider their aims in life, and set goals in order to realise and maximise their true potential.” Upskillist (cut and pasted, with spelling).

Okay. Is that what is happening with your Professional Development time today? Recognizing personal growth and goals in order to realize your TRUE potential?

Sounds GREAT!

What do educators have to say about Professional Development? Examples:

Teachers Off Duty Podcast “The Absolute Worst Professional Development….” 44:35 min. (I only watched a few examples. But, 8:02 to 9:02 min:sec; “The old and worn, official ready to retire Old Dude” says to a new teacher,

‘hey can you punch me in the face as hard as you can’?

Requesting a ‘punch in the face’ during a PD (professional development) session, about sums up what many ‘old teachers’ “jokingly” want from PD. To be unconscious for the duration.

Less negatively, most all teachers simply want TIME. Time to plan; time to develop skills to be a better teacher; time to genuinely collaborate with colleagues.

As an old and warn pre-retired teacher, I can honestly say this: More time to develop will Never, Ever, ever happen. NO one is going to say, “hey, looks like you could use some rest. You need time to _______.” Nope. Never. In fact, the more you do (the more time you put in), the more time you will do.

Okay, so what to do?

I’m working on it.

Supplies

An Experiment.

I Thank You.

Thank you birthday well wishers and those interested in I.School.

I forget that friends and family outside of “my classroom head” read my blogs or watch my videos. It is so weird to me to have those worlds intertwined. Know what I mean? Like when you have your work family, your actual family and close friends merge. It’s a test of character. Who are you really in those moments? Like a game show: Will the real I please stand up? It has made me realize how I think the best version of myself is and has been in front of my classrooms/students- over the years. That is a beautiful realization. And awkward, because my teacher self is, well, just different. It’s my teacher self making the videos.

and I try not to get influenced through praise or criticism. Therefore, I seldom respond or take time to engage in social media. Must. Stay. Focused. And as I see it, like two birds with one stone (that is such an odd saying..) sort of philosophy. I’m still here. and This I.School IS my life. Incredibly so. But don’t look for me too much outside this project.

I figure it would take some time to get started with a school. Trust is a cornerstone foundation for my I.School. So, four years in the making, thus far. (FOUR years!) Trusting my own process regardless of what anyone said, has only been possible through the trust students have givin me.

Thank you for trusting me!

now, let me get back to “work” :)

III. Solutions

Those brave students willing to join in I.School. Experimental experience. Here is a summer school project:

1. Get a notebook. Small. Compact. (oh, and a wiring utensil.)

2. Open tiny notebook to the back pages. On the top of one side write- “Legacy A.” On the top of the other side write “Legacy B.”

3. Turn to the first few pages of your I.book. One the top of one side write “Ideal Schedule.” On the other side write “Schedule Now” and todays date.

   ~anyone wanting to advance, can turn the page and write “Wants”, on opposite sides. Turn another page and write “Needs.” I’d go with. a Then and Now theme, but hey, this is your life, your book.

   YOU are the subject of I.School! Let’s get started.

   See where we are going here?

   Oh, and I also recommend keeping your notebook to yourself. No need to talk about it. It’s no one else’s bees wax but your own!

   Why? it will take too much of your time and space explaining this concept to others. Time and energy better used for you and your own I.School.

   Proceed. with caution. Bon Voyage I.School travelers!

II.Problems

After four years of self-confinement and I.School, I see only two problems with students-patrons in public education.

One: A problem of Time.

A non-monetary unit of measurement. Most precious commodity in I.School.

Two: A problem of Space.

I define space as simply the conversations in your head/space. What occupies your mind, your words, thus your daily actions?

Any other problems, beyond those two problems of time and space absolutely cannot- be addressed for solving- unless you have some time and the ability to talk about the things you want to talk about . Articulate.

As part of my experiment, I often ask, “is that what you want to talk about?” or “Is that really the question you want to ask me?” or I’ll say, “then ask me a better question…” Yea, it’s a risky business saying those things, but effective. I have only used it on trusted ‘students.’ And yes, it really pisses people off.

You can pause the game anytime (ie- just stop yourself as many times a day as necessary and ask, ‘is this really what I want to talk about?’ Is this how you want to use your precious time? occupy your space?)

*See solutions.

I.School Explanation

Ingrid here,

I believe I owe an explanation now, June 2024. The past four years I have been building my own idea of a school. Blog posts up to today have been a jumble of rants and non-sequiturs. Seemingly.

Think of I.School as a Game. There are many many layers. This is just the beginning. A starting point for students of I.School (a pretend faux school). Step by stem guide to building a self-preserved foundation. This is what I have so far:

2022- Step 1. “Know thyself”

*See Blogs A-F 1-10. Pick one, any one. Just build a philosophy. I have provided some examples.

“Know Thyself,” is inscribed upon the Temple of Apollo in the ancient Greek precinct of Delphi. The best-known of the Delphic maxims, it has been quoted and analyzed by numerous authors throughout history, and has been applied in many ways.”

2023- Step 2. “Know the enemy”

*blogs in this year address the nature of education, the NAEP and business plans for you.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

―Sun Tzu,The Art of War

2024- Step 3. “Mind the Gap”

*Current position in the game of I. Finishing my “senior” project with interruptions. ;)

Create a bridge between you/I and controlling entities. From Cognitive dissonance to Consonance. (Self-hypocrisy to more clarity.)

Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort a person feels when their behavior does not align with their values or beliefs. (Sew, What ARE your values and beliefs? How do you know?)

Consonance: orchestration between balance and symmetry to acquire greater sense of harmony.

2025- Coming Soon!

But keep expectations low.

Homework Assignment. *Idea. Video former student’s reactions to a message from an old teacher. Ask “did you ever have Mrs. Newson?” Tell me a very short story; and I wonder what you would think of my I.School so far. Oh, and “Hello!”

May Flowers

III. May

Intro: April showers bring May flowers. Mother May I? What other sayings or phrases do you think of in May?

History: April showers bring May flowers.  In 1620 the Mayflower was an English sailing ship of approximately 400 “pilgrims.” Dissatisfied with the failure, excesses and abuses of the current government of England; the desire to travel was considered audacious and risky. However, compared to the increasingly difficult life of forced labor and menial jobs affecting individual health  and general civil unrest, the departure of the younger and stronger was inevitable. The trip from Northern England to Southhampton in 1620 took three days. After 10 weeks at sea, less than half survived the first winter. The Mayflower, the Plymouth Colony was an experiment. It was not organized by the government. In order to survive, it depended on the consent of the colonists themselves. Necessity bound a community together. Revolution by chance. 

Mystery: What happened to the original Mayflower; The ship?  According to Brittanica, “The true fate of the vessel is unknown.” 

Some historians argue that the Mayflower was scrapped for its timber, which was then used in the construction of barn.” 

Who were the Pilgrims? And why were they ready to face dire conditions in order to have more order. A Compact. Who were the others aboard the Mayflower?

"The others, were considered common folk and included merchants, craftsmen, indentured servants and orphaned children. They were referred to by the Pilgrims as ‘strangers’.”

Math, Reading:

The Three Little Pigs. (Paused for a latter day).

Basic: forming an essential foundation. A starting point; Fundamental.

Proficient: pure ability that comes with training and practice to make progress.

Advanced: Going beyond progress. From deficient to efficient.  

Being beyond the elementary; greatly developed beyond basic ideas. Far on in time or course. 

“Once up on a Time…”  there were three little pigs. 

Final Word: *Graduation* 

It’s my birthday, so I’m stealing-A Song For you. By Donny Hathaway.

I've been so many places in my life and time

I've sung a lot of songs

I've made some bad rhymes

I've acted out my life in stages

With ten thousand people watching

But we're alone now

And I'm singing this song to you

I love you in a place

Where there's no space or time

I love you for my life

You're a friends of mine

And when my life is over

Remember when we were together

We were alone

And I was singing this song to you.”

*May you build a house. Set sail. Flower.

Grad Speech #3 2024

Rest in Peace.

May 21, 2024

“Rest in peace" is an idiom that expresses the hope that someone's spirit has found peace after death.” Cambridge Dictionary.

Your job. Career, what ever you consider vocation. Occupation.

Today is my birthday. 🥳 I am retired from my job, career, vocation, occupation: Teacher

Retire: To withdraw from danger, retreat. MW. Hey, I like that. I like Re-Treat way better than Re-Tire. Ew, tire. Tired.

Treat v. Tire. I chose Treat.

Teaching kids and learning with them has been a treat. Let me tell you why. In my retreat 😉 I have time to ponder my occupational career choice as discussed with my high school counselor in 1985. Who, discouraging me from a profession of want and destitution, aka, teaching. I did not take his advice. I got this instead.

• An abundance of memories. Memories of laughing with students. Crying with them too. Singing with them. Dancing with students. A mix bundle of…. life. Real. Joy. Every day. I think of them. Well after their ‘finals’.

• Dreams. I dream of students all the time. Like our own action movies. Fun.

• The courage to be afraid to stand up to those who are hurting students. My students.

• The creativity to invent my own crazy pretend world. I.School, which ironically is more real to me than this facade.

People just don’t know or understand the incredibly powerful relationship, the bond that formed with me and many of my students and many of my classes. I’m sure some others of you, out there can relate! It’s parental. Even now, as I try to explain I.School to anyone, they don’t get it, not really. But my students would. They got me. They understood me. And I listed to them.
One thing missing is selfish of me. I always had students helping me. Organizing stuff. Telling me what and what not to say- lingo. Technology. “You got to do it like this, Newson.” They were and are still my greatest teachers.

And I, most days, did not regret choosing my profession of “want and destitution.” It was a struggle to not have money, that is no lie. I spent my time with kids instead. And now I am retired. Sorry ‘Re treated’ 😀 to a life of not awful memories; restful dream-filled sleep; and a school project that gets me up every morning. A true passion past my prime number. My retirement age. 😉 Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m still crazy and have my own issues. It’s just that I have time to rest. And I am at peace with my crazy.

So, as my gift to you students, on my birthday, cuz make up my own rules-

I wish you rest in peace.

Grad Speech 24 #2

What you want?

What do you want? Pop Quiz.

1. Really think about what you want, and consider your answers. Are your answers:

A. About someone else. Example- “I want what that person has.” And what is that perceived desire exactly? What do you think, that person has?

B. A negative. Example- “I don’t want to feel like this anymore.” Good answer but it still begs the question.

C. Double negative. Example- “What’s the point, I’ll never get what I want anyway.” Two negatives equals a positive. If that is what you think, you will be positively right.

D. “Funny.” Example- “I want a billion dollars.” Funny. Now what?

2. What do you think the definition of WANT is? (Merriam-Webster)

A. To be needy or destitute

B. To suffer from the lack of

C. Grave deprivation of ones necessities of life

D. All of the above * 👆 is the correct answer. Of course, there are more coveted meanings of the word want. But would A,B and C change your answer to the first question?

3. Want? What would your little I say? The young lad, weee one that you once were?

A. I have felt

B. I have needed to be

C. Looking back, I wish I had ________ this if given a choice:

D. Finish A,B and C with Wanted.

May 24 faux grad speech #1

Senior graduation speech 2024

Oh hello,

My name is I.Newson and this is my classroom. My school. I call it- I.School.

What is it? (Pause) That is a difficult question to answer…

Ok, so recently I was contacted by a former student who wanted to continue a philosophical conversation we had in class 5 or 6 years ago. We walked and talked for hours and he said: “Newson, we need I.School, like now.” I told him about my current senior/ final project and he said it was time for me to share it on social media. I said I’m not ready yet.

He said- “Newson, just be you.” So I thought, it’s May. What sort of mock-Graduation speech would I give?

Ok. Here it is.

What do you Want? (Long intense pause- look into camera)

Simple question. Repeat. What do you want? -travel and asking folks. Is it-

You don’t really know do you? Most people don’t yet, common responses are:

Money?

Me: No you don’t. 

You want what money gives you. What is that?

Happiness?

Nope. Too vague and spaciously undefined. Manic and easily faked. 

Love?

Ditto. No, I take that back. Yes, it is vague, cliché curiously defined for us, but what is love? Love can be awful. Love is power and not always reciprocated the in the manor we expect, which hurts. Because we are all too human. Love reaches all human emotion. 

Power, fame? Lots of folks seek fame. So, you desire attention and affection from strangers- many famous people are famous for pretending to be someone or something else so people will like them. Scripted. Fake. Many of them are also sad because what they really want is- what? 

To be real? And respected for being themselves which- many are not- have we learned nothing from child actors and nepotism?

Power, control? No you don’t. Too much work and people are notoriously difficult to work with and it is very time consuming to try to control others especially when you don’t even know what You want to your own core.

So, Now what?  What DO you Want?

May I offer some suggestions? I.School style. 

How about sleep? Night after night. Restful, dream filled sleep. 

Imagine Waking up most mornings with a sense of purpose and meaning in your life. Not just completing the next task- for someone else- people telling you what you want-  money, happiness, love, fame, power and control. 

How about Peace of mind? A sense of purpose. 

Authenticity. Truth. Freedom. All sound good- 

That is what I want. And am succeeding. See, I’ve been working on my own school, and my thought was- how can I start a school that I would actually WANT to attend? So I did. A faux four year “college” of my own creation. 

Four years ago- in this very spot- I had an awkward beginning. An idea. 

Four years later, I am nearly ready to start my school. After I finish my senior project which got interrupted by former students telling me to speed it up and use the social media accounts which were set up for me By former students wanting to connect. I’m old. I don’t get the new timey ways… 

But I can tell you it is nice to be old. I’m 55, I hope I look 55, act 55, and I hope to be a cool, wise old lady.

I did not choose a career chasing money. I am a teacher. And I would like to continue teaching my class, in my school my way in my time- when and wherever I feel like it.  

What I want is to continue my purposely cryptic inewson.org web page. Finish my senior project and then give step by step lessons and instructions as to how to create your own class. 

What I will teach you is how to reclaim some of your time;

By giving you other things to do- and think about with your time- other than school and screens. Off topic topics to interrupt your otherwise scheduled school-life.

I.School is for anyone, anywhere, anytime. At least that is what my former student came up with on our long walk last week.

“-anywhere anytime.” Newson. 

I may not be with you in a classroom. In fact I am selling my house and traveling. A traveling philosophy class built just for you…. and me. You know, The I  in I.School.

Most people don’t know me. But students do. So Hi out there former students. Newson here. Still teaching. Id like to expand my classroom. I.School. Let’s build a philosophy class! Continue conversations started a long time ago- 

Follow, Subscribe, Like, Comment… Um, fewer than 10 words… if at all. I have SO many lessons and ideas spinning around in my brain case. 

Anyway, I’m I.Newson and this is my classroom. My school. My. ISchool senior project that Id like to get back to, thank you very much… after this mock graduation speech. 2024.  

“We need I.School now” “just be you” Newson.

Ok. I’m on it! Let’s get started with a story.  The story of the Three Little Pigs.

Oh, my time is up for today. Ok. Insert Graduation cliches finishes:

Follow your dreams…  Oh, that’s a whole other I.lesson. 

OK- insert your own ending. I’m just getting started!!!

Ciao for now. 

Second April

II. April

Intro: “April Showers bring May Flowers. ” “April fools.”

I. Dream- Black and White Door. Ocean- ride the wave, into a Tree. Relax, you are going to meet a queen.

History:  April was the second month of the earliest Roman calendar,before Ianuarius and Februarius were added by King Numa Pompilius about 700 BC.

New year, Valentines Love, Grounded (Referring to the later added Groundhog Day).  All derived from changes made to to the calendar dating back to (X). “Unknown origin”.

Aprilis, verb meaning ‘to Open’. “The derivation of ‘Aprilis’ is unknown.” 

Mystery: 

Fools- ‘scholars’ dressed up in costumes making fun of the Roman leaders after changing calendars (Sort of messed up gardening and festivities when April was moved to January ). What do you think happened to those who, not only questioned authority, but made fun of Roman leaders? *Origin Unknown.

Knock knock. 

 “Open Sesame.” Bzzzzz.  Wrong, that is incorrect. What is the correct answer to an ancient riddle about a genie and the secret words needed to open the cave of knowledge? 

Genie’s open doors. So do Genres in literature as I found out. 

Math and Reading: NAEP

I learned about genres when researching the NAEP Reading Framework. “Genres and types of tests to be assessed.” “

Types of text refers to the idealized norms of a genre (Fludernik 2000), not the source of the stimulus material per se.”

 Page 17.  NAEP Reading assessment framework. 

What are ‘idealized norms of a genre’? ‘Per se’, what now? Questions led me to contacting Fludernik, as she is referenced to standardized literary testing in the US, NAEP nations report card. She lives in Germany. Nice chat. She knew not of her being referenced. Nein. But she sent me a link to her books, as I could not find any in the US. 

The NAEP is making changes to an old education system, of unknown origin. 

Two things are certain- Numbers and language are the driving force of the NAEP nations report card. Compulsory: required by law. 

Now what? Distraction. 

Final Word: Reflection

5: Shower, love, dream, fool, doors. 

So what‽ 

So, What if I were to tell you this: 

One of those five is a mathematical equation. (wink)

One is found in the sky, in April. 

One is “a boundary, the difference between feeling one state to another, like __x__ (depression) to __y__ (not).

One is not what you think it is, contrary to what you’ve been taught;

And one or two, if held up to a mirror, is another equation doubled as language. 

Not an April fools prank. Reflect. 

Answers found in I.School 2025.

April Showers

April 1. April Fools Day. I changed my ‘senior project’ framework, last minute in March which now includes 1. a personal intro (relevancy ), 2, “History, Mystery, Math (and reading)” Memorable. and 3. “the final word.” an opportunity for me to share my perspective. This is no joke. In fact, part of I.School is knowing the fact that I did not take my life seriously enough. I’ve learned a lot in these past 4 years post-COVID. My own 4 year college. I’m ready, now. But I knew two things in 2020: One, this is going to take a while.; and two, It needs to be cryptic.

So, I’d like to start with a few riddles: “In like a Lion, out like a Lamb”

• What do New Years, day, groundhog day, and Valentines day share?

• March: Pick an image. (example, February, heart March hare.) Now play a game. Repeat. Ask: What is its function? (Description: heart, red, love. Furry, ears, feet.) Now ask Usages of X: Blood pumping, emotion. Flowers , Chocolate. And finally, ask: What is it to me? You. The I. How does X relate to you personally? Y, It’s complicated. Answers depend on levels of maturity and willingness to participate. It will indeed take courage to follow I.School of thought. And I ask one thing. “SSHTT!” See. Smell. Hear. Taste, touch index finger to mouth. Shhh. Courage of a Lion, Silence of a Lamb. (oh, wait, that does not sound good.) Seriously. I ask you to follow instructions, take suggestions. But this is your school. Your life. I simply offer you a different perspective.

• One more. What is Love? Is it what you think it is? Yes. Now think again. What if I were to tell you LOVE is not just a word, but a mathematical equation? If you know the answer, Please do not share. Be a good teacher, let the students figure it out for themselves.

March into April.

Intro: Actual dream: (Woke, Maat, students-darkness, hallway, blue light) I did not initially, plan to share dreams in Real time, but I’m me so, I’m going with it. I.School is a proponent of dreams. Literal dreams. They serve an integral part of our lives. Psychologically creative and powerful. Dreams ARE like myths and fairy tales-odd and cryptic. Dreams derive from our stories. Daily stories we hear and tell our selves. Our histories. So let’s start with the history and mystery of March. Following January and February, March is known for: madness, hares and rabbits. Is there a difference? which reminds me of the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland; and that white rabbit with the giant pocket watch. Is that a myth, fable or fairy tale?

History: January, February were added/ changed prior to Caesar. January was named after Janus, the two-faced God looking both into the past and future. February, with its odd spelling is unclear. The closest word was related to fire. Fire, passion in February. 

Mystery: Why was the calendar changed? When was it changed and what were the consequences? What is the significance of Groundhog Day and Valentines Day? Are they simple holidays or greater mysteries? 

Math and Reading as a framework for the NAEP.

The problem as I see it is a problem of space and time. Stories (space) are repeated, reworded and re-in-forced  to be repeated over time. NAEP driven stories, narratives; In classrooms, in faculty meetings, in the mainstream media. Repeated stories of failure. Failure ‘by the students’, in schools, being run by the NAEP. Doesn’t that make it your failure? Just a Question. 

Final Word: Suggestions. 

Take Time: One hour a day during school. Get 1-4 other people to talk about whatever you want. Heck, don’t talk at all. Just take one hour to yourselves. No homework. Nothing ‘school related’. No screens (unless used for research purposes). No gossip (waste of time). Nothing malice (talk about things that will help serve you right now- relevance only). What do you need? Right. Now. Think small… baby steps. 

Take Time: One minute of peace in bed before you open your eyes. Ask yourself in this minute: Did I dream? How does my body feel? Mind? Emotional state? How you feel may have consequences throughout your day. Not to worry, just be aware. 

Take Time: Now, hear me out. Take time to make your bed in the morning. Think about what you want. While making your bed, think about how you want to feel when you return to this bed. You make your bed. You sleep in it. Just a suggestion. 

Take Time: In school. Once: Three Times a day. Sit up straight. Close your eyes (if you can, like in a classroom). Take three slow breaths. You chose the time. Use your imagination. Re-condition your condition. It’s your time. Once a day. Three times a day. Breathe. 

Once up on a time…. Story. 

13 March

I. Mission statement:

Because a gal has to start somewhere. I started my pretend I.school out of love and frustration. Love of students and frustration with an unjust system. I didn’t know what else to do, so I did what I knew. Teaching. History, philosophy and psychology. 

Year 2020. March 13. Ground zero. Enough! 29 years teaching plus 15 plus years as a student myself. I get it. All too well. Crystal. Clear. Now what? Covid puzzles. I started with doing puzzles with purpose. I remember reading WWI soldiers suffering from shell shock were given baskets to weave. One straw at time. Mindless. Easy. Simple. Get the focus off trauma. For a moment, at least. I also knew they were sent back to the trenches after they were data analyzed and deemed ‘fit to return’. Although not the same, the thought of going back to school as is was nauseating. So much so, that I took a turn in a different direction. Unknown origin. But I am an existential  philosopher by heart, and existentialism, by definition, IS creating your own existence. With the pre-curser of fate. Not some imagined notion of what life could be like. Like, things will be all better when… When what?  When exactly were the ‘good ol days’? I really don’t think people look at the past objectively. It is either ‘the best time in human history’ or ‘ancestors were too stupid to know better’. Both perspectives keep us from reality. Thinking things today are better for___x__ populations. Or “at least we don’t live in ____y_ times!.” How would you know? And, more importantly, how is that serving you? Us? It’s not. Obviously. Psychological wounds include cognitive dissonance. The idea one narrative is what we truly want, while simultaneously Do-ing the exact opposite. 

I’m weird. I know. And the past five years I found out how wonderfully weird I am. I have time to think and sleep and compose ideas. All with the purpose of trying to help kids arm themselves with knowledge. Learning outside the prescribed framework. Therefore I began the task of not only starting my own learning framework. I.School. I also realized I needed to help myself. Number one.  How can I ask of students what I would not already do myself? So I did. Basics. I found I needed to learn how to sleep, eat, and nourish myself after 55 years. Hard facts were, I was an insomniac for most of my life. My eating has been dis-ordered for as long as I can remember and I didn’t have time to nourish healthy relationships. Starting with I. You all know there is just no time for that. No time for  the basics. So I started with puzzles. Not to simply pass time to get “back to normal” after covid, but to really think about what it was that I want to do with the rest of my life. Take advantage of the situation before the situation takes advantage of me. Again. And how in the heck am I supposed to do that? Basics. 

2021. Year One. What do I need today? (What do kids need?) Basics. A ground floor. A foundation. Looking back, it was so personal and raw. I see it like a freshman year of school. Impressionable and vulnerable.  Exposed. Step by step. Day by day. Tenderly, and brutal at times. I worked backwards and forwards. I set up an ideal daily schedule. One that I currently was not following, but a- “what if?” What would my dream days look like? Future oriented. Then I did some past digging. “How did I get here?” Sort of questioning. KNOW THYSELF. Are two of the simplest and most difficult, frustrating words I know- yet well worth pursuing for a lifetime. I didn’t know how or what to do, so, 

I did what I knew. Selected and narrowed down 10 philosophies I thought I could come back to, as well as provide keys to unexplored doorways for students as needed. A safety net. A soft place to land. Priority number one is to get basic needs met. And that is truly one of the most challenging things I encountered. Realizing I’ve had 50 years of classroom conditioning. The delusion of “oh, I can’t wait to have all that free time,” is not easy. Another lie we hear about imaginary ‘free time’. “Things will be better when __x__ happens.” You mean when everyone agrees with education? Right. Instead of focusing on that dead end, I turned corners. I research and have a passionate drive, but my first priority is to ask myself how I am and what I need. This is not to be talked about. In fact. Be silent as much as you can. Or, at least really listen to yourself. Example: if you find yourself saying, “why don’t they just… “ about school- fill in the blank. Let you sleep, eat, learn? In school. That is not going to happen. The system is working perfectly for another purpose. Interestingly, that is and yet is not my focus. Yes, I am researching education and I will get to that, but my main concern is you. Students out there who Genuinely want to learn. 

2022. Year two took me down the NAEP rabbit hole. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. The Nations Report Card. This is what I do. My specialty. I like to read the fine print and such. I wanted to see a root to this manipulated madness. I provided 10 topics for discussion, starting with “what is the purpose of education?” Those resources are there for you to defend a position if needed. But you need a foundation to stand on first. What is it that you would want to defend?

2023. Hierarchies. Triangles. Making connections between two opposites and the tightrope in between. One- the public education lot- (me) wanting to flourish underneath; and two- the business management systems already intrenched, seemingly preventing growth. I want to learn. It is simply amazing to me how difficult that is. I also ate servings of humble pie. Privilege, white woman, American, old. Daily reminders about how good my life is and such. Problem is twofold. One, people don’t know what it is like in my shoes; and two, they are right. There is so much I thought I knew, until I didn’t. How could I have been so blind? I shake my head at some of the mistakes I have made and wonder, how could I have been so misguided? Over and over again, I remember thinking- I was like the mom in one of those moves where the 13 year old daughter and mom mysteriously switch roles and make decisions based on what they both knew, or think they knew what the other did. 13 to 30 part II. Only, if part II is waking up as the mom, in the aftermath what my 13 year old did. On the one hand I am reminded of how much power I have and on the other, I feel so power-less. Which is indeed part of any hierarchy to maintain power. Provide plenty of fuel for chaos. Get people fighting each other so they don’t focus on the match. 

2024. Currently building a house. Metaphorically. My senior project of I.School.  10 themes. My favorite part of the past 5 years has been to have the freedom to explore the depths of knowledge. As a kid, I loved to play in my room and create imaginary worlds. All day if I could. Or go outside and create imaginary worlds with friends. All day if I could. Teaching high school for 29 years was similar. We created imaginary worlds of discussions. People who don’t teach will never understand the complexities of that magic.  It’s not the grades or the status that mattered to me. Not ever, or at least not in the long run.  it was the day to day connections with students. I have a virtual treasure trove of memories with students. Which is motivation to build my house. I.School. My pretend world of make-believe and reality. My web page, from the outside I’d guess looks like a mangled array of thoughts and ideas without direction. That is partly true, honestly. There are no rigorous standards to abide by. Standards with clear direction and order. It looks like order and clearly shows directive, but with what goal? I.school looks like chaos but has a self-guiding compass. Messy, but with purpose.  I ask myself, “What would my former students say?” When I get too excited, or too angry or too, too, well,  “Newson.” aka me.  See? Only people who know me would understand. There is something familial about teaching. It’s a relationship. Good, bad or ugly. No matter what though, I will always stand up for kids. I am on your side! Whether you or not you understand me. Like me or not, I defend your right to learn. 

I.School is an idea. A concept. An experiment. If you try to think about this school as a replacement, it is not. Think of it as “off topic” topics in school or out. That is the best explanation I can provide now. 

I.school will be open for comments and limited discussions in 2025. Trust my process. 

On a personal note: To my former students, 

Thank you for giving me the strength and courage to pursue this dream. In my actual dreams, these past five years, I have seen you as superheroes, bus drivers, and gardeners. Helpers for A kinder garden. I’d like to share ideas to your kids now. Pass the torch. I hope that you will be proud of me. I want to do justice for all of you. 

The “Newson” aka- 

Uberwench 

Scary movie philosophies.

Eric Newson’s trusted horror story philosophy of life check list. No matter what scary story you know, do the test.

1. Trust the one who knows. Avoid the ones that don’t

2. Never separate!

3. Technology will fail. Always have a back up plan.

4. Money isn’t that important.

5. Keep a good luck charm.

6. Take care of your feet. (that one is mine).

So throw away all self-help textbooks. This. Is. The Manual.