#this is equivalent putting him in a mason jar. to me. | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

darlingvernon · 2 years ago

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you've got mail! | 03.

Author: darlingvernon (prev nonrevblr)

Pairing: Chwe Hansol x Fem Reader

Genre: strangers to lovers, college au, penpal au

Rating: 18+

Warnings: swearing

Word Count: 4,791

Description: The concept of Equivalent Exchange is not foreign to you, and since you need Jeonghan to participate in a Social Experiment for your Psych Thesis, you inevitably have to participate in his too. It isn’t the walk in the park you thought it would be, especially when your penpal Vernon keeps knocking down the walls that you’ve built; scratching an itch you couldn’t reach.

Author's Note: i'm so sorry this took so long! i had a couple of other projects before i could finish it. i am... not entirely happy with it because i was working another fic with a different writing concept so i think i lost the writing style near the end there. anyhow, i'm still putting it out because if i touch it anymore i'll end up scrapping it. hopefully, you guys enjoy it. please, let me know what you think! happy reading!

This place is one of your absolute favourites.

The hole-in-the-wall cafe, Casa Mia, is only a couple of blocks from campus and you stumbled upon it one day when you were out on a walk with Jeonghan. The exposed bricks paired with the mason jar pendant lights give it a rustic feel and with the added touch of mismatched tables and chairs, it nevers fails to make you feel at home and cosy.

On one end, the wall is lined up with shelves from the floor to the ceiling and filled with a random assortment of books from The Aneid by Virgil to Eragon by Christopher Paolini. The next book on your reading list is The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, which is just on the shelf over from where you’re sitting.

However, right now you’re balls deep into Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet instead, sitting across from Wonwoo and his thick rimmed glasses, nose buried in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The pair of you have been grouped together for your English Literature report on ‘Romance: Comedy vs Tragedy’ and this beautiful Friday morning, is one of the only days you both have available to meet up.

“Are you still reading?” Wonwoo questions, sitting back as he stretches his limbs. “Or have the words started to blend together to you, like they have for me?”

“Neither,” you answer truthfully. “I��ve been a little…”

“Distracted?” Wonwoo offers, smirking when your eyes go wide, like a deer caught in headlights. “You’ve been on the same page for some time now and your eyes keep drifting towards your laptop.”

Placing a hand on your chest, you feign offense. “Jeon Wonwoo, have you been watching me?” you ask, scandalised.

Wonwoo rolls his eyes, laughing at your antics. “Just watching to see if I’m going to be left to do all the work,” he jokingly accuses, and earns himself a smack on the arm.

“I would never.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Sorry, I’ve just got a lot on my plate with my stupid Psych Thesis,” you explain, but don’t divulge any further. It’s not a lie that your thesis is laborious, but he doesn’t need to know that the real reason you’re distracted is because you’re itching to see the reply from your penpal.

Wonwoo nods, accepting your answer. “I can imagine,” he hums, “Jeonghan seems to be stressed about it, too. He was complaining about having to go out on all of these blind dates. Though, he did come home with a little skip in his step last night.”

This piece of information perks you up but you try to be subtle about it, knowing Jeonghan would kick your ass if he finds out you’ve been prying about him behind his back. “Oh, really?” you ask, nonchalant. “Did he say anything about it last night?”

Just as Wonwoo’s about to answer, your phone vibrates incessantly on the table, interrupting him.

“It’s almost like he knows that we’re talking about him.” You shake your head, turning to face the phone towards Wonwoo so he can see that Jeonghan is ringing you. “What do you want, you heathen?” you answer the call.

“You ungrateful brat,” Jeonghan bristles on the other line. “Is this how you say thank you after I went on that date for you last night?”

You roll your eyes even though you know he can’t see you. “I’m pretty sure that you’re the one who’s meant to be thanking me,” you remark, snidely. “Wonwoo said— ow!” You shoot Wonwoo a glare after he lightly kicks you on the shin.

The other line goes quiet and you almost think that Jeonghan’s hung up until he quietly asks, “What did he say?”

Across from you, Wonwoo’s hand gestures closing the zip of his mouth, before joining his hands together in prayer, begging for you to spare him. Considering you still need him for your English Literature report, you do just that and throw yourself into Jeonghan’s hellfire instead. “If I shout coffee for the next two weeks, will you spare him?” You tempt the demon. “I need him to finish his end of this Shakespeare report before you off him.”

“I’ll see you soon,” Jeonghan smugly accepts your bribe and hangs up.

Slowly, you gather your belongings, shoving them in your bag as you prepare to make your way to the library to meet Jeonghan, making sure to kick Wonwoo in the shin as a payback.

“What was that for?” He glares, rubbing his aching leg.

“It’s your fault that I owe him,” you huff. “Don’t even think of making funeral arrangements until you’ve finished your share of our assignment.”

“My fault?!” Wonwoo’s mouth gapes at you. “You’re the one that almost sent me to an early grave. I haven’t even met the Hermia to my Lysander yet. I’m never sharing any more ammunition against Jeonghan with you ever again.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” you challenge. “Don’t make me go Tybalt on your ass.”

Rolling his eyes, Wonwoo grabs your laptop for you. “How about a truce?” he suggests as he hands you the device. “We can both take Jeonghan down together.”

“Sounds like a plan.” You thank him. “I’ll send you my half of the report in a couple of days. See you later, Wonu.”

Waving in farewell, Wonwoo watches as you exit the cafe and head over to meet your doom.

Some might wonder why you would bother to go to Brew’d, the campus cafe, when you can easily purchase coffee at the cafe you were just at, but nobody knows Jeonghan as well as you do. Even though he only ever orders an Iced Americano, he swears only Brew’d makes it well and he’s sure to complain your ear off if you thought otherwise.

“I didn’t think I’d see you here today,” Joshua comments as you approach the counter, punching in your usual order in the register.

With a sigh, you hand over the money required for the purchase. “I could say the same for you,” you reply, shoving your wallet back in your purse. “You don’t usually work Fridays, right?”

“Don’t get me started.” Joshua rolls his eyes and heads over to the coffee machine to start on your drinks, with you following. “I had to cover because someone called in. At least it’s a short shift and I finish in about half an hour.”

“I’m jealous.” You pout. “I have another couple of hours with Jeonghan and this stupid thesis before I go to work.”

“Eww.” Joshua wrinkles his nose in disgust. “Too bad we don’t sell any vodka here. I could’ve added some in your coffee to help.”

“Joshua, did I ever tell you that you are my favourite?” you declare, touched. “It’s the thought that counts. Also, don’t tell Jeonghan about you being my favourite.”

Joshua laughs as he hands you the drinks. “Of course, I have to tell him,” he scoffs. “That demon needs to be taken down a peg or two.”

“Okay, I take it back. You’re no longer my favourite.”

“No take backsies!”

“Boo!”

Rolling his eyes, Joshua gently ushers you out of the cafe. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to be dressed up at your funeral,” he remarks, bidding you farewell from the door.

“I’m going to haunt you!” you yell, not bothering to look back to see his reaction as you quickly make your way to the library, hoping to have a few minutes to yourself before Jeonghan gets there to view your pen pal’s reply.

Weaving your way expertly through the crowd, you reach your destination in no time, only to be disappointed when you find the hired study room still occupied. Lightly tapping on the glass to announce your arrival, the group of students give you an apologetic nod and start gathering their belongings.

“Well, you look like shit,” Jeonghan comments upon his arrival.

“Is that what you said to yourself in the mirror this morning?” you retort. “Don’t make me throw your coffee in the trash.”

“Then I’d have to murder Wonwoo tonight. His blood will be on your hands, and the same goes for his part of the report.”

Rolling your eyes, you deliver the Iced Americano into his outstretched hand before entering the now empty study room. Sitting across from Jeonghan, you quickly unpack your belongings and get straight to the point. “So, how was last night?” you ask, voice ladened with genuine curiosity.

Jeonghan relaxes in his chair and contemplates your question for a moment. “I’ll give you the short version since you’ll get the long version in the report,” he starts, “but it was honestly a lot of fun. Stephanie was really sweet and adventurous and we went on almost every ride. That’s why we were late last night.”

“I did think you guys would get along,” you reveal. “I’m glad it worked out.”

Laughing, Jeonghan resumes his position with his laptop. “Same here.” He nods. “It would’ve put me off going into the other dates if it didn’t. Anyway, how did you go?”

“Surprisingly good,” you admit, knowing he would find out anyway. “Bands boy sure is interesting. Anything else you would like to clue me in about him?”

“Tsk tsk, _____,” Jeonghan teases and you want to lean forward and sock him straight in the face. “That isn’t how this works and you know it. Whatever you want to know about him, you can ask him yourself. I need this to be as organic as possible.”

Sighing, you turn your attention to your own laptop and bring it to life. “You’re no fun.”

“I’ll tell you everything you want to know once this social experiment is done,” he promises before adding, “if he hasn’t told you by then.”

Before you can utter a retort, the words ‘You’ve Got Mail!’ suddenly rings in the air. Without a care about what Jeonghan could be thinking right now, you open the email with haste, fingers fumbling over each other as you do so.

<To: Girl Magnetic> <From: Bands Boy> <Subject: Your Turn 12:10AM>

i finished my essay woo!

your move, girl magnetic

x sweet dreams

“Damn.” Jeonghan whistles. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like that.”

“If you don’t shut the hell up,” you retort. “You’re the one lighting up this room brighter than the fluorescent light while you write that report.” Jeonghan is about to utter a comeback when you add, “By the way, I sorta promised to tell him the story behind Girl Magnetic and I wanted to ask you about it first because I wasn’t sure if it’s too much information.”

“Yes, it is,” Jeonghan agrees. “I’m sorry but you’ll have to offer him something else.”

Sighing, you nod in agreement and type out another apologetic reply. The sinking feeling in your gut of having to disappoint your pen pal is beyond unpleasant and you don’t want to make a habit of it. With a shake of your head, you rid yourself of the negative thoughts that are brewing in your mind, not wanting it to show in your message.

<To: Bands Boy> <From: Girl Magnetic> <Subject: Re: Your Turn 1:15pm>

nice work, bands boy! i’m super proud of you :)

unfortunately i can’t tell you the story behind girl magnetic after all *siiiiiiigggghhhhhhh

jeonghan vetoed it. apparently it’ll reveal too much about me

but! he has given me permission to tell you all about it later on

i’m really sorry *cries

so in exchange, i’ll answer any other question (that doesn’t reveal too much about me) with no complaints! so hit me with your best shot!

regretfully, girl magnetic

You read through your letter once before sending it away, almost wishing you can reach through the screen just to take it back. The dread sets in and you sink down your chair, wanting the ground to swallow you up.

“God, stop being such a drama queen,” Jeonghan reprimands. “It’s just a delay in response, it’s really not a big deal. He won’t even bat an eye because you can still tell him something else.”

“Fuck you. Why do you have to be the voice of reason?”

“Isn’t that why I’m your best friend?” he asks rhetorically then proceeds to jab his index finger towards your laptop. “Now, hurry the fuck up because I need that report before you leave for work.”

Sitting up, you refer back to the blank document staring back at you and start writing your report, mumbling quietly to yourself about needing to find a new best friend. Jeonghan laughs and you know it’s because he thinks he’s a diamond in the rough and that you won’t find anyone else like him. Quite frankly, he’s right, but you won’t be the one to inflate his already huge ego.

Your allotted ‘thesis time’ concludes in a flash and you start gathering your belongings, preparing to make your way to your shift at the diner. Just like before, Jeonghan hands you a piece of paper, but this time it contains a question.

What is something you’re passionate about?

Staring at the piece of paper, you can’t help the laugh that escapes you. “Why is it so serious this time?” you question, a brow raised in confusion.

Jeonghan merely shrugs. “The topics will be a mixture of both easy and hard questions and will most likely alternate because I’m trying to see something. By the way, the reason I handed you the question this time is because I want you to initiate for this one.”

“Sounds good, I’ll get on it as soon as I get his reply,” you inform Jeonghan, shoving the note in your back pocket as you bid him farewell. “I’ll text you the details of your next date later!”

Meanwhile, Vernon lugs his tired body up the stairs of the frat house and deposits himself on the comforts of his bed. After a long day of classes, his plan was just to have a nap and relax for the rest of the night but unfortunately, his Music Theory professor had given his class another essay to complete. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he quickly orders himself some takeout and decides to start working on his essay as he waits for his food to arrive.

Turning his laptop on, he’s surprised to find a reply from you waiting for him in his inbox. Honestly, when he found none as he checked this morning, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. But, he quickly shut that down especially since he’s realised how busy you are. Nevertheless, seeing your pseudonym on his screen has given him the bout of energy he needs to get through his essay.

“Hansol, I’ve got your food,” Jeonghan calls out from the doorway, a plastic bag held hostage in his hand.

“Thanks,” Vernon replies as he walks towards the elder. “You here to give me the next question?”

Jeonghan shakes his head. “Nah, I want her to initiate this time because there’s something I’m trying to see. I’ve already given her the question and she’ll hit you up again after she finishes work.”

“Sounds good.” Vernon nods. “Is there anything else?”

“I vetoed her from telling you about Girl Magnetic” —Jeonghan rolls his eyes— “and before you start, I’m just delaying her from telling you. It’ll reveal too much and this experiment is just in its beginning stages! Instead, she’s giving you something else in return.”

“Fine.” Vernon pouts. “This all better be worth it.”

“Oh, trust me,” Jeonghan replies, smug. “You’ll be thanking me once this whole thing is done.”

Vernon watches as the elder retreats and shuts the door behind him none too gently. Only Jeonghan could walk into a room and suck all the happiness out of it. With a sigh, he opens your email, shoving pieces of chicken in his mouth as he reads through the words.

Your apologetic tone and regret is evident, even if you didn’t say so yourself. It makes Vernon want to forget the setback in your friendship, especially after speaking with Jeonghan, considering the matter is out of your hands. Besides, your counter offer is there, just as he was advised and it’s another offer that’s hard to pass up.

Taking a moment to himself, he sits back and tries to consider what question could give him as much satisfaction as the story behind Girl Magnetic would have given him. It doesn’t take him long to decide and he sends his reply back sooner rather than later since he’ll most likely be knee deep in his essay before long.

It’s well past dinner time by the time you arrive back in your dorm. Fridays are always the longest days on your schedule but you don’t mind it most of the time as it makes the weekend that much sweeter. Heading straight to the shower, you wash off the stress and tension in your body and prepare yourself for a relaxing night ahead.

It’s when you’re making yourself a cup of tea that your phone goes off with a notification from Jeonghan.

[9:00pm] thing 1: don’t forget to send me the details about my date tomorrow [9:00pm] thing 1: and don’t forget about your penpal

Sighing, you walk towards the couch where you unceremoniously threw your purse as soon as you arrived, fishing out the notepad that had the details of Jeonghan’s date on them.

[9:04pm] thing 2: you’re meeting patricia at mi casa for brunch at 11am [9:05pm] thing 2: and thanks for the reminder! [9:05pm] thing 2: i’ll get onto it now

Fetching your mug from the kitchen island, you make your way to the desk where the laptop is. Sighing, you take small sips of your tea, not in any hurry to read the email your pen pal has sent. Once you’ve finished the last drops of your drink, you know you can’t delay any further and opted to get the whole ordeal over and done with.

<To: Girl Magnetic> <From: Bands Boy> <Subject: Re: Your Turn 6:28pm>

don’t even sweat it! jeonghan explained everything to me.

i don’t mind keeping the mystery about you for a bit longer, it’ll make getting to know you later even more interesting :)

another offer i can’t refuse? i think you’re spoiling me haha.

hm, well i’m plenty curious when it comes to you but let’s go with something easy.

what music are you into?

x bands boy

ps. jeonghan says you have the next question ready?

If you could describe your pen pal in one word, you would go with unpredictable. He never acts or reacts the way you expect him to and even his question is unexpected. But he’s right, it makes the whole thing rather interesting, and you find yourself plenty invested.

<To: Bands Boy> <From: Girl Magnetic> <Subject: Passion 9:03pm>

hey, b!

(i hope this is okay, having to type out our full usernames all the time is so tiring T-T)

thank you for going easy on me haha

i’m honestly into most music, but my playlist is usually filled with your typical punk/emo/indie rock music lol. it’s probably not what you expected right? but i’m definitely not opposed to some carly rae jepsen or avril lavigne lol.

and yes! jeonghan has given me the next question which i spoilt in the title of the email:

what is something you’re passionate about?

i’ll go first!

my passion is… writing. this is also probably unexpected huh?

i’ve always been super into reading and always found myself daydreaming and imagining other ways stories could have gone and one day decided to put my thoughts onto paper and i’ve never looked back.

i can’t wait to hear about yours!

waiting patiently, g

Whoosh!

Biting your lip, you sit back and think about what just occurred. There’s not a lot of people who know that writing is what you’re truly passionate about and you’ve often held back on revealing that fact to anybody because of the sometimes negative reactions people have about the occupation. It surprises you that there was no sign of hesitation when it came to telling Bands Boy about it and you don’t know what to make of it.

Is it because you know that you have to be truthful, mostly anyway, for Jeonghan’s experiment to work? Or is it because Bands Boy is just somebody behind a screen, a complete stranger who you may never meet and therefore will never be able to tie this conversation back to you?

The only other possibility you can think of is that despite him being a stranger and despite the short amount of time you’ve known him, he’s managed to start breaking down the walls that you’ve carefully built around your heart. It’s scary to think about, especially with how careful you’ve been but you have too many things on your plate to worry about so you push it to the back of your mind.

It’s when Vernon was about to get up to grab a drink in the kitchen when his notification goes off, alerting him of your email. Desperate to quench his thirst for information more than his thirst for a drink, he settles back onto his gaming chair and opens your reply. The grin on his face grows at every line he reads and not wanting to waste a single moment, he chooses to write back to you straight away.

<To: Girl Magnetic> <From: Bands Boy> <Subject: Re: Passion 9:15pm>

hey there, g!

(oh, you’re so right! it’s a lot better to refer to ourselves like this)

wow, you never cease to amaze me

you’re right, i really did not expect any of those answers honestly

thank you for sharing them with me. i know that sometimes it isn’t easy to do so, especially with a complete stranger. so, i’m honoured that you’ve allowed yourself to be so open with me. i’ll make sure to thank you properly for your efforts and hope to return the favour soon!

so, writing huh? does this mean you actually want to become a professional writer? which field? journalism? novels? research?

and wow, it totally makes sense now as to why you’re doing psychology.

hm, so what is something i’m passionate about?

mine is fairly simple: my passion lies with making music i enjoy

and when i say that, i truly mean it. i don’t make music to match the trend or to go against the grain so i stand out. the music i make isn’t always set in any particular genre. i just… want to make music that i like… if that makes sense? haha

now that i know you’re a writer, do you wanna… maybe… do a collab someday?

i am shocking when it comes to lyric writing haha

you wouldn’t mind helping me out with that right?

surprised, b

ps. what are you up to on this fine friday night?

You wouldn’t dare tell anyone how fast you ran to your laptop as soon as it notified you of Bands Boy’s response, almost tripping over your own foot and face planting on the floor. As your eyes glide through the words, you can’t seem to find yourself going past the first half of his email. Tears pool at the corner of your eyes, threatening to spill over but you are able to compose yourself in time.

Yet again, he’s managed to put your mind at ease and made sure that you didn’t regret opening yourself up to him. However, you don’t let yourself delve deeper into these uncertain feelings, forcing yourself to move on and read the rest of his message so that you can answer him.

<To: Bands Boy> <From: Girl Magnetic> <Subject: Re: Passion 9:37pm>

omg i am so down for a collab!!

i’ve never ventured into lyric writing before but i am up for the challenge

i promise not to let you down!!

yes, i want to become a professional writer. a novelist in fact.

and yes, that’s why i’m doing psychology. i’m hoping to gain a better understanding of people and why they are the way that they are so that i can use it to improve my characters :)

you know, i think it’s really cool that you just want to do music that you enjoy. there’s so many musicians out there who just do whatever’s popular and are only in there to make money and not much else, so you’re a breath of fresh air.

i can’t wait to hear all the songs you create, i’m sure they’ll be great!

especially with me writing your lyrics ;) haha

oh, and i’m not really doing anything tonight but resting. i’ve had a big day with classes and work on top of that so i’m ready to wrap myself in a blanket and sit on the couch for the rest of the night.

what about you? i hope you’re not doing another essay lol

ps. you can thank yourself for the reason that i was able to open up to you :)

Grabbing your laptop, you carry it to the couch and place it on the coffee table as you reach for a cushion to bury your face and scream into.

Meanwhile, Vernon gingerly rubs at his shin after tripping over on the stairs and bashing it against a step, in his hurry to get back to his room. Your email announces its presence as soon as he walks in and he makes sure to lock the door behind him before settling himself back on his chair and reading your message.

The smile on his face is so big that he can barely hide it behind his hand. Taking a deep breath to try and keep his cool, Vernon wipes his clammy hands on his pants and nods to himself before replying.

<To: Girl Magnetic> <From: Bands Boy> <Subject: Re: Passion 9:52pm>

no take backs on that collab!! i’m gonna hold you to it!!

i’m so excited i’m literally buzzing with ideas already hahaha

i think it’s super cool that you’re working on your very own novel

how far have you gotten with it? is it already in the works?

if you ever need someone to make a soundtrack once your novel becomes a major motion picture, you know who to hit up ;)

damn, you had a full day that’s for sure

work huh? i guess you’re probably not allowed to tell me where lol

your guess is half correct… i’m technically not doing an essay but i’m already doing some research since it’s due on monday

in need of saving, b

ps. hopefully i can keep making you comfortable enough to continue opening up to me :)

The smile on your face from receiving his reply eventually turns into a frown as you read it a second time, when you realise that it’s time to cut your conversation with him short once more.

<To: Bands Boy> <From: Girl Magnetic> <Subject: Re: Passion 10:06pm>

i’m still world building right now. i have a bunch of random pieces of writing here and there but don’t have anything concrete just yet

omg would you really? i’ll definitely have you make me a soundtrack either way!!

let me go ahead and write my workplace to the list of things i’ll be revealing to you once this experiment is over haha

and i can’t believe you have another essay to do. it’s like your prof doesn’t want me talking to you lol

you know what this means right?

feeling bad, g

Groaning, Vernon drops his head face down on his desk. Yes, he knows what it means. An obstacle towards getting to know you more has presented itself yet again. It does feel like fate is working against the both of you but he isn’t one to give up so easily. Besides, Jeonghan did promise him that he still has plenty of opportunities to find out more about you.

Especially once your anonymity is no longer a hurdle to him.

<To: Girl Magnetic> <From: Bands Boy> <Subject: Re: Passion 10:24pm>

i know what it means *sigh

i hope you know that nothing will stop me from getting to know more about you once your thesis is finished

not even these damn music theory essays *shakes fist

determined, b

His reply stuns you. Albeit, his forwardness always does. But, you appreciate it nonetheless because it leaves no room for confusion. At least not from his end. Now, the only thing you have left to wonder about is how you feel about him.

<To: Bands Boy> <From: Girl Magnetic> <Subject: Re: Passion 10:33pm>

i’m looking forward to it

waiting for that day, g xo

TAGLIST: @teapartydreams @aperson394 @cixrosie

pls do not copy/repost my work

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smis-five-creedmoor · 4 years ago

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So I just played me some Jimmy's Bizarre Adventure and the Pulsating Mass, and i feel like there's symbolism to be found in the Imagination Mechanic.

Spoilers for JatPM (the whole game) below the cut:

ok here goes

Revolting Blob Form: Considering the fight against himself later on in Central Stamen, you can see he has...self image problems. Also the name "Revolting Blob" speaks for itself as not quite flattering. Could also be representative of self-image issues, as it's possible he can only imagine himself...as a blob. The beefed up DEF and MDF stats may also indicate this negative self-image as a form of Defense Mechanism.

Low-Level Goon Form: On top of his low self-image issues (the title of "Low Level Goon" isn't exactly flattering), it may be representative of the one time he stole Jonathon Bear from the shelves (that "Grift" attack feels rather harsh in hindsight). Why Jimmy would take on the form of this game's equivalent of a gangbanger begins to also make sense considering his fear of abandonment (the fight against the Blob itself involves Jimmy being told all the things he fears from his own kin), and how a lot of young children join street gangs in a similar desire to be part of a community of sorts.

Happy Little Sunflower Form: Now this is where things sort of begin to bode better for his self-image issues, yet begin to take a darker turn. For those who don't already know: Jimmy has cancer. The Empathy Message tells about how a small sunflower is plucked from its roots and put in some mason jar, too far from a proper window to grow. Over time, the sunflower begins to wilt, until it is eventually consumed by the pet guinea pig. Perhaps a metaphor of Jimmy slowly dying a painful death, only to then be consumed by cancer. This is probably the most heavily symbolism-filled theory, so make of that what you will.

Red Billed Squawker Form: On one occasion, Jimmy desires to just be able to leap out of bed and start screaming out joy to his family while in the hospital. That's what the Red Billed Squawker is known for. I couldn't think of anything with the fact that this bird has a record player for a torso. Yeah this one was a tricky one. Sorry.

Grumble Bear Form: The Grumble Bear is, if I had to guess, his desire to rest peacefully (Rest in Peace, if you will). Probably just wishes to sleep a deep sleep. Jimmy is tired of the hospital. I would have tried to connect a dot between Grumble Bear and Jonathon Bear but I got nothing.

Rotting Jack-o-Lantern Form: Nothing much on the surface, but his Empathy Message talks about how he tried to speak with people but can't because most humans cannot see ghosts. He also plays some pranks on strangers, pointing to the simple but poignant fact that Jimmy is still a child (boys will be boys, that type of deal). Then there's the fact that later on in the message he's seen his mother mournfully looking at a portrait of Jimmy (perhaps a future vision of some time after Jimmy died), which makes him sad, as he's unable to laugh with his family.

50s Style Vampire Form: In this form's Empathy Message, he once again shows his disdain for himself ("He doesn't care anymore. His heart is unbeating, cold, black"). The Vampire Form may have also been influenced by the many horror films he and Buck watched. A Vampire film is not entirely out of the realm of possibility for something the two would have watched. Later the message informs that he misses the Sun, much like how because he's confined to a hospital, he can't get the sun he needs.

Punch Tanaka Form: At first, he appears as a recurring antagonist. But MAN he's utterly stylish while doing so. Over time, Punch comes to respect Jimmy for the little hero he is. His goons respect him, his Lieutenants respect him, and with very good reason. Jimmy may at least in part look up to him. So much so that he's able to develop an Empathy Message to be like him. To Jimmy, he's the embodiment of an utter CHAD. A nigh unshakable wall of coolness (this Form has fairly high DEF and MDF stats, and has the Intimidating Stare ability), and even has the ability Confidence (speaks for itself). Punch Tanaka, to Jimmy, is the Cooler Jimmy he wishes to become.

Phoenix Form: The reason I wanted to make this analysis page in the first place. Legends say a Phoenix, after death, is reduced to ashes, but is re-vitalized from the ashes into a brand new Phoenix. Very clearly a desire (much like with the Red Billed Squawker) to leap out of bed to live life, albeit much more pronounced. Ironically, this may also be symbolic of death, as the entire Volcano area where you attain this form feels more like a Funeral Pyre more than a volcano. This one also has the attack "Sacrifice", which knocks Jimmy out, but fully revitalizes his other party members, as he does not want people to suffer the way he does. The Phoenix's abilities of healing make heavy use of not just life, but also death and rebirth, as this form works really good as a Healer (even more so than the Sunflower, or Helga) while also still able to hold his own (Buck ultimately wants Jimmy to be strong). This right here is Jimmy's desires made manifest as someone who feels at he's at the end of his life.

In conclusion: JatPM is a good game with a lot to chew on.

#jimmy and the pulsating mass #JatPM #jatpm spoilers #Jimmy and the pulsating mass spoilers

7 notes · View notes

marco42james · 7 years ago

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Trevor MacKenzie: 5 Ideas to Bring the Inquiry Mindset into Your Classroom Today

Trevor MacKenzie on episode 315 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Fantastic ideas to bring the inquiry mindset into the classroom including curiosity jars, provocations and more. Trevor MacKenzie gives us ideas to help kids become excited and curious.

Listen Now

//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/6606627/height/90/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/2d568f/

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

***

Enhanced Transcript

Trevor MacKenzie: 5 Ideas to Bring the Inquiry Mindset into Your Classroom Today

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e315 Date: May 18, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking with Trevor MacKenzie, 17-year educator from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and author of Inquiry Mindset. I actually found him on the hashtag, because #inquirymindset going crazy, Trevor.

Today we’re talking about five ideas to bring inquiry mindset into the classroom.

Trevor, what is your first idea?

Trevor: Thanks so much, Vicki, for having me. My first idea — and it sounds like such a simple one, but it’s often one that educators overlook — is to simply ask our students what their curiosities and interests and passions are. Then use these as leveraging points to create powerful learning opportunities.

Idea #1 Ask students what their curiosities and interests and passions are

So one really neat thing that I see in powerful inquiry classes at the younger years is called The Curiosity Jar.

The Curiosity Jar is a beautiful mason jar that teachers have decorated with their students, and teachers encourage kids to plunk a little written curiosity into the jar any time throughout the day. The inquiry teacher can beforehand — we never do this randomly in front of our students, right? — beforehand, pull out these curiosities and prep really awesome learning moments.

I’ve seen some amazing things come from The Curiosity Jar — wonders about space, wonders about humanity, wonders about learning. So really, when we ask our students what their curiosities are, we really do leverage those into powerful learning opportunities.

Vicki: Wow. The teacher looks at all of what they are, and knows what they are, and then the kids — at some point in the next day or so — will draw. And then the teacher will just use that particular lesson based on whichever one they draw, right?

Trevor: Absolutely. Sometimes it happens at carpet time. You know, we pull the kids into carpet time and we pull out these curiosities. It appears random, but the teacher has prepped and scaffolded for these carpet time moments to create really powerful, meaningful learning opportunities.

Vicki: And I love it because in some ways, even though you’ve planned ahead, it’s spontaneous for the teacher. There’s that element of surprise and spontaneity that’s so much part of the exciting inquiry-based classroom.

OK, what’s our second one?

Trevor: Our second one is to bring in provocations. Provocations in the inquiry-based classroom are those artifacts or images or videos, to spark further curiosity and meaningful questions and conversation around learning.

Idea #2 Bring in provocations

A really fantastic provocation that my son, who’s in inquiry this year, brought in Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day in Canada is the equivalent of, I suppose Veterans Day in the United States. Is that right, Vicki?

Vicki: It is. I believe so.

Trevor: Yeah, so he brought in his great-grandfather’s boots from World War II.

He brought them in, and rather than have him share them at Show and Tell, the teacher just put them down on a desk and had students go and explore them, pick them up, and ask questions about them. “What do you notice about these boots? What do you wonder about these boots? And what do you know about these boots?”

Between the students and the conversations about those three questions, further questions and curiosities and interests surfaced throughout this activity. So that one little provocation of the boots led into some really amazing conversations around Remembrance Day and specifically, World War II.

I think provocations are a really powerful way to spark further curiosities and questions in the inquiry classroom.

Vicki: I love that! So you’re really trying to provoke curiosity, aren’t you?

Trevor: Absolutely! And you know, to be honest, by having them be a part of those provocations — they can bring them in, we can bring them in — and then from there, we can connect to other plans that we have in our curriculum and with regards to our assessment, right?

Vicki: Oh, what a remarkable idea.

Idea #3 Bring in a real world problem or challenge

OK, what’s number three?

Trevor: Number three is to bring in a real world problem or challenge. I ask my students to help me attack this challenge and solve this challenge and try to make a difference in the world around us, whether it’s our school community or our local community or perhaps our global community.

Sometimes that turns into a letter campaign or an email campaign. Sometimes that turns into design thinking and creating a solution to this challenge. Perhaps it’s using technology to solve a problem that we see in our world.

Overall, really what it does is it generates high interest in our community and our global community. It creates some authentic skills with our students. They look at how to attack a problem, plan a solution, and then of course follow through on that plan.

Then it’s just really meaningful learning, isn’t it? When we are looking at our community, whether it’s our school, our community, our city, our country, and then globally, it’s so much more meaningful than just reading out of a textbook or signing out a book.

It’s an authentic connection to the world around us. And I love it.

Vicki: Trevor, you have got to give me at least one quick example? Go for it.

Trevor: So a really quick example. Graffiti art has really been a hot topic at our school this year because around us there have been some artists who have been, of course — taking liberties, tagging, creating their share of art around us.

So I posed that question to my students. What do we do about this graffiti art? Is it even a problem? Should graffiti art be legalized? What do we want to do about it?

My students decided that graffiti art, when done tactfully and artfully, shouldn’t be illegal. It should be promoted and celebrated in our community.

So we followed up that belief with a plan to try to make a positive change with this topic. Essentially, they wrote letters to our local municipality, encouraging them to consider legalizing graffiti art in some of our public spaces.

So much fun, right?

Vicki: Oh, that’s awesome, and they’re being a part of advocating for meaningful change in the world. That’s fantastic!

Idea #4: Model your own passions, interests, and curiosities

OK, what’s our fourth, Trevor?

Trevor: You know, number four is that I really do try to — as an inquiry teacher — model my own passions and my own interests and my own curiosities for my students.

Not only do I want them to see my thinking and hear my thinking — around what gets me ticking and what gets me excited about learning — but also I want them to see what lifelong learning really looks like.

I want to be a role model for what their future as a learner could look like. Really, by modeling that and sharing my thinking aloud, I’m helping them work out that metacognitive thinking behind what we see day in and day out for our students.

I think a real strong inquiry teacher models their passions, models their thinking, models that friction that we know students have in learning — and then how we deal with that friction and how we deal with the heavy lifting of learning.

So yeah. I encourage inquiry teachers to model their passions, model their interests, and model their thinking, Vicki.

Vicki: Oh yes. Bring it in to your classroom! Let them see you get excited. Let them see you learn. Let them see you talk out the challenges that you have as you learn it.

OK. These are fantastic!

What’s our fifth, Trevor?

Trevor: Our fifth is the power of the PLN. You referred to the hashtag earlier. I know this is bringing the inquiry mindset into the classroom, but number five is really about bringing the inquiry mindset to our school.

Idea #5: Use the power of the PLN

I’m going to encourage teachers who are listening to find a collaborative tribe within their building to partake in some professional inquiry around teaching and learning in our school. Inquiry just isn’t great for our students, it’s powerful for our staff as well.

So asking a big question of myself and a little group of teachers within my building — and that question, obviously revolves around how my teaching is impacting my students’ learning.

That can look like many things. It could look like provocations, as I referred to earlier. It could be a big question around my assessment practice or my preparation for my learning moments with my students.

But that — harnessing the power of the PLN in our building — is going to quick create the inquiry mindset with our staff, with our colleagues, and with our teachers. Once we have that happening with our staff? Amazing things are going to trickle down for our students.

Vicki: Trevor, while we have time, what’s the most incredible thing you’ve seen happen on the #inquirymindset on Twitter?

Trevor: Oh my gosh!

You know one thing that I’m real excited about — and it’s happening slowly because I think this one takes a little bit of time, but — I’m seeing teachers start to look at their learning spaces, their classrooms, and really start to re-jig and redesign how their classrooms look.

Quite literally, it’s playing with the furniture in the room. You know those Before and After photos that we see in design TV shows all the time?

We’re seeing teachers take this to the next level and really think about, “OK, what’s the teacher-centered room look like? What’s the student-centered room look like? How can I maybe find a balance between the two?”

Because we know teacher-centered time and teaching directly is important. We need that in our classroom. But then what does the student-centered classroom actually look like?

I’m seeing amazing BEFORE and AFTER photos of these classrooms where teachers have tried to strike that balance a little bit more explicitly and intently. Some of it is just so, so cool.

And it doesn’t take this huge budget. We’re not talking about spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on new furniture. It really is a matter of redesigning what we currently have in our room on a low, low budget.

And that to me is just so inspiring to see teachers re-jig what it is that they have in front of them to better meet the needs of their students. It’s super exciting!

Vicki: Trevor, give us a thirty-second pep talk for adding inquiry-based learning into our classroom.

Trevor: Wow. A thirty-second pep talk?

I tell you, some of the biggest changes I’ve made in my practice all stem from just trying to better meet the needs of my students. You know, I never set out to write two books on inquiry, or become kind of a global consultant on inquiry. The very first question I ask myself with regard to this journey I’ve been on has been, “How can I meet the needs of the students I’m serving?”

To me, that’s always been relationships first, right? It’s the high-five in the hallway. It’s the kind smile. It’s really being present to hear the needs from each of my students. Then, of course, really thinking on what a proper and powerful pathway is that I can create to better meet the needs of my kids. So relationships first!

It starts small and it ends up big.

Vicki: Educators, we know, we’ve got to relate before we educate.

These are some fantastic principles.

Hope to see you on the hashtag. I think I’m going to be adding it to HootSuite now after we finish up the show.

Thank you, Trevor! The book is The Inquiry Mindset. Follow #inquirymindset. So many fantastic ideas here.

We can do this! I really love the provocations and asking students about curiosity.

A previous show guest actually has kids keep a “Wonderings Journal,” where they write about things that they wonder, and these are all exciting ways to add the inquiry mindset into our classroom. Let’s do this!

Trevor: Love it! Thanks for having me, Vicki! So much fun!

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford [email protected]

Bio as submitted

Trevor MacKenzie is an award winning English teacher, instructional coach (focusing on inquiry and technology), and graduate student from Victoria, BC, Canada who believes that it is a magical time to be an educator.

By increasing student agency over learning, weaving in strong pedagogy, transformative tech use, and sharing learning to a public audience, Trevor’s learners are ready to take on important roles in the 21st century.

Trevor is the author of Dive into Inquiry: Amplify Learning and Empower Student Voice as well as Inquiry Mindset: Nurturing the Dreams, Wonders and Curiosities of Our Youngest Learners (co-authored with Rebecca Bauthurst-Hunt).

Find out more about Trevor and his work at trevormackenzie.com

Blog: trevormackenzie.com

Twitter: @trev_mackenzie

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Trevor MacKenzie: 5 Ideas to Bring the Inquiry Mindset into Your Classroom Today appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/e315/

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athena29stone · 7 years ago

Text

Trevor MacKenzie: 5 Ideas to Bring the Inquiry Mindset into Your Classroom Today

Trevor MacKenzie on episode 315 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Fantastic ideas to bring the inquiry mindset into the classroom including curiosity jars, provocations and more. Trevor MacKenzie gives us ideas to help kids become excited and curious.

Listen Now

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

***

Enhanced Transcript

Trevor MacKenzie: 5 Ideas to Bring the Inquiry Mindset into Your Classroom Today

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e315 Date: May 18, 2018

Today we’re talking about five ideas to bring inquiry mindset into the classroom.

Trevor, what is your first idea?

Idea #1 Ask students what their curiosities and interests and passions are

So one really neat thing that I see in powerful inquiry classes at the younger years is called The Curiosity Jar.

OK, what’s our second one?

Idea #2 Bring in provocations

Vicki: It is. I believe so.

Trevor: Yeah, so he brought in his great-grandfather’s boots from World War II.

I think provocations are a really powerful way to spark further curiosities and questions in the inquiry classroom.

Vicki: I love that! So you’re really trying to provoke curiosity, aren’t you?

Vicki: Oh, what a remarkable idea.

Idea #3 Bring in a real world problem or challenge

OK, what’s number three?

It’s an authentic connection to the world around us. And I love it.

Vicki: Trevor, you have got to give me at least one quick example? Go for it.

So I posed that question to my students. What do we do about this graffiti art? Is it even a problem? Should graffiti art be legalized? What do we want to do about it?

My students decided that graffiti art, when done tactfully and artfully, shouldn’t be illegal. It should be promoted and celebrated in our community.

So much fun, right?

Vicki: Oh, that’s awesome, and they’re being a part of advocating for meaningful change in the world. That’s fantastic!

Idea #4: Model your own passions, interests, and curiosities

OK, what’s our fourth, Trevor?

Trevor: You know, number four is that I really do try to — as an inquiry teacher — model my own passions and my own interests and my own curiosities for my students.

So yeah. I encourage inquiry teachers to model their passions, model their interests, and model their thinking, Vicki.

Vicki: Oh yes. Bring it in to your classroom! Let them see you get excited. Let them see you learn. Let them see you talk out the challenges that you have as you learn it.

OK. These are fantastic!

What’s our fifth, Trevor?

Idea #5: Use the power of the PLN

So asking a big question of myself and a little group of teachers within my building — and that question, obviously revolves around how my teaching is impacting my students’ learning.

Vicki: Trevor, while we have time, what’s the most incredible thing you’ve seen happen on the #inquirymindset on Twitter?

Trevor: Oh my gosh!

Quite literally, it’s playing with the furniture in the room. You know those Before and After photos that we see in design TV shows all the time?

Because we know teacher-centered time and teaching directly is important. We need that in our classroom. But then what does the student-centered classroom actually look like?

I’m seeing amazing BEFORE and AFTER photos of these classrooms where teachers have tried to strike that balance a little bit more explicitly and intently. Some of it is just so, so cool.

And that to me is just so inspiring to see teachers re-jig what it is that they have in front of them to better meet the needs of their students. It’s super exciting!

Vicki: Trevor, give us a thirty-second pep talk for adding inquiry-based learning into our classroom.

Trevor: Wow. A thirty-second pep talk?

It starts small and it ends up big.

Vicki: Educators, we know, we’ve got to relate before we educate.

These are some fantastic principles.

Hope to see you on the hashtag. I think I’m going to be adding it to HootSuite now after we finish up the show.

Thank you, Trevor! The book is The Inquiry Mindset. Follow #inquirymindset. So many fantastic ideas here.

We can do this! I really love the provocations and asking students about curiosity.

Trevor: Love it! Thanks for having me, Vicki! So much fun!

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford [email protected]

Bio as submitted

Find out more about Trevor and his work at trevormackenzie.com

Blog: trevormackenzie.com

Twitter: @trev_mackenzie

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/e315/

0 notes

aira26soonas · 7 years ago

Text

Trevor MacKenzie: 5 Ideas to Bring the Inquiry Mindset into Your Classroom Today

Trevor MacKenzie on episode 315 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Fantastic ideas to bring the inquiry mindset into the classroom including curiosity jars, provocations and more. Trevor MacKenzie gives us ideas to help kids become excited and curious.

Listen Now

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

***

Enhanced Transcript

Trevor MacKenzie: 5 Ideas to Bring the Inquiry Mindset into Your Classroom Today

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e315 Date: May 18, 2018

Today we’re talking about five ideas to bring inquiry mindset into the classroom.

Trevor, what is your first idea?

Idea #1 Ask students what their curiosities and interests and passions are

So one really neat thing that I see in powerful inquiry classes at the younger years is called The Curiosity Jar.

OK, what’s our second one?

Idea #2 Bring in provocations

Vicki: It is. I believe so.

Trevor: Yeah, so he brought in his great-grandfather’s boots from World War II.

I think provocations are a really powerful way to spark further curiosities and questions in the inquiry classroom.

Vicki: I love that! So you’re really trying to provoke curiosity, aren’t you?

Vicki: Oh, what a remarkable idea.

Idea #3 Bring in a real world problem or challenge

OK, what’s number three?

It’s an authentic connection to the world around us. And I love it.

Vicki: Trevor, you have got to give me at least one quick example? Go for it.

So I posed that question to my students. What do we do about this graffiti art? Is it even a problem? Should graffiti art be legalized? What do we want to do about it?

My students decided that graffiti art, when done tactfully and artfully, shouldn’t be illegal. It should be promoted and celebrated in our community.

So much fun, right?

Vicki: Oh, that’s awesome, and they’re being a part of advocating for meaningful change in the world. That’s fantastic!

Idea #4: Model your own passions, interests, and curiosities

OK, what’s our fourth, Trevor?

Trevor: You know, number four is that I really do try to — as an inquiry teacher — model my own passions and my own interests and my own curiosities for my students.

So yeah. I encourage inquiry teachers to model their passions, model their interests, and model their thinking, Vicki.

Vicki: Oh yes. Bring it in to your classroom! Let them see you get excited. Let them see you learn. Let them see you talk out the challenges that you have as you learn it.

OK. These are fantastic!

What’s our fifth, Trevor?

Idea #5: Use the power of the PLN

So asking a big question of myself and a little group of teachers within my building — and that question, obviously revolves around how my teaching is impacting my students’ learning.

Vicki: Trevor, while we have time, what’s the most incredible thing you’ve seen happen on the #inquirymindset on Twitter?

Trevor: Oh my gosh!

Quite literally, it’s playing with the furniture in the room. You know those Before and After photos that we see in design TV shows all the time?

Because we know teacher-centered time and teaching directly is important. We need that in our classroom. But then what does the student-centered classroom actually look like?

I’m seeing amazing BEFORE and AFTER photos of these classrooms where teachers have tried to strike that balance a little bit more explicitly and intently. Some of it is just so, so cool.

And that to me is just so inspiring to see teachers re-jig what it is that they have in front of them to better meet the needs of their students. It’s super exciting!

Vicki: Trevor, give us a thirty-second pep talk for adding inquiry-based learning into our classroom.

Trevor: Wow. A thirty-second pep talk?

It starts small and it ends up big.

Vicki: Educators, we know, we’ve got to relate before we educate.

These are some fantastic principles.

Hope to see you on the hashtag. I think I’m going to be adding it to HootSuite now after we finish up the show.

Thank you, Trevor! The book is The Inquiry Mindset. Follow #inquirymindset. So many fantastic ideas here.

We can do this! I really love the provocations and asking students about curiosity.

Trevor: Love it! Thanks for having me, Vicki! So much fun!

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford [email protected]

Bio as submitted

Find out more about Trevor and his work at trevormackenzie.com

Blog: trevormackenzie.com

Twitter: @trev_mackenzie

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/e315/

0 notes

patriciaanderson357-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Trevor MacKenzie: 5 Ideas to Bring the Inquiry Mindset into Your Classroom Today

Trevor MacKenzie on episode 315 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Fantastic ideas to bring the inquiry mindset into the classroom including curiosity jars, provocations and more. Trevor MacKenzie gives us ideas to help kids become excited and curious.

Listen Now

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

***

Enhanced Transcript

Trevor MacKenzie: 5 Ideas to Bring the Inquiry Mindset into Your Classroom Today

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e315 Date: May 18, 2018

Today we’re talking about five ideas to bring inquiry mindset into the classroom.

Trevor, what is your first idea?

Idea #1 Ask students what their curiosities and interests and passions are

So one really neat thing that I see in powerful inquiry classes at the younger years is called The Curiosity Jar.

OK, what’s our second one?

Idea #2 Bring in provocations

Vicki: It is. I believe so.

Trevor: Yeah, so he brought in his great-grandfather’s boots from World War II.

I think provocations are a really powerful way to spark further curiosities and questions in the inquiry classroom.

Vicki: I love that! So you’re really trying to provoke curiosity, aren’t you?

Vicki: Oh, what a remarkable idea.

Idea #3 Bring in a real world problem or challenge

OK, what’s number three?

It’s an authentic connection to the world around us. And I love it.

Vicki: Trevor, you have got to give me at least one quick example? Go for it.

So I posed that question to my students. What do we do about this graffiti art? Is it even a problem? Should graffiti art be legalized? What do we want to do about it?

My students decided that graffiti art, when done tactfully and artfully, shouldn’t be illegal. It should be promoted and celebrated in our community.

So much fun, right?

Vicki: Oh, that’s awesome, and they’re being a part of advocating for meaningful change in the world. That’s fantastic!

Idea #4: Model your own passions, interests, and curiosities

OK, what’s our fourth, Trevor?

Trevor: You know, number four is that I really do try to — as an inquiry teacher — model my own passions and my own interests and my own curiosities for my students.

So yeah. I encourage inquiry teachers to model their passions, model their interests, and model their thinking, Vicki.

Vicki: Oh yes. Bring it in to your classroom! Let them see you get excited. Let them see you learn. Let them see you talk out the challenges that you have as you learn it.

OK. These are fantastic!

What’s our fifth, Trevor?

Idea #5: Use the power of the PLN

So asking a big question of myself and a little group of teachers within my building — and that question, obviously revolves around how my teaching is impacting my students’ learning.

Vicki: Trevor, while we have time, what’s the most incredible thing you’ve seen happen on the #inquirymindset on Twitter?

Trevor: Oh my gosh!

Quite literally, it’s playing with the furniture in the room. You know those Before and After photos that we see in design TV shows all the time?

Because we know teacher-centered time and teaching directly is important. We need that in our classroom. But then what does the student-centered classroom actually look like?

I’m seeing amazing BEFORE and AFTER photos of these classrooms where teachers have tried to strike that balance a little bit more explicitly and intently. Some of it is just so, so cool.

And that to me is just so inspiring to see teachers re-jig what it is that they have in front of them to better meet the needs of their students. It’s super exciting!

Vicki: Trevor, give us a thirty-second pep talk for adding inquiry-based learning into our classroom.

Trevor: Wow. A thirty-second pep talk?

It starts small and it ends up big.

Vicki: Educators, we know, we’ve got to relate before we educate.

These are some fantastic principles.

Hope to see you on the hashtag. I think I’m going to be adding it to HootSuite now after we finish up the show.

Thank you, Trevor! The book is The Inquiry Mindset. Follow #inquirymindset. So many fantastic ideas here.

We can do this! I really love the provocations and asking students about curiosity.

Trevor: Love it! Thanks for having me, Vicki! So much fun!

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford [email protected]

Bio as submitted

Find out more about Trevor and his work at trevormackenzie.com

Blog: trevormackenzie.com

Twitter: @trev_mackenzie

0 notes

ralph31ortiz · 7 years ago

Text

Trevor MacKenzie: 5 Ideas to Bring the Inquiry Mindset into Your Classroom Today

Trevor MacKenzie on episode 315 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Fantastic ideas to bring the inquiry mindset into the classroom including curiosity jars, provocations and more. Trevor MacKenzie gives us ideas to help kids become excited and curious.

Listen Now

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

***

Enhanced Transcript

Trevor MacKenzie: 5 Ideas to Bring the Inquiry Mindset into Your Classroom Today

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e315 Date: May 18, 2018

Today we’re talking about five ideas to bring inquiry mindset into the classroom.

Trevor, what is your first idea?

Idea #1 Ask students what their curiosities and interests and passions are

So one really neat thing that I see in powerful inquiry classes at the younger years is called The Curiosity Jar.

OK, what’s our second one?

Idea #2 Bring in provocations

Vicki: It is. I believe so.

Trevor: Yeah, so he brought in his great-grandfather’s boots from World War II.

I think provocations are a really powerful way to spark further curiosities and questions in the inquiry classroom.

Vicki: I love that! So you’re really trying to provoke curiosity, aren’t you?

Vicki: Oh, what a remarkable idea.

Idea #3 Bring in a real world problem or challenge

OK, what’s number three?

It’s an authentic connection to the world around us. And I love it.

Vicki: Trevor, you have got to give me at least one quick example? Go for it.

So I posed that question to my students. What do we do about this graffiti art? Is it even a problem? Should graffiti art be legalized? What do we want to do about it?

My students decided that graffiti art, when done tactfully and artfully, shouldn’t be illegal. It should be promoted and celebrated in our community.

So much fun, right?

Vicki: Oh, that’s awesome, and they’re being a part of advocating for meaningful change in the world. That’s fantastic!

Idea #4: Model your own passions, interests, and curiosities

OK, what’s our fourth, Trevor?

Trevor: You know, number four is that I really do try to — as an inquiry teacher — model my own passions and my own interests and my own curiosities for my students.

So yeah. I encourage inquiry teachers to model their passions, model their interests, and model their thinking, Vicki.

Vicki: Oh yes. Bring it in to your classroom! Let them see you get excited. Let them see you learn. Let them see you talk out the challenges that you have as you learn it.

OK. These are fantastic!

What’s our fifth, Trevor?

Idea #5: Use the power of the PLN

So asking a big question of myself and a little group of teachers within my building — and that question, obviously revolves around how my teaching is impacting my students’ learning.

Vicki: Trevor, while we have time, what’s the most incredible thing you’ve seen happen on the #inquirymindset on Twitter?

Trevor: Oh my gosh!

Quite literally, it’s playing with the furniture in the room. You know those Before and After photos that we see in design TV shows all the time?

Because we know teacher-centered time and teaching directly is important. We need that in our classroom. But then what does the student-centered classroom actually look like?

I’m seeing amazing BEFORE and AFTER photos of these classrooms where teachers have tried to strike that balance a little bit more explicitly and intently. Some of it is just so, so cool.

And that to me is just so inspiring to see teachers re-jig what it is that they have in front of them to better meet the needs of their students. It’s super exciting!

Vicki: Trevor, give us a thirty-second pep talk for adding inquiry-based learning into our classroom.

Trevor: Wow. A thirty-second pep talk?

It starts small and it ends up big.

Vicki: Educators, we know, we’ve got to relate before we educate.

These are some fantastic principles.

Hope to see you on the hashtag. I think I’m going to be adding it to HootSuite now after we finish up the show.

Thank you, Trevor! The book is The Inquiry Mindset. Follow #inquirymindset. So many fantastic ideas here.

We can do this! I really love the provocations and asking students about curiosity.

Trevor: Love it! Thanks for having me, Vicki! So much fun!

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford [email protected]

Bio as submitted

Find out more about Trevor and his work at trevormackenzie.com

Blog: trevormackenzie.com

Twitter: @trev_mackenzie

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/e315/

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junker-town · 7 years ago

Text

How UConn football’s throwback hire of Randy Edsall can work ... eventually

The prodigal Husky’s list of tasks is relatively simple, if not easy.

This preview was originally published April 18 and has since been updated.

I pride myself on how many different stats, rates, and angles I can produce from simple lines of play-by-play data, but sometimes you don’t need a ton of numbers to learn all you need to know about a team.

Take UConn, for instance. All you need to know about the 2016 Connecticut Huskies boils down to the number 9.

On October 15, Bobby Puyol kicked a 26-yard field goal 7:56 into the game to give UConn a 3-0 lead on USF.

A week later, Puyol kicked field goals of 22 and 33 yards in the first 12 minutes against UCF.

In 12 games, those are the nine first-quarter points the Huskies scored.

NINE. Nine points! In the equivalent of three full games!

Perhaps the biggest surprise is that UConn didn’t end up with the worst Off. S&P+ rating in the country. Texas State’s managed to grade out worse. Or maybe the biggest surprise is that, with the second-worst offense in the country and a first-quarter deficit in almost every game, the Huskies still managed to win three games.

After breaking through with a six-win season in 2015 (despite an offense that ranked 115th), Bob Diaco’s Huskies lost any semblance of momentum. The offense plummeted back to 2014 levels, and the defense crumpled. Any first-quarter deficit was virtually impossible to overcome. And in a single year, Diaco went from dragging the program forward to looking for a new job.

Since losing Edsall to Maryland in 2010, UConn lost its way. The school tried the “veteran coach who knows the Northeast” route and brought in Syracuse legend Paul Pasqualoni to keep Edsall’s eight-wins-a-year ship moving. He went 10-18. So the school went with the “hire a major program’s star coordinator” approach, and Diaco went 11-26, with more than half of his wins coming in a single year.

UConn has proved it can put a good defense on the field; the Huskies have ranked in the Def. S&P+ top 50 seven times in the last 10 years and three times in the six since Edsall’s departure. They got as high as 18th under Pasqualoni and 32nd under Diaco.

Meanwhile, the Huskies have also proved offense is really hard. They have not topped 105th in Off. S&P+ since Edsall left, and even in Edsall’s last six years, they ranked higher than 68th just once.

Without an ideal new hire available, the school decided to start over. UConn only once ranked better than 47th overall in S&P+ under Edsall, but 47th is better than anything that happened since he left. Edsall, fired from Maryland a year earlier, was available. It was time to get the band back together.

I’m not a big fan of a recycling hire and gave UConn a C+ last December, but I’ll say this: while the hire might reek of living in the past, Edsall is not. He made an exciting pair of coordinator hires, bringing in Villanova’s aggressive, creative Billy Crocker to run his defense and asking former Auburn play-caller Rhett Lashlee to figure out how to score points.

Granted, Edsall also brought former UConn QB Dan Orlovsky back to fill the nostalgia quotient, but he wants his new Huskies to be fast and (gasp) modern. Consider me intrigued.

Of course, if this experiment fails, we’ll all be writing something condescending about old dogs learning new tricks. At Edsall’s peak, UConn wasn’t the most exciting team in the world.

Plus, it’s going to take a little while for these chess pieces to do what Edsall and company want. UConn has experience at quarterback and in the defensive front six/seven, and there are a couple of viable pieces in the skill corps. Still, when you had the second-worst offense in the country, you can improve quite a bit and still be bad.

Setting the bar low and assuming a Year Zero situation is probably apt, but there does appear to be potential. And the fact that Edsall doesn’t seem to be trying to reset the clock to 2009 is a good sign.

The first time UConn hired Edsall, he was a 40-year-old with just one year of coordinator experience. It worked; he led the Huskies to FBS and, after a couple of years of toil, produced a consistently decent product in the Big East.

This time, UConn is getting a 58-year-old with 17 years of head coaching experience and a good knowledge of what the job entails. You can see the draw. We just don’t know if we’ll see the results.

2016 in review

2016 UConn statistical profile.

Even with the first-quarter troubles, UConn wasn’t completely awful at the start of 2016. The Huskies started 3-3 with wins over Virginia and Cincinnati and tight losses to Navy and Syracuse.

Things went haywire late, though. Quarterback Bryant Shirreffs, battling injury all year, lost his job to true freshman Donovan Williams after a 41-3 debacle against a bad ECU. UConn got outscored by a combined 89-13 over the final three games. The Huskies went from bad to horrendous.

First 8 games (3-5): Avg. percentile performance: 30% (~top 90) | Avg. yards per play: Opp 5.9, UConn 5.1 (minus-0.8) | Avg. score: Opp 26, UConn 20 (minus-6)

Last 4 games (0-4): Avg. percentile performance: 5% (~bottom 10) | Avg. yards per play: Opp 5.5, UConn 4.1 (minus-1.4) | Avg. score: Opp 33, UConn 4 (minus-29)

It was a curious decision; Williams completed 47 percent of his passes with one touchdown, five interceptions, and 12 sacks. In a small sample, even averaging 5.6 yards per (non-sack) carry, he graded out as maybe the least effective QB in FBS. Burning a redshirt to play a guy for three games is questionable enough already, but this was downright strange.

Of course, it could have been a sign of mercy. Shirreffs was hurt all season and had taken 23 sacks.

Regardless, a full month after the season ended, UConn athletic director David Benedict decided to let Diaco go after initially deciding the opposite. Evidently he wasn’t satisfied with Diaco’s plans for fixing the offense.

Offense

Full advanced stats glossary.

The less said about UConn’s 2016 offense, the better, but I just wanted to share this chart.

The AAC had some pretty bad offenses last year. UConn combined inefficiency with a total lack of big-play ability in a way that was pretty unique, even before the late-season collapse. And opponent adjustments weren’t kind.

Anyway, that was yesterday. Today is about a massive culture change for an offense that desperately needs it.

Getting Lashlee was a potential coup. Granted, Lashlee — an Arkansas product and longtime Gus Malzahn follower — has never worked above the Mason-Dixon line. And granted, it might take him a little while to figure out what he can do with the talent at hand. But he has long studied under one of football’s great innovators, and while tempo is not a cure-all, it could be good to add some energy to a unit that has spent the last two tenures as an afterthought.

Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Rhett Lashlee

One assumes Lashlee will use tempo and motion to create whatever advantages are possible, and he’ll run as much as UConn is allowed to. What assets does he inherit? (Believe it or not, there are a few.)

Running back Arkeel Newsome. It feels like he’s been at UConn for about eight years, but the senior-to-be has provided some explosiveness. In the last two years, he’s rushed for 1,507 yards at 4.6 per carry, and he’s caught 70 passes for 738 yards. As far as raw numbers go, these aren’t amazing, but consider the help he wasn’t getting. His explosiveness numbers are strong, and his receiving success rate was somehow over 50 percent last year. If he gets to face a strained defense for once, he could do some great things.

Junior receivers Hergy Mayala and Tyraiq Beals. I’m not going to overstate the proven capabilities of these two, but despite seemingly every snap being third-and-long, they combined to catch 30 balls for 392 yards (13.1 per carry, 6.6 yards per target). They’ve got decent athleticism, and again, if the defense is actually distracted, they could get open deep.

South Carolina transfer David Williams. The former four-star never lived up to his recruiting hype and got lost in a deep pool of decent backs at South Carolina. At 6’1, 220 pounds, he brings some heft, and he caught nine of nine passes for 72 yards last year. [Update: He’s no longer with UConn.]

Three-star redshirt freshmen. Recruiting wasn’t as much of a strength for Diaco as was expected, but he did leave Lashlee with a couple of reasonably exciting athletes. Running back Nate Hopkins is big, and receiver Quayvon Skanes is fast, and they could see the ball sooner than later. Same goes for not-quite-three-stars Ja’Kevious Vickers (RB) and Keyion Dixon (WR).

Five linemen with starting experience. Not all experience is good experience, of course.

Options at tight end and quarterback. Not all options are good options, of course. [Update: Former three-star TE recruit Jay Rose has rejoined the team as a walk-on after a year off.]

If Lashlee finds first-year success, it will likely be because of the combination of Newsome and either Shirreffs or Williams in the backfield. Williams can run, and Lashlee helped to engineer massive success at Auburn with a converted defensive back (Nick Marshall) at QB. And if he’s just not working, Shirreffs can run a bit, too.

Improvement is guaranteed, but ranking 110th in Off. S&P+ would represent significant improvement. The bar is low.

Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images

Arkeel Newsome

Defense

That UConn’s offense was awful wan’t that much of a surprise last year. It was, after all, the second time in three years that the Huskies had ranked 127th in Off. S&P+. That the defense sank to 87th in Def. S&P+ was more jarring. The Huskies had ranked 32nd in 2015 and returned experience at each level of the defense.

Despite experience and a relative lack of turnover, though, the pass defense was particularly awful.

Passing S&P+ rank: 54th in 2015, then 122nd in 2016

Completion rate allowed: 59%, then 64%

Yards per completion allowed: 10.5, then 12.0

Passer rating allowed: 112.7, then 141.0

Adj. Sack Rate rank: 89th, then 118th

The run defense was also worse (from 52nd in 2015 to 74th in Rushing S&P+), but it at least somewhat resembled what we expect from UConn. The regression in pass defense was jarring.

Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Jamar Summers

That makes it a little bit of an interesting time to move to a 3-3-5 look. UConn must replace three of its top four from a disappointing secondary and add an extra safety to the starting lineup. Diaco signed a couple of exciting DBs last year (redshirt freshmen Tahj Herring-Wilson, Eddie Hahn), and Edsall added a few more this past February (namely, mid-three-star safety Ian Swenson). Still, any immediate improvement would likely come from the veterans, cornerback Jamar Summers in particular. Even in a disappointing year, Summers finished with four tackles for loss and 11 passes defensed.

Name recognition made Lashlee the headliner of the coordinator hires, but the hire of Crocker might reap as many or more immediate dividends. His 2016 Villanova defense was exciting and awesome.

The Wildcats allowed just 15 points per game and 4.4 yards per play, basically turning every opponent into the UConn offense. Opponents converted just 30 percent of their third downs (which tends to speak to great first-down efficiency), and Nova’s havoc rate of 17.8 percent would have ranked a decent 33rd in FBS. Opponents averaged 3.9 yards per carry (removing sacks from the equation) and completed just 57 percent of passes with 17 picks.

Granted, Crocker’s 2017 defense might not have anyone as good as Nova star Tanoh Kpassagnon on it, but the front seven does have a couple of nice havoc guys. Luke Carrezola can play either end or outside linebacker and has produced 22.5 tackles for loss over the last two years.

Meanwhile, end Cole Ormsby and linebacker Vontae Diggs combined for 16.5 TFLs and 5 sacks in 2016. The loss of linebacker E.J. Levenberry to an ACL injury (he’s due back in October at the earliest) hurts, but to me, the secondary is far more of a concern than the front six. If Crocker has the pieces in the back, he’ll have the pieces in the front.

Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images

Luke Carrezola

Special Teams

Bobby Puyol was okay in place-kicking and excellent in rare kickoff opportunities. Punter Justin Wain was solid. Punt returner Brian Lemelle was at least good at fair catching balls before they had a chance to roll for a while. UConn ended up 82nd in Special Teams S&P+ last year, instead of something worse, because of these three. They’re all gone. The only special teams guy back is Arkeel Newsome in kick returns, but he wasn’t actually that good at it. So yeah, UConn’s special teams will be somewhere between a mystery and a disaster. TBD.

2017 outlook

2017 Schedule & Projection Factors

Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 31-Aug Holy Cross NR 25.4 93% 9-Oct South Florida 56 -17.5 16% 16-Sep at Virginia 70 -18.6 14% 30-Sep at SMU 81 -14.1 21% 6-Oct Memphis 61 -17.0 16% 14-Oct at Temple 67 -20.8 12% 21-Oct Tulsa 77 -11.5 25% 28-Oct Missouri 53 -17.9 15% 4-Nov East Carolina 100 -4.7 39% 11-Nov at Central Florida 78 -16.4 17% 18-Nov Boston College 76 -11.5 25% 25-Nov at Cincinnati 75 -16.7 17%

Projected S&P+ Rk 125 Proj. Off. / Def. Rk 126 / 98 Projected wins 3.1 Five-Year S&P+ Rk -16.8 (123) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 104 / 90 2016 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* -8 / -2.7 2016 TO Luck/Game -2.2 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 57% (60%, 53%) 2016 Second-order wins (difference) 2.8 (0.2)

Strangely enough, it doesn’t take many ifs to make UConn a competitive team in 2017.

If Newsome is given a chance to thrive.

If a new, energetic offense gives UConn top-100 numbers.

If Crocker is able to restore competence to UConn’s pass defense.

That’s pretty much it. Give the Huskies those three semi-realistic things, and you’ve got a top-70 or top-80 team. The schedule features eight teams projected 70th or lower. That probably still doesn’t get UConn to a bowl, but the Huskies come close.

Still, this offense was destitute in 2016, and the defense was UConn’s worst in more than a decade. Maybe bad offense fed bad defense, and maybe a blood transfusion will fix all ills, but maybe we just punt on setting any expectations until 2018.

I didn’t love the Edsall hire when it was made; I thought it spoke far more to raising UConn’s floor than it did raising its ceiling. But when you bottom out like the Huskies did, a higher floor sounds appealing. And when your supposedly low-ceiling hire goes out and signs two exciting coordinators, then maybe the hire has more upside than realized.

Team preview stats

All preview data to date.

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junker-town · 8 years ago

Text

How UConn football’s throwback hire of Randy Edsall can work ... eventually

The prodigal Husky’s list of tasks is relatively simple, if not easy.

Take UConn, for instance. All you need to know about the 2016 Connecticut Huskies boils down to the number 9.

On October 15, Bobby Puyol kicked a 26-yard field goal 7:56 into the game to give UConn a 3-0 lead on USF.

A week later, Puyol kicked field goals of 22 and 33 yards in the first 12 minutes against UCF.

In 12 games, those are the nine first-quarter points the Huskies scored.

NINE. Nine points! In the equivalent of three full games!

Granted, Edsall also brought former UConn QB Dan Orlovsky back to fill the nostalgia quotient, but he wants his new Huskies to be fast and (gasp) modern. Consider me intrigued.

Of course, if this experiment fails, we’ll all be writing something condescending about old dogs learning new tricks. At Edsall’s peak, UConn wasn’t the most exciting team in the world.

2016 in review

2016 UConn statistical profile.

Even with the first-quarter troubles, UConn wasn’t completely awful at the start of 2016. The Huskies started 3-3 with wins over Virginia and Cincinnati and tight losses to Navy and Syracuse.

First 8 games (3-5): Avg. percentile performance: 30% (~top 90) | Avg. yards per play: Opp 5.9, UConn 5.1 (minus-0.8) | Avg. score: Opp 26, UConn 20 (minus-6)

Last 4 games (0-4): Avg. percentile performance: 5% (~bottom 10) | Avg. yards per play: Opp 5.5, UConn 4.1 (minus-1.4) | Avg. score: Opp 33, UConn 4 (minus-29)

Of course, it could have been a sign of mercy. Shirreffs was hurt all season and had taken 23 sacks.

Offense

Full advanced stats glossary.

The less said about UConn’s 2016 offense, the better, but I just wanted to share this chart.

Anyway, that was yesterday. Today is about a massive culture change for an offense that desperately needs it.

Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Rhett Lashlee

Five linemen with starting experience. Not all experience is good experience, of course.

Options at tight end and quarterback. Not all options are good options, of course.

Improvement is guaranteed, but ranking 110th in Off. S&P+ would represent significant improvement. The bar is low.

Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images

Arkeel Newsome

Defense

Despite experience and a relative lack of turnover, though, the pass defense was particularly awful.

Passing S&P+ rank: 54th in 2015, then 122nd in 2016

Completion rate allowed: 59%, then 64%

Yards per completion allowed: 10.5, then 12.0

Passer rating allowed: 112.7, then 141.0

Adj. Sack Rate rank: 89th, then 118th

The run defense was also worse (from 52nd in 2015 to 74th in Rushing S&P+), but it at least somewhat resembled what we expect from UConn. The regression in pass defense was jarring.

Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Jamar Summers

Name recognition made Lashlee the headliner of the coordinator hires, but the hire of Crocker might reap as many or more immediate dividends. His 2016 Villanova defense was exciting and awesome.

Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images

Luke Carrezola

Special Teams

2017 outlook

2017 Schedule & Projection Factors

Strangely enough, it doesn’t take many ifs to make UConn a competitive team in 2017.

If Newsome is given a chance to thrive.

If a new, energetic offense gives UConn top-100 numbers.

If Crocker is able to restore competence to UConn’s pass defense.

Team preview stats

All preview data to date.

0 notes