A couple of days ago I talked about Syllabus, from Lynda Barry. After thumbing through it to find a page to share here, which I did not, I started to read it again. There are sticky notes throughout. It seemed like a good time to reread it. And then I found it. It being on the subject of being in class:
Attendance is more than being physically present in class. From the moment class begins until it ends, you are expected to participate fully in class activities. During the entire 150 minutes of each class session I ask that you not check personal devices, use your computer, wear headphones, etc. This includes break and field trips.
No focus stealing devices to be used in Lynda Barry’s classes, These instructions came from a teacher who had a first class that was coloring in coloring books, eating candy and watching The Bad News Bears – original edition. She also had people memorize a poem. Or by a timer draw a single page of drawing for 30 minutes.
Have I mentioned that you use a composition book? The good ones are made in Vietnam. These are 9.75×7.5 inches in size. I bought a case of them to use fa my Morning Pages. There is no pressure to “set it right” I bought the notebooks to write in without worrying about keeping up with some nice paper. It is like using newsprint paper. And, like newsprint, you are expected to use a lot. Fill it with any thing. This is really like One Typed Page on steroids. Except to fill up a book in three or four weeks. Paste in some ephemera from your life. Just keep putting stuff into the book.
I am thinking and are afraid to check it that I have blathered in my last paragraph. Cannot look back.
No more tonight. Nothing else. Tomorrow, well I will come up with something.
— MichaelRpdx :: rkmm :: 2022-04-25
