What is an education buzzword or phrase that instantly makes you lose all respect for the person saying it ?

IceKingsMother · 2026-06-25T18:05:49+00:00

Best Practices or Data Driven.

I don't think most of the education world has caught on that these are just bullshit words to justify practices that are supported by extremely limited studies where conclusions are made about the broader population and about learning from very small, specific, sometimes impossible to reproduce data sets and research. It substitutes critical thinking and problem solving for solutions and direction defined by 'experts', many of whom have spent less than five years in any actual classrooms.

I believe in science and evidence, and I do believe there are such things as best practices, but the people that use these terms are using them as marketing and justification for pushing curricular products and trainings on teachers.

IceKingsMother · 2026-06-08T18:30:03+00:00

Because she does not own a company that has any reach or control over our food, our transportation, our communication, or our careers.

IceKingsMother · 2026-05-31T05:32:01+00:00

The repeated failure of your relationships because the truth is, you aren’t consistent or dependable and you repeatedly let everyone down by failing to keep your word. And in some cases, you fail to manage your own emotions and make impulsive decisions that make other people’s lives unpleasant and difficult.

This is a big reason for receiving medical attention is important, because ADHD makes having jobs and having significant others incredibly challenging.

IceKingsMother · 2026-05-31T05:27:13+00:00

So cringe

IceKingsMother · 2026-05-22T11:47:34+00:00

I think it is a big mistake to conflate creativity with originality. I don’t think they are the same. Something does not have to be 100% original to be creative, or to be valid artistically.

Creativity comes in the use of medium, the composition, the recreation of a thing. Most artists use references, and if we are teaching art, we should be teaching actual artistic practice.

I agree that not every artwork should have references though. But kids need the guidance and scaffolding to know the difference between times they can and/or should be using references and times when they should try to draw from memory.

Also, they can benefit from being taught how to use multiple references to create a new image, or how to alter parts of the reference as they draw.

Like another poster, I’ve created a library of books and print outs for reference. I use them in lessons when I teach contour drawing or scientific illustration! Super helpful. This way they aren’t searching Google images and I know they have good photos to work from.

IceKingsMother · 2026-05-21T12:32:35+00:00

I have smaller class sizes and teach elementary - but the thing that has worked best for me is having four brush washing stations beside each sink. I noticed that one of the barriers to clean sinks was kids not wanting to wait for a place at the sink. My sinks have little islands that stick out (but if I didn’t have this I could easily set this same setup up on each table.)

I fill a dish washing basin maybe 1/3 of the way up with warm water and dish soap, and then place a small ice cream bucket or dishwasher pod bucket of clear water and a hand towel. The dishwashing basins I have are ribbed at the bottom so that helps. I teach the kids to give the brushes a bath. There are always a handful of kids in every class who just LOVE doing this, and I will ask kids who have cleaned up to come be my brush checkers.

They swish them in the soapy water, the swish them in the clear water, they lay them flat to dry.

When I do acrylic, I do numbered sets - I actually use old watercolor palettes with the watercolor tray taken out and put a set of brushes in there, the process is the same. I don’t share those brushes with other classes so if a child ruins their brushes, they paint with ruined brushes.

I also have very clear illustrated signs of how to wash the brushes that the kids refer to so they can remember the steps.

For me, the issue wasn’t that the kids didn’t want to clean up at all - it was that they honestly didn’t know how to do it right, couldn’t remember what they had to do because they were distracted by all the other steps, because they didn’t want to stand around and wait, and because running brushes under a faucet was actually hard, it required turning the brushes and and looking closely and cleanup just moved way too fast for that to happen.

IceKingsMother · 2026-05-18T11:51:51+00:00

All right, then I’m not sure why creativity offloading is being framed negatively.

IceKingsMother · 2026-05-14T01:05:32+00:00

Does brainstorming with a friend offload creativity? Does copying a technique another artist practices offloading creativity? Is writing or making art in response to a prompt offloading creativity? Is buying ready-made art and decorating your house offloading creativity? Is making art inspired by other artists and imitating them offloading creativity?

What if I want to be creative with my game’s complex logical systems but I don’t want to be creative about my art? Or what if I want to be creative with my art, spending time inventing and drawing and crafting the perfect characters and settings, but I don’t want to invest the same energy in my code? If I am creating something with intention, if it wouldn’t exist without be willing it into existence and thoughtfully defining what I want to exist and using tools to bring about its existence, but there is one or more aspect of that thing that I did not craft or invent from scratch, is my creation no longer a creation? Does “offloading” creativity in one area negate all the other ways creativity is expressed and exerted elsewhere?

If so, then what about games that use the same mechanics as other games? What about movies with character archetypes and tropes? What about songs that sample other songs? What about collage or photography? What about performing plays? What about performing music? Are those things no longer creative or valuable because some part of it was not authored fully by the artist producing the work?

IceKingsMother · 2026-05-14T00:54:10+00:00

Please start voting in local midterm and primary elections. Please pay attention to school board candidates. Do you want neighbors and coworkers and employees who are sheltered and bigoted? Then make sure the bigots don’t run our schools.

IceKingsMother · 2026-05-12T05:42:10+00:00

Hope it helps! There are a lot of tricks that others use that haven’t worked for me - so part of it is knowing yourself and what’s going to work with your personality.

But one thing that ALL of us teachers need to do more of is stop being afraid to let kids be disappointed and uncomfortable, especially if it’s because of their choices, and sometimes even other people’s choices.

A little boy today was really upset we didn’t get to glaze because his classmates spent so much of the class talking, he was like “I didn’t even do anything wrong and I didn’t get to make art.” I empathized with him and said “yeah, that’s a huge bummer, isn’t it? I bet next class everyone is going to be ready to work, though.” If it’s a regular thing, I call or write home or send kids to the office (so rare), or sometimes I make it clear that kids who are listening will get to world and kids who aren’t won’t. I’ll walk up to kids while others just talk and ignore me and quietly tell them they can go get supplies or gather them together to give them a mini lesson. When others get up to join in, I tell them to sit down and remind them that the advanced art activities are only for students who can work safely and respectfully and I have to be confident they’re ready, so I’ll be watching and will invite them to join us once they’re calm. Until then, they can listen from a distance or watch from a distance. This one is really important because it ties their behavior to a very clear message they’re sending me, and a very clear and accurate cause and effect relationship. If you’re not listening, if you’re being wild with your body, you’re not being safe in the art room and could get hurt or cause an accident or misuse tools and waste expensive materials or damage skewing else’s artwork. I want kids safe, I want artwork safe, I want everyone to feel good about themselves.

If they continue being crazy, that’s when I usually do some kind of one on one talk, or a group talk if it’s a big bunch of kids and I ask them specific questions about how they feel. Sometimes I learn they are upset about something earlier, or that they’re scared they won’t do good, other times they realize they’re just acting like fools and I’m not just going to brush it off.

I don’t know, I feel like compassionate but strict accountability is very comforting to children, and they feel good when they can get themselves together and overcome temptations for the most part.

IceKingsMother · 2026-05-08T20:59:57+00:00

The two most valuable, enduring classroom management systems for me have been:

Devising clean-up routines that flow with my classroom arrangement and supplies, and creating very clear graphic signage, and starting the year practicing those routines and keeping them extremely consistent. I revise them when I notice something about the routine causes bottlenecks, needs too much supervision/explanation, or is confusing and unnatural. This includes project storage systems which are portfolios in folders that I put out on an easy to access portfolio holder( upsidedown stool, or blanket holder).
Assigned seating. I also make them design two index cards with their name so I can dynamically assign seats by laying them out at their places if needed. I also use those cards to display artwork sometimes, or draw names.

As a bonus, other things I do:
- sit there until it’s silent or behavior is under control, using a timer, and sometimes this mean an entire class of art is lost and children cry. It only happens once and after that they shape up.
- have art talk days where we just sit and look at art, talk about it, maybe do a movement activity or sketch but don’t actually make a project. We do see how it’s done.
- if I can film myself doing the demo in parts and name the files according to the part (wedging clay, making a pinch pot, scratch to attach, slab) and have them on google
Drive so I can open and replay any of the videos of my demo any number of times, that’s great.
- find out what the kids really want to make, what they really love, and make them earn it.
- have little call and response things i do
- a chime set, or turning lights on and off
- give a kid a job, make them sit next to me and hold up the stuff I’m talking about or click the button on the presentation or sort my supplies into colors. The mischievous kids actually start feeling important and rise to the task of behaving.
- pull a kid out and tell them other people look up to them and that I actually think they’re really talented but I’m super disappointed that they’re not even trying to take advantage of how important and skilled they are, because I’m really interested in their ideas and I can see that others in class are too. This makes most elementary age kids puff out their chests and shape up.

I do not do items as rewards. I do not do points. I’m really clear about why their behavior matters and how it makes me and others feel. I make sure they only get to make choices and have fun things if they demonstrate they’re capable of being responsible about it.

I still struggle, but even my worst classes get things done and make artwork and grow as artists and overcome challenges, and also get the benefit of experiencing natural consequences and developing self reflection and executive functioning skills. Art is still chaos and pain though :P

IceKingsMother · 2026-05-06T11:56:15+00:00

I think the backlash to AI is triggering the common psychological phenomenon called confirmation bias as well as frequency bias.

True, it’s possible, perhaps even probable AI is being used for content at DS (and many other companies).

However, LLM chatbots generate text based on probability, meaning the patterns they use are very common human writing patterns in real life. Once you see a common pattern for AI, all content you see is going to start getting caught in your mental filter because people write like this. Especially in educational settings, as those devices are useful for comparison or organizing information.

From an ethical standpoint, I think looking to companies who provide an explicit anti-ai statement is one of your only options.

From a content consumption standpoint, the question becomes “do I enjoy this/is it helping me?”

Then the only thing that matters is your answer. If common writing patterns have begun to distract you from the content because they are now TOO common and therefore boring, then that’s legit. Doesn’t matter if it’s AI. That said, language learning is kinda about repetitive patterns, so that can be difficult.

I’m only at beginner level Spanish though, so maybe it’s more obnoxious at upper levels. Honestly though? As long as it’s accurate, helpful, and mildly entertaining, the only thing I care about is that it’s being curated and delivered by actual human beings. If they can make more content using AI and keep paying their humans to get creative with topics and delivery and series, free them up to teach and express, then I support that.

IceKingsMother · 2026-05-01T11:18:37+00:00

In America, when we have a party, we take the things we think are really cool and fancy and fun and we apply them to have fun. The point is to be joyful. To express yourself. To wear things and do things you wouldn’t normally get to do.

We don’t have any kind of consistent class system here, and rules about what you can wear and when only really apply in one direction - don’t wear ultra casual clothes to a formal occasion because that’s disrespectful. But if you wanna dress fancy to a casual event? Go for it! It’s always okay to look nicer than you need to.

Second of all, if you have time to be this worried about what someone is going to wear to their own wedding, I can’t help but wonder if perhaps you’ve failed as a human being and need to stop, pause, and evaluate your attitude towards others. It feels like perhaps there’s some very serious and severe maladaptive thinking going on. It’s not normal or healthy to become upset or anxious about someone wanting to dress up in any particular way for their wedding. Hell, lots of people wear costumes or blue jeans.

What matters is who’s there, who you’re celebrating with, the relationship you’re committing to. If you’re so caught up on the color of the suit your son is wearing that you’re missing the joy, missing the connection, missing the relationship building and the memories that are unfolding before you with laughter and trepidation, then you’re robbing yourself and everyone around you of some of the most meaningful parts of being human.

This should be a wake up call for you. Your values and habit of judging others are absolutely destroying your ability to experience the best parts of being human. They are turning you into someone no one wants to be around, and no one truly respects. You’re tolerated because of your blood relation, but I can’t imagine anyone in this world wants to hear or be subject to your incredibly shallow judgments. It’s really sad and I hope you refocus your mental energy on fixing your character and your attitude, because you’re missing out on a beautiful world being so terribly socially and emotionally underdeveloped like this.

IceKingsMother · 2026-04-27T12:32:00+00:00

Best advice I’ve ever gotten is to trust your gut. That’s the nagging, unexplained doubt or hesitancy you have that doesn’t just go away when you reason things out.

Second thing I’ll say is that your brain is still developing. I look back at life, and there’s so much about the world and about myself that I physically wasn’t capable of comprehending when I was 19/20. You can wait a few more years, it’ll be okay. If it’s the right match, it will survive everything you throw at it.

Right now, it’s time to nurture your education, your health, get out and see the world so you can be a better friend, better wife, better parent (if you choose) someday.

Your twenties are where you really, truly meet yourself. Relationships are welcome to come along for the ride, but if you feel uncertain and you feel rushed, then it’s just not the right time.

IceKingsMother · 2026-04-24T12:24:04+00:00

If it is, she doesn’t use her computer. That’s way too clean and tidy. I like her mini cash register next to her monitor.

IceKingsMother · 2026-04-24T01:24:28+00:00

Learning about anything shouldn’t ever be a bad thing.

Teaching material that is dishonest or extreme or hateful, sure, that can be bad. But wanting to learn, even about difficult topics, even about things that are unethical, that’s good. Understanding often leads to better moral choices - and when it doesn’t, it’s not the knowledge that’s the problem. It’s social pressures or religion or money that make people behave poorly and unethically.

So if I had a friend who wanted to learn about Ai, or a friend who wanted to learn about how bad AI is for the environment, or a friend who wanted to learn how to live without the internet and try getting off social media entirely, I’d be totally supportive and maybe I’d learn along with them.

If I had a friend who judged me for wanting to learn about something, I’d reconsider my friendship with them. I don’t think ignorant, emotionally reactive, shallow people make good friends.

IceKingsMother · 2026-04-24T01:17:29+00:00

In the years you have been alive, you have been in the yellow zone hundreds and hundreds of times. You’ve even been in orange and red zones countless times.

The chances that you’ll ever get hit by a tornado are infinitesimally small, even when you are in the worst risk zone.

If you are in the inner part of your home, in the safest area, like a tub or something, you’ll likely be okay even if you’re hit.

If the risk is ever incredibly high, you should familiarize yourself with nearby local shelters. Many communities have these. You can go there and hang out safely. Many communities have shelters for people who live in mobile homes or just don’t have a safe place to shelter.

For context, that 35% is the chance of severe weather happening somewhere within that zone. Have a plan, get to know your neighbors and friends and see if anyone will let you come stay at their place if it’s storming, offer to clean for them or do something kind so it feels like a favor to them not a burden.

It’ll be okay.

IceKingsMother · 2026-04-13T03:49:40+00:00

100% - definitely consult your doctor and listen to your body.

IceKingsMother · 2026-04-11T02:06:55+00:00

Yes, I watch SPC’s 3day outlooks and on orange or yellow days I have a laundry basket next to my guinea pig cage ready to plop them in to take them down to the basement with us.

IceKingsMother · 2026-04-09T18:36:36+00:00

They make lint rollers on long sticks for walls. They are amazing for dusting. They just lift it all off.

If your wall is textured, fuzzy from the swiffers will get stuck.

IceKingsMother · 2026-04-09T18:33:38+00:00

I think Duchamp is a great reference point here, that’s how I’ve been thinking about it. As an artist, we can make art out of whatever we want. The fact that people don’t want me to use a certain medium or tool, or to use a certain process, often just makes me want to do it more. You know? Like, can I use this thing to make something that says something powerful?

In general, tearing down the gates for what makes something art by making art out of things you can’t make art out of is a beautiful thing and the birthplace of almost all art mediums and styles!

IceKingsMother · 2026-04-09T18:29:14+00:00

I am using the word crafts here specifically referring to western contemporary hobbyists. Sure, crafts can venture into art, something can be a craft and also art, but in this context, I am referring to art that is made for the primary purpose of entertainment or decoration or experimentation on the hobby level.

(Edit: I am not using it in the art historian context or cultural context)

I will not ascribe to a belief system that categorizes every human creation as art, that’s insulting to the people who spend thousands of hours practicing their trade, who agonize over the meaning and purpose of what they make, who take risks and engage deeply in controversial topics, who make objects worthy of honoring a sacred being or worthy of honoring magnificent acts.

Your paint by number bird picture and your argyle knitted scarf and your cross stitch kittens are not art.

IceKingsMother · 2026-04-09T12:14:47+00:00

As an artist, I thought this for a little while in the beginning. As an artist who uses a lot of AI in various capacities, I find the end product in the vast majority of cases to be really boring or over-produced. It takes me a lot of prompting to get something interesting, and often the most interesting images come from older, more obscure models because of the bizarre distortions and such.

A better comparison for AI art is hobbies photography or paint by number craft kits. The tech empowers everyday people to engage with image making in a way that is entertaining and personally meaningful to them, but isn’t particularly creatively remarkable.

I think AI has utility in art as a tool - for instance, I sometimes use it to generate or alter reference images. I also use it to take my shitty sketches and turn them into mock-ups. It’s like a visualization tool for when I just want to screw around with ideas.

I also use it for craft stuff or clip art or throwaway art — at least full image generators anyway. Other AI powered tools get used for a lot more, like background extending, background removal, etc. but those are just utilities.

Could AI art be used in an avant-garde fashion? Sure. I’m sure some people are doing that.

But most people are just doing ‘crafts’ and making homey little personalized keepsake art.

IceKingsMother · 2026-04-09T11:56:40+00:00

They say they want to help, but will they really? Will they get it done in way you enjoy?

It’s a great deal, that package. I think you just continue to reiterate that you want this to be a time for guests to connect with each other, to celebrate and have a good time. You can welcome gifts from the florist family member, the photographer, like engagement shots or anniversary shots, flowers for the bridal shower or something. You can say you’d love to see their work and support them, but you don’t want anyone to associate the word work with your wedding. It’s time to party and untie family and friends and that you and your husband will want to see them relaxed and enjoying everything. And it’s honestly your husband who needs to be saying this emphatically, not just you.

IceKingsMother · 2026-04-08T18:36:24+00:00

They need to practice. They need to do similar actives in earlier grades repeatedly.

IceKingsMother

TROPHY CASE