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"The unconscious will back off and shut down if it feels that the conscious is being too direct." This morning's session was an interesting take at how when we think about what we're doing, there are other activities going on inside simultaneously that may or may not stem what we are doing. Is it always the right thing to do to reprimand students in class who are off task? I am learning that the best thing is to somehow quietly let the student know that his/her actions are inappropriate. It can be done by placing a yellow card on their desk with a message, or speaking with them quietly about meeting me after class. What is accepted at my new school- what is their culture? "Culture is the shared story resulting from other people sharing their stories."

It goes back to a discussion we had in week one of this institute: We have to be discreet when students act up or are not working at their ability levels. Don't shoot from the hip is the right slogan. Don't let your unconscious conjure up some not appropriate comment at the wrong time. The whole culture may be that students should be embraced, not harassed.

I can understand how Mark Rothco's artwork reflects the unconscious. I looked at today's painting and I saw a feeling of calm emotions at the top half and a feeling of intense emotions at the bottom half (of the canvas). I have a personal situation that affects me emotionally: When I feel really guilty about something, my internal temperature rises and I feel warm. Sometimes flu-like symptoms follow for about 18 hours. Sometimes I get a low grade fever or a mild flu for two days. All these things happen because my unconscious is playing havoc with my conscious. It's a "chemical" reaction inside my body (I've been advised), or it's the result of another kind of conscious-unconscious looping.

Finally, I can't wait to tell my wife what havoc she wreaks on my driving when she tries to direct how I am driving from the second she sits down in my car, until the time when we've reached our destination!