Intro to Hagology

Greetings little creatures in my computer…

Welcome to my Substack! I am using this as a personal space for me to outline, document, & share my Personal Curriculum. This is where I will post syllabi, updates, assignments, & anything else I think is important during my learning journey!

While this is mostly a personal space, I welcome anyone who’s interested to come along with me, whether with my materials, or with curricula of your own design. I miss learning. I miss academic collaboration. And I’m so excited to create a space for myself that fosters these feelings.

Subject Ideas

Below is a list of some subjects that I’m interested in learning about! A Personal Curriculum is just that: personal. It should be filled with questions you want to answer & topics you want to discover. I encourage anyone who follows along with me to make their own, but if you need some inspiration, here’s my list:

• A Study in Classic Literature

• Origins of Astrology

• The Salem Witch Trials

• Celtic Mythology

• Famous US Hauntings

• A Deep Study of Dante Alighieri

• Basics of Paganism

• Dark Souls Lore

• Tarot 101

• History of Ireland

Modes of Learning

Each subject will be studied over the span of two months (eight weeks), with one mid-term project, & one final project. A minimum of 3 hours a week will be dedicated to each subject over it’s term.

Materials will include:

• Books

• Podcasts

• YouTube videos

• Documentaries

• News/Scientific articles

• Free, online courses (if applicable)

General Outline for Courses

I personally thrive within structure, so I’ve made a loose outline for the flow of each course, broken up by week. This is mainly to make planning easier, but I think it’s also good to know when I’ll want to take more time for myself & my learning!

Week 1 - Set objectives, create course materials list, first homework assignment

Week 2 - Second homework assignment, outline midterm project

Week 3 - Third homework assignment, start midterm

Week 4 - Midterm all week! Due at the end of the week

Week 5 - No homework! Outline final project

Week 6 - Fourth homework assignment, start final

Week 7 - Course reflection, work on final

Week 8 - Final all week! Due at the end of the week

Homework Ideas

I know that some of us might get war flashbacks from seeing the word “homework”, but really these assignments are just ways to make sure you reflect on the materials. Mix & match, use, don’t use, whatever is going to get you to think more deeply about what you’re learning!

• Read a specific portion of a book (chapter(s), pages, read to midpoint, etc.)

• Watch X amount of videos from X channel

• Write a blog post

• Journal/reflection

• Field trip!

• Make a themed meal

• Watch documentary

• Podcast episode

Mid-term/Final Ideas

I had a LOT of fun coming up with a few little assignments for the “mid” & “final” projects of these courses. This was one of my favorite parts of teaching, creating little projects that engage your brain & demonstrate what you’ve learned. Below is a general list of assignments you could adapt to whatever subject you’re studying!

• Video with major takeaways (posted on socials, or not!)

• Themed journal spread/moodboard

• Day trip with itinerary

• Essay w/ choice of prompt

• Deep-dive

• Portfolio

• Comparative analysis

• Creative assignment - painting, diorama, knitting, embroidery, baking, etc.

Outro

I’ve been working on my first “class” for a few days now - I’m starting with a study in classical literature, complete with a reading list, homework, & mid/final projects. I’ll be doing a lot of my studying in a notebook, but I’ll post the full curriculum, complete with objectives, homework, schedule, & materials here when it’s all done!

I’m excited to go on this journey. Hopefully some of you will start your own journeys. There is so much bliss in the little decisions we make for ourselves every day, & I think this is a great way to add more of them.