But the core idea involves why imaginary exponentiation means a rotation in the complex plane! If you don't have that part, you're not talking about i at all, y

But the core idea involves why imaginary exponentiation means a rotation in the complex plane! If you don't have that part, you're not talking about i at all, you're just teaching the concept of rotation, with the same symbols as are used in complex math. You would have the exact same explanation if you were teaching about rotation unconnected to imaginary numbers or exponentiation at all!