Courage and Fear
Newsletter
Ever wonder why we don’t change? The specific reasons may vary, but they all have roots in fear. I explore my own resistance to change in this post.
The process I shared for overcoming our fears is from Beth Buelow’s book The Introverted Entrepreneur: Amplify Your Strengths and Create Success on Your Own Terms.
I also referenced The Nerdy Book Club blog, one of the best online resources for finding great literature for the classroom and learning from other educators.
When we say “That teacher has high expectations”, what are we really conveying? I briefly explore this idea and why we make excuses for poor performance in this post.
When growing up, what did you read? Comics and (now) graphic novels are common fare for kids, even though they sometimes stoke concern with educators and parents. Check out my post on this topic.
A website you must check out is Wisconsin DPI’s “Wisconsin Writes” project. This initiative, led by Marci Glaus, reveals the writing process of published authors and students (including my courageous son!).
Regie Routman, respected educator and literacy guru, shared a video from Winnipeg Schools of how students wrote comics to communicate the importance of the environment for younger peers.
In the comments section of the comics post, Jen Robinson shares her own story of letting her daughter read whatever she wanted on her way to becoming a reader.
Neil Gaiman, esteemed author, gave an interview about the power of comics and why they are perceived as less than equal to other forms of literature.
A favorite quote from Gaiman: “Comics, because of the capacity for offense that an image can give, will always have one foot in the gutter…pictures cannot be ignored.”
P.S. What do you think of the newsletter so far? Feel free to leave a comment about what you like, what you don’t like, and/or how it could be improved.