Super-Souvenirs

Last time we talked about lessons learned from conventions, whether the audience is teachers or cosplayers.

I nearly forgot one of the best rewards of attending conferences and meetings . . . the STUFF!

The swag . . . the loot . . . the prizes . . . the souvenirs.

This past weekend I participated in a state teacher conference, and I got a few of the usual convention freebies — posters, books, pens, highlighters, candy, a shirt, and more. Someone I know even won a free corn snake!

Take me home!

The best convention prize I ever got was a children’s book about Buzz Aldrin, signed by the astronaut himself!

buzz book

This very same weekend I came home and took my family to Marvel Universe Live! (Think “Disney on Ice” with superheroes on motorcycles and high-wire acts.)

MUL_05_web bikes.png

The show was full of explosions, stuntmen (and stuntwomen), along with cheesy comic book dialogue. Best of all, it’s the only way (so far) you can see live-action Avengers fight alongside live-action X-Men and Spider-Man.

mc-review-marvel-universe-live-at-ppl-center-has-flaws-but-is-big-and-fun-20151016.jpg

My kids loved the show (me and the wife, too), and they also loved the souvenirs. Just like conferences and conventions, this event had gobs of stuff to take home. Such trinkets cost money, though.

But where else are you going to get an exclusive Marvel Universe Live! Prelude Comic Book?

prelude comic

Or giant-sized Program Book (with embossed cover)?

mu_live_program book

Or Captain America Boomerang? (It works, too . . . in theory.)

boomerang

Or official Marvel Universe Live! cotton candy (with superhero mask)?

cotton candy.jpg

My family bought all of these beauties – BONUS!

Another lesson learned from this weekend is that teachers give their students an array of souvenirs over the course of a school year. And I’m not just talking about content knowledge.

Every year, I ask my pre-service teachers to imagine their students at the end of the year. In an ideal world, what will those kids be like? What skills will they possess? What traits, habits, and feelings do they have?

Elementary school pupils running outside

I’ve written about this before in a more scholarly setting. To be brief, the new teachers end up with a short list of about ten items. The same types of traits and skills always emerge.

Teachers want students who are . . .

Critical Thinkers
Creative
Problem Solvers
Caring and Kind
Hard Workers
Curious
Lifelong Learners
Collaborative
Effective Communicators

And students who possess solid content understanding, of course.

School routine

Souvenirs are an important part of comic book conventions, education conferences, superhero stunt shows, and even school classrooms.

Some are free. Others are pricy. Cost does not always correlate with value.

What are your classroom’s best souvenirs?

Consider what “souvenirs” you provide for students over the course of the year. Make sure they are treasures that last a lifetime.

marvel souvenirs

What’s in a Name?

Keen-eyed readers will notice that this blog has recently changed its official name from Teaching is for Superheroes! to Teach Like a Superhero! (The exclamation point remains!)

Not that big of a change, really, except that the new name rolls off the tongue a little more easily. Another change is the primary web address: http://www.teachlikeasuperheroblog.com. This new URL is not very short, but it gets to the point.

(I tried a shorter address, but “www.tlash.com” sounds like an eyeliner product. And a good of an excuse as any to share this meme inspired by Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

If all of this http://www.mumbo.jumbo stresses you out, don’t worry. The old web address, http://www.teachingsupeherheroes.wordpress.com, still works and will lead you right back here.

This post is not just an announcement about blog name changes.

Let’s talk about names of superheroes and names of teachers.

I remember two things from my very first teacher back-to-school in-service meeting. The first memory is a litany of details regarding health insurance and employee benefits. The second memory is our assistant principal reminding us all that we are “Mr. Smith,” not “Smith” or “Mr. S.”

His point was to start the school year establishing a professional identify and requiring our students to address us as such. It may seem like no big deal for a student to abbreviate your name (“Mr. B.”) or leave off your honorific (“Bergman”). Some teachers may even welcome such nicknames to foster a more relaxed classroom environment.

But we must always be careful to not get too comfortable with our students. Stop and consider the range of impacts this lackadaisical habit could impart.

I’m sure I’ve allowed my students to call me all sorts of things and get away with it. But it does help to maintain a level of respect among everyone – teacher to student, student to teacher, teacher to teacher, student to student, and more.

Proper names matter among superheroes, too, and not just with maintaining secret identities. Personally, I cringe whenever I read superheroes calling each other playful nicknames.

They’re heroes, not BFFs!

Superhero nicknames have long been a staple in comics. Witty banter and clever monikers keep the “funny” in funny books, after all. And it helps convey some characters’ personalities.

Wolverine, for example, with Colossus:

And here (off-panel) with Professor Xavier:

The best name-caller, of course, was Stan “The Man” Lee, who was so proficient he even came up with nicknames for his real-life co-workers (e.g. Jack “The King” Kirby, “Jazzy” Johnny Romita, “Merry” Gerry Conway, and many MANY more right here).

Like any good joke, though, overuse of superhero sobriquets can get tiresome. Especially among champions who should focus their attention on more important things – like fighting bad guys and saving the world!

What’s worse, many of these affectionate nicknames can actually undermine the job of life-risking heroics.

“Spidey” for Spider-Man works fine for his hip quippy character; but take a look at other heroes and their less-dignified labels:

Batman = “Bats”

Superman = “Supes”

Green Lantern = “GL”

Ugh. Apparently, characters in the DC Universe have a thing for abridging names. Marvel nicknames, though more colorful, can still cheapen a heroic legacy.

The Mighty Thor = “Goldilocks”

The Hulk = “Ol’ Greenskin”

Iron Man = “Shellhead”

Captain America = “Cap,” “Winghead,” “Star-Spangled Avenger”

We come back to Captain America because it’s maybe the clearest example of a noble hero who’s legendary status is downgraded by casual familiarity. And it’s not just by fellow heroes, but even by us regular citizens.

Call me a Stick-in-the-Mud (“Bromidic Bergman”), but superheroes deserve a little more formality. The same goes for teachers. Although it may seem cool for kids to use teacher nicknames, be careful with letting things get too capricious or contemptuous.

So whenever you hear a student or colleague refer to you as “Mrs. T” or “Thompson” or “Yo, Teach,” gently remind them how they can address you more properly.

Just remember, it’s not “Mr. F.” It’s Mr. Fantastic.

And it’s not “Incredible;” it’s Mr. Incredible.

And it’s not “Marvel;” it’s Ms. Marvel.

Actually, the original Ms. Marvel goes by Captain Marvel now.

But never “Cap.”

Heroic Integration

It’s been a while since our last blog post and we have all kinds of critically important issues to talk about, starting with . . . OH YEAH! AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON super-duper blockbuster opens THIS WEEKEND!

The latest greatest superhero movie can provide a useful springboard for exploring the dangers of relying too much on technology (e.g. resulting in an evil sentient robot that tries to kill all humankind). Forget a vengeful Ultron or iPad; beware of students plugged in but tuned out to meaningful learning.

We’ll table that discussion for another time, however, given recent chatter about another famous Marvel character who may possibly join Earth’s Mightiest Heroes on the big screen: Spider-Man.

avengersassembled-the-future-of-the-avengers-marvel-s-plans-robert-downey-jr-spider-man

Thanks to Photoshop, we already have a poster!

Like Captain America and company, Spider-Man is a mainstay Marvel Comics character. But up until now, everyone’s favorite web-slinger has appeared in his separate series of movies due to film rights owned by Sony Pictures.

Confused? Don’t worry, because bigwig producers have signed important papers and the stars have aligned and now Spidey can swing along with the Avengers in the official “Marvel Cinematic Universe,” or MCU.

Fan reaction has been understandably joyous, given the potential team-up between Marvel’s flagship hero and Marvel’s flagship hero team. Heck, the good folks at IGN have already imagined what Age of Ultron would look like with Spider-Man in the mix. Take a look at their trailer here, if you’re curious.

Enthusiasm has erupted for integrating even more heroes in the movies. Speculation abounds if Marvel’s other movie heroes – the X-Men, the Fantastic Four – could ever merge into the MCU. Even Wolverine’s Hugh Jackman wants to join in the mix.

Coming to a movie theater near you?

Such integration of superheroes (a.k.a. worlds colliding) may appear as a bounty of riches; but there could be a downside.

Ever heard of too much of a good thing?

A common feature of disappointing superhero movies is a glut of characters in the script. Spider-Man 3 had Sandman and Venom and the Green Goblins clogging the villain faucet. Batman & Robin was actually Batman and Robin and Batgirl and Poison Ivy and Bane and Mr. Freeze. Superman III had Richard Pryor.

Proving that “Two’s a Crowd.”

Curriculum Integration in schools is another appealing mash-up that may have a hidden downside or two.

Basically, integrating curriculum is what teachers do when they teach lessons combining two or more major subjects or disciplines. Examples are as obvious as teaching algebra and graphing with a science experiment, and as unique as an instructor’s imagination. I know of a middle school that features a building-wide interdisciplinary unit all about the Greek Olympics. Every class studies some aspect of the ancient athletes – math, history, language arts, visual arts, science, P.E., and more.

Sounds neat, right? And perhaps a little daunting to pull off, given the coordination of teachers, resources, and activities. But that’s just a challenge, not the downside. The upside is collaborative educators and students energized by explicit and relevant connections among various scholarly endeavors (subjects).

The danger of curriculum integration in classrooms is similar to those in superhero movies. Cramming in too much can end up in confusion and misconceptions. Content may be watered down, spread thin, or lost in the shuffle.

Take a minute to look at this article, “A Caveat: Curriculum Integration Isn’t Always a Good Idea,” by Jere Brophy and Janet Alleman for a more robust examination of this strategy. Better yet, print it out and read it while you wait in line for your Avengers movie tickets. Or download it on your portable digital device.

Technology can be great. So can curriculum integration. Just be careful.

Fantastic Teaching

The latest superhero movie teaser to hit the internet is that of Fantastic Four, a.k.a: FANT4STIC:

If a Fantastic Four movie sounds familiar, that’s because there have already been two big budget FF films since 2005.

For an interesting comparison, take a look at the 2005 Fantastic Four movie‘s trailer (starring a pre-Captain America Chris Evans and a post-Commish Michael Chiklis):

Now watch the teaser of the 2015 version:

Quite the difference in tone, don’t you think?

But to me, that’s what makes iconic superheroes so special. Building off a core of archetypal characters and themes, different creators can tell stories through a variety of styles. (And it’s always fun to see fresh new takes on superpowers.)

Like parallel universes in comic books, a parallel application exists in the world of teaching. In order to reach students and inspire meaningful learning, an effective teacher applies his or her individual personality and talents to a framework of fundamental research and established methods.

So let’s talk about some essential elements of ~~effective~~ fantastic teaching, using Marvel’s first family for inspiration (and images courtesy of artist Bruce Timm).

Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards)

Egocentric name aside, Mr. Fantastic is known for his amazing intellect as much as his elastic superpowers. Two things we can take from the Fantastic Four’s leader:

1. Teachers must be smart. For those of us with normal IQ’s, we must do our best to study and develop rich understanding. This growing knowledge base should be limited to our particular subject(s), but all the arts and sciences, and–perhaps more importantly–research on how people learn and applicable teaching strategies.

2. Teachers must be flexible. You don’t have to wear a uniform made of unstable molecules (though it’d be cool to try), but you must be ready to bend, twist, and stretch if you want to stay sane.

Human Torch (Johnny Storm)

In addition to flexibility, fantastic teachers have a healthy sense of humor, much like the FF’s resident jokester. And figuratively speaking, teachers should be able to instantly “flame on” and fire up a jaded class into a group of enthusiastic learners.

Invisible Woman (Susan Storm-Richards)

Here’s where we get more profound. Teachers are often most effective when they stay out of the spotlight. Instead, they put the primary focus on learning and encourage students to take responsibility and leadership in the process.

A common motto used among educators is to relinquish the classroom role of “sage on the stage” and be a “guide on the side.” Sometimes, that guide is so good the students hardly notice his or her presence.

In many ways, Sue Storm has the most powerful abilities among her teammates. Not only can she turn invisible, she also can produce invisible force fields for both offensive and defensive purposes. Teachers must also do their best to protect their students and colleagues from all kinds of dangerous attacks – unseen or otherwise.

The Thing (Ben Grimm)

In addition to protecting students, fantastic teachers also need to protect themselves. Like the ever lovable, blue-eyed Thing, teachers must exhibit some thick skin. We have to withstand a daily barrage of gripes and wisecracks that rival Dr. Doom’s black magic blasts.

Fool! Doom never does homework!

To use another metaphor, teachers should be judicious in deciding when “It’s clobberin’ time!”

Even fantastic teachers have students who occasionally act out worse than Mole Man’s Moloids. We can’t simply exile these misguided minions into the Negative Zone. But we can’t allow class clowns to ruin everyone else’s opportunity to learn, either.

Your teacher’s worst nightmare.

It takes wisdom (sometimes a Reed Richards-level of intellect) to know how to squash misbehavior without squashing the student (emotionally, that is). It also requires a mix of courage and compassion. Even the best teachers aren’t perfect in determining when and how to manage, discipline, and/or overlook student actions and attitudes.

Nobody’s perfect. But we can strive to be fantastic. Use insight from the “World’s Greatest Comic Magazine” to help you get there.

No cosmic radiation required.

It’s SHOWTIME!

The fall television season is upon us, and it’s full of several shows (some old, some new) featuring superheroes.

In fact, there are so many comic book-based shows on TV that you could make the argument it’s the “Golden Age of Television Superheroes.”

I’m waiting to see how these shows turn out and how the Netflix/Marvel deal transpires. On the surface, though, things look promising. Here’s a useful list summarizing all of the current, new, and future superhero and/or comic book-themed shows, courtesy of the fine folks at Newsarama.

Also from Newsarama, here are their 10 BEST and 10 WORST Comic Book Live-Action TV Series of All Time. (Animated series is a whole different category, but it’s safe to bet on anything related to Bruce Timm and Paul Dini.)

For now, I’d say the Golden Age of TV Superheroes was the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, which gave us gems like The Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman, The Greatest American Hero, and Spider-Man on The Electric Company (with narration by Mr. March of the Penguins himself, Morgan Freeman).

As a bonus, this era also included The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, and preceded the wave of cool-vehicle-based shows like Knight Rider, Airwolf, Street Hawk, and Magnum, P.I., which featured the one-two combo of a Ferrari 308GTS and Tom Selleck’s mustache!

‘Stache trumps the car every time . . .

Getting off topic here, so let’s talk about television and teaching.

How do you use TV and videos in the classroom?

Shameless plug: I’ve done a little writing in the past about using movies and video clips to enhance science lessons. You can read a little bit about that here and here.

No matter what you teach, below are a few tips about sharing video clips with your students:

1. Decide WHY you need the video.

What does the video do that you can’t do in another way, including hands-on experiences, interactive presentations, collaborative discussions, outdoor investigations, role-play scenarios, and more? Sure, using a video clip is easy because you can pop in the disc or click on the computer. But what materials and activities will create the most meaningful and memorable learning? If it’s a video, then go for it!

2. Make it an active, not passive process.

Related to #1 above, students should not just act as passive audience members during the viewing. Give them something to do while they watch. Observe and categorize specific attributes, list examples and/or questions, answer questions or prompts on a handout.

With the handout approach, be careful that you don’t make it a scavenger hunt for trivia. If you do, students will pay attention to those tidbits only and not benefit from the overall experience. If you want them to complete a handout, be sure you emphasize just a few key concepts so students don’t get bogged down looking to fill in a mundane list of blanks.

Very rarely will a video by itself teach the students anything worthwhile. As a teacher, you need to be there to guide students’ thinking and foster discussion. This includes before and after the video, as well as during. (You’ve got that pause button for a reason!) Remember the ideal rating of “TG: Teacher Guidance Suggested.”

3. Decide WHEN you should show the video.

Videos are more than “rewards” students can enjoy at the end of a unit or after a test. What’s the value if you wait until then to show it? Instead, reflect on your unit sequence and consider when a particular video best serves the students’ learning. You could use it as an eye-catching opening, part of an introductory pretest or puzzler, a formative review or extension, a prompt for homework or application, or even part of a summative assessment.

4. Keep it short and sweet.

Very rarely should something as dull as a “movie day” occur in your classroom. A common rule of thumb in education is no activity or task should last longer than 20 minutes during class. By breaking things up, teachers can help students stay focused and motivated to learn. The same goes for video clips. Stick to showing the key scene or segment that matters, which may only be a couple of minutes at a time.

Furthermore, when using a clip from a popular movie or television show, I never show the ending. Sometimes I don’t even show the end of the scene, leaving the students with a cliffhanger and spawning a chorus of disappointed groans from the class. But consider how much this motivates them to think further after class is finished. What parent wouldn’t be thrilled if their son or daughter asked them to check Netflix or take a trip to Family Video so they can finish a movie they first saw in school?

Bus jump from “Speed.” Will Keanu and Sandra make it? Let’s do PHYSICS!

Another reason for using a specific clip is to edit out any superfluous or inappropriate content. Speaking of which . . .

5. Get parental and principal approval.

When using any entertainment-based media, or even educational materials that may be controversial, plan ahead and check with your supervisors (principal, department chair, etc.) to see if they have any concerns or advice. At times, they may recommend sending a note or email to students’ parents/guardians so everyone is clear on the content and purpose of the media. And for any sensitive topics, it provides the opportunity to opt out if anyone objects. It also is helpful to have a back-up activity or alternative task for those who may not watch the video, whether by choice or by circumstance.

6. Keep it legal.

All kinds of stories exist about the proper use of media by teachers and threatening lawsuits from corporations. If you’re not sure what is okay or not okay about using media, check with your school’s media specialist (a.k.a. librarian), who usually knows the latest.

Also, here is a terrific resource for teachers regarding copyright and “fair use” guidelines, provided by TechLearning. I’ve saved this PDF onto my computer and printed copies to keep in my teaching binders as a quick reference.

For me, the most important guideline is found in the “Fine Print” about videos: “use should be instructional, not for entertainment or reward.”

So will anything from the current crop of Superhero TV shows be worthy of classroom use? Tune in to find out!

What is Success?

It’s not even mid-May and we’ve already got two superhero movies out in theaters, with more to come. While Captain America: The Winter Soldier made record-breaking April box office numbers, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 recently opened and also topped the $90 million mark for its weekend debut. Not too shabby.

Or is it?

Such an astronomical income may look, well, amazing. But some entertainment pundits are asking, “Is it a success?”

Such a question is not so strange when comparing ticket sales among similar movies, including prequels and sequels. Another item to consider is how much money it takes to make the movie (salaries, special effects, marketing, insurance, craft services, etc.). Making 90 million bucks over a single weekend may not seem so spectacular when it reportedly cost triple that amount to make the film.

All this talk about multimillions may have you thinking about teacher paychecks, but that’s not the real purpose of this post.

Actually, the big question “What is success?” should be asked frequently in our schools and classrooms.

Report Card Time

Recent results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)–also known as “the nation’s report card“–show that American students haven’t really increased their success rate in the past five years. We’ve talked previously about how it’s important for teachers to closely review assessment data and speak out when and where they can (shameless plug). But it’s also important to examine results and consider what is success.

The NAEP report finds that for U.S. high school seniors, less than 40% are proficient (or higher) in reading, and only one fourth (26%) are proficient or better in math. Results also indicate that gaps in achievement among races/minorities are as wide as ever.

Ouch. That doesn’t sound like success to me.

So many factors contribute to assessment results, more than we have time or space (or attention span) to discuss here. But it is important to stop and determine our definition of success in schools.

First off, it’s essential we not equate 100% with success. Major League Baseball players are potential All-Stars if they get a hit one out of every three times at bats. Babe Ruth’s career batting average was .342. On the current list of active MLB players, the batting average leader is some guy named Joe Mauer, sitting at .322 (my apologies, Minnesota Twins fans).

I remember band directors telling us that we had to hit 100% of our musical notes during every performance, comparing our task with those slacker multimillionaires in ball caps. Full disclosure: I never played every note perfectly during every concert. Didn’t stop the audience from clapping. And it didn’t stop me from playing.

Winning Percentages

Even Spider-Man himself didn’t win every comic book battle. (It’d be boring if he did, wouldn’t it?) According to Marvel’s own statistics, the webbed hero was victorious less than 60% of the time, just below villain Nightmare (59.4%) and above Iron Man (57.8%). Check out the interactive and informative (and awesome) “Battle Breakdown” of Marvel Comics characters, courtesy of Wired magazine and author/designer Tim Leong.

(You should also check out Tim Leong’s website and Tumblr, along with his award-winning book Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to the Comic Book Universe, for some super-nifty graphical analyses of superhero stats. Here’s a sample, this one a breakdown of primary colors among hero costumes:

)

Interestingly, anti-hero The Punisher (as in “The Ohio State University”) has the highest winning percentage (86.9%, and only 2 ties) above all the other Marvel heroes. This roster includes Captain America, Mr. Fantastic, the Hulk, Thor, Wolverine, and Daredevil.

Winning Tip #1: Bring a bazooka to a gun fight.

Still, I think I’d rather be rescued by many other heroes before seeking The Punisher’s help. It’s “Punisher” with a capital P, after all. In his quest for vigilante justice, Frank Castle puts a permanent end to bad guys (i.e. dead), as opposed to more noble champions who abide to a higher moral code. As teachers, we know that a little bit of mercy can go a long way.

Maybe winning isn’t everything. Maybe success depends on context.

In baseball, 33% hitting is great. In music, you aim for 100% (unless it’s jazz). In civil engineering, I hope it’s also close to 100%. I don’t want a bridge built by someone who earned an 80% in geometry.

So what is success in education?

According to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the goal was for EVERY child to perform at grade level in reading and math by the year 2014.

Have we reached that level yet? We only have half a year to go!

In one of my graduate classes, our instructor (a high school principal whose last name was Mann, so he was literally “Principal Mann!”) once told us the following with respect to student achievement: “You can feed a donkey the best oats, give it the best trainer and exercise regimen, and hire the best jockey. But when you race that animal in the Kentucky Derby, it’s still a donkey.”

Not every kid will be a straight-A student. If they were, what’s so special about straight-As? Success is different for each individual.

I remember sitting in one of my undergraduate science classes (astrophysics), and another professor had just posted grade results outside in the hall. A mob of students clumped in front of the list, eager to learn the results. Among the mumble and grumble, one jovial dude thunder clapped his hands and cheered, “D-plus!!!”

Success is relative, maybe.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t push each other (and ourselves) to get better.

Hopefully, you aren’t aiming for the plus side of below average. Hopefully, you aren’t hoping for 80%. I want all of my students to perform at a 100% level. I know that probably won’t happen. But it doesn’t mean I won’t try for it.

Another mentor of mine–Dr. Clough (rhymes with rough ‘n’ tough!)–used to say, “Aim for perfection, and you will reach excellence.”

Is that optimism? Or realism? Optirealism?

Let’s put aside our pessimism that some kids will just “never get it” and focus instead on what they can do. The results may amaze you.

I’m optimistic that another Amazing Spider-Man sequel will show up in the coming years. I’m optirealistic that it’ll be good.

Superhero Therapy

The title of this blog entry may have you thinking that superheroes need therapy. And, in fact, most probably do.

Who else dresses in a mask, tights, armor, and/or a cape and dives into danger at the drop of a hammer*?

*Or in Thor’s case, the drop of Mjolnir—which can magically zip back into his hand à la Harry Potter’s Accio summoning charm. (Handy!)

Therapy for superheroes is something in definite need of attention. And a clinical psychologist actually has done some work on this, which you can read about here.

Check it out and then return here.

Back yet? Good.

The news story that inspired THIS entry is actually about how therapists have been using superheroes (and other geeky things) to help kids and adults. You can read the original story at The Daily Beast’s website.

Done? Okay, let’s talk about teaching.

But first let’s talk about Doc Samson, who’s both a superhero AND a therapist. How cool is that?

: Crackin’ skulls . . . Freudian style.

The good doctor is a “gamma-irradiated friend, rival, and psychiatrist of Bruce Banner.” Dr. Bruce Banner is, of course, better known as the Incredible Hulk.

Doc Samson first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #141 back in 1971, and does most of his adventuring alongside (or against) Marvel’s Green Goliath.

The most memorable Doc Samson stories, however, feature him sitting in his psychiatrist chair. Such therapy sessions include two of the best issues of X-Factor.

Take a gander here and here to glimpse into the inner lives of B-level mutants.

NOW let’s talk about teaching.

Where does superhero-themed therapy fit into the classroom?

Consider why kids (and adults) respond so well to superheroes for therapeutic treatment. These icons of hope and heroism provide an outlet through which individuals can express their own doubts, decisions, and conflict in life.

And it’s not just comic book characters, either. The Daily Beast feature puts it this way:

“We’re all aware of the basic transformative properties of popular culture——namely, its ability to cheer you up, to make you laugh, and to make you cry.”

If therapists can use such elements to connect with their patients, imagine the power of linking popular culture with learning.

Teachers don’t have to cater to every student’s craze or hobby. And we shouldn’t dilute or distort the content in a lame attempt to appear “cool.”

But we can pay attention to our students’ lives and watch for ways to relate our subject to their interests. This is especially helpful with challenging and abstract topics.

(Do your students struggle with primary/secondary light colors and pigments? Try using examples from the Green Lantern and the rest of the Emotional Spectrum heroes.)

: Colorful and Educational!

These examples don’t have to be from superheroes, geek culture, or popular media. Students are diverse, as are their interests–sports, music, literature, the visual arts, traditions, and more.

There are times when teachers feel like we must be our students’ therapists. And there are times when we need some therapy of our own.

But at all times, we can make learning memorable and meaningful. One way to do that is by using illustrations and stories from pop culture. Superheroes are prime candidates for this job.

(As soon as they get out of therapy.)

	Vincent Griffin on Summer Break
	Who’s Your Hug… on Batman and/or Robin
	Who’s Your Hug… on Multiple Madness
	Who’s Your Hug… on “What if . . . ?”…
	“What if . . .… on Stark Talking

Teach Like a Superhero!

(tights and cape optional)

Hulk

Super-Souvenirs

What’s in a Name?

Let’s talk about names of superheroes and names of teachers.

Heroic Integration