Superman

Extreme Makeovers

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new gr with car

Marvel Comics is redesigning Ghost Rider for an upcoming series, which you can read about here (courtesy of http://www.newsarama.com).

Personally, I think the new digs look like the Japanese manga/anime series Bleach more than any American comic book hero/anti-hero.   See the resemblance?

Bleach_125 Raw 051    GR_FinalBustShot_TraddMoore

I see that both Bleach’s “Soul Reaper” and the Ghost Rider’s “Spirit of Vengeance” may need some ointment.  Or maybe some Maybelline.

This latest superhero redesign has inspired Newsarama writers to revisit their list of Top 10 Superhero Extreme Makeovers–The Good, the Bad, and the Super Ugly.

Superhero makeovers typically last less than a year before the hero/heroine returns to his/her iconic design.  Usually, the change coincides with a slight bump in sales and fan interest (or outrage) before things return to normal (i.e. Electro-Superman, Beard-n-Hook-Aquaman).

superman makeover                    aquaman makeover

Have you noticed any parallel with teaching yet?

Fads come and go, but quality teachers base their decisions on well-founded research and well-grounded application.

For those superheroes whose costume changes DO last for decades (and beyond), it’s typically because the original design was somehow incomplete or inconsistent with the true nature of the character (see Green Arrow, Daredevil).  Or maybe something didn’t click with the readers.  (When I see the original yellow/red DD, I don’t think hero.  I think hot dog.)

greenarrow makeover                      daredevil makeover

Unfortunately, some teachers are in dire need of an extreme makeover.  Perhaps they were insufficiently prepared, or they’ve developed some bad habits as the years go by.  Or maybe they just lost their passion.

How about you?

Do you need an extreme makeover?  (Move that bus!  Move that BUS!)

Not just change for change’s sake.  Don’t settle for a surface-level image update that will last  only a season.  Instead, challenge yourself to seriously reflect on your practice and its impact on students.  Search for any rough spots needing a revision.

The best teachers always GET BETTER.

And the best “change for the better” is the kind that remains for the years–and students–to come.

A milestone year . . .

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The year 2013 is the 75th anniversary of Superman’s debut in Action Comics #1.  Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s creation paved the way for countless superheroes in the years to come.  (Thanks, JS2!)

The year 2013 also marks the 100th anniversary of E.L. Thorndike’s Educational Psychology and the 60th anniversary of B.F. Skinner’s Science and Human Behavior, both of which have shaped countless teachers’ classroom instruction.  (Thanks, ELBF!)

thorndike edphysch

Pretty colors – just like a comic book!

skinner sci and hum beh

Who knew Skinner had his own insignia?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Given such a momentous year, why not celebrate both superheroes and teachers?

Teachers have a lot in common with superheroes.

Both have super-cool names.  Mr. Fantastic.  Ms. Marvel.  Captain America.  Mr. Mueller. Mrs. Scott.  Dr. Bergman.

Both have superpowers and specialties.  Flight.  Invulnerability.  Does whatever a spider can.  Can leap tall buildings in a single bound.  Can get a class of first graders to sit still and listen to a story.  Can inspire teenagers to apply algebra to their personal budget.  Possesses the stamina to grade a hundred essay exams in under five hours.

Both have hidden weaknesses.  Kryptonite.  Telekinetic redheads.  The color yellow.  Chocolate.  PowerPoint poisoning.  Eighth period on Fridays.

Both endure never-ending trials and tribulations for the cause of good and the greater benefit of others.  Teachers may not save the world on a daily basis, but they can make a difference in individual lives one day at a time.

And so as we celebrate both teachers and superheroes, consider how these professions—no, let’s call them what they truly are—consider how these callings contain so many similarities in their assorted traits, triumphs, tragedies, and more.

This blog (and someday book) hopes to share the joy of teaching and superheroes, recognizing classic works and cutting-edge innovations found in classrooms and/or comic books.  Look for resources, reflections, applications, and more in this ongoing adventure!

Excelsior!  Educatus!

Daniel J. Bergman, Ph.D., enjoys both teaching and superheroes.  That makes him a supernerd.