Navigating the journey of life is tough, and students need to be prepared. As schools build up their support systems, there is an additional (and perhaps unexpected) way to fortify young people against the challenges of life: teach them hero stories.
Two of the greatest storytellers of all-time, J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia, said that stories have a special power—a healing power.
James Holzhauer, the reigning champion of Jeopardy!, cited some of my textbooks as one place where he gathered some knowledge for his record-setting streak on the popular gameshow.
Although I am a teacher of typical English courses as well, it was a mythology course that gave me the biggest challenge of my life. (You can read more about that adventure here.) Teaching mythology challenged me to develop my teaching style—prompting the creation of almost all the materials you will find on this website. So, needless to say, mythology is special to me. Beasts, quests, and monsters are all part of mythology, but at its heart is the hero. Not surprisingly, one of my favorite things to teach is heroes and the concept of the Hero’s Journey. If you...
From Pinocchio, Cinderella,and Dumboto Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King,and Mulan,Disney animated movies are an almost-universal language, a collection of common stories we practically all recognize. They may be popular entertainment, but they also serve some of the same functions that myths did for ancient peoples.