READER OF THE MONTH: Comics in the classroom
Hi folks, I’ve got some good news: There will be another Zen Pencils book collection released this October! You can see the cover image here. It’s very exciting and I’ll have more details closer to the launch, but as I’m now working on putting that together, there might not be a new comic update for a couple of weeks. In the meantime, here is a very special edition of Reader of the Month.
The biggest surprise to come out of Zen Pencils was hearing from teachers that the comics were being used for educational purposes. I honestly never intended for that to happen, I was just making these comics for myself. Here’s a great example of how they’re being used at a school in the UK. This post was written by Jane Warren, a journalist and also the mother of Bea, who is featured in the story.
Bea and Phoebe, both aged 10, were introduced to Zen Pencils at Wisborough Green Primary School in West Sussex, UK. Senior teacher Johnny Loizides discovered the book and lent it to Bea. “When you come across a book like this you just have to share it,” he says. “I’m trying to tell my class of nine and 10 year olds how the world works and what they need to do to find happiness and fulfilment.”
Bea was captivated instantly by the book, which she read cover-to-cover the same evening, sharing her revelations with her family as she found truths and insights that felt instantly accessible, meaningful and exciting. “I like Zen Pencils because it’s a way of telling young children about important things but in a fun way, so they actually pay attention,” says Bea, who received her own copy as a 10th birthday present in March from her parents. It now travels to and from school in her book bag every day as an essential bit of her current life’s equipment. “It has made me look at the world differently,” she explains.
Phoebe has found the comics equally valuable. “I like Zen Pencils because they inspire you to do something differently,” she says. “But some of them just help you to be cheerful. I got out of the book that if you try, anything is possible. These cartoons also help people, and they tell you how to be happy.”
“My mummy has always copied quotes onto the walls inside our house and as we’ve got older we have started reading them and remembering them,” says Bea. The quotes include Maya Angelou’s rallying cry to individualism: ‘If you are always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be’, which is inked onto the stairwell so the children can see it whenever they ascend the staircase. “We loved reading them and we started creating our own after my six-year-old brother Willem asked if he could write a quote on the wall too,” says Bea. “Willem wrote ‘Live, it’s the whole point of life’ and another day he wrote ‘The world is big so travel it’. This morning before school I suddenly got inspiration and wrote ‘People may dislike you, people may hate you, however put all these things aside, you must like you.’”
Soon Bea, Phoebe and their friends at school were producing their own original philosophical cartoon strips inspired by Zen Pencils. As Phoebe says: “I think that the pictures express what the words are saying, they make them more visually clearer.” Click image to enlarge.
Johnny has been delighted by the way children in his class have responded to the comics. “I love comic books and I love the informal art form of comics,” he says. “The complex and the profound can be expressed elegantly and poetically, without dumbing down or simplifying the real message,” he says. “The children loved the Zen Pencils book and understood the narrative form. The artwork enhances and contextualises the sometimes complex and deep statements. It never simplifies or patronizes the truth of the statement, but the children understood the ideas because the artwork guides them.” He says it is a book with the power to make children inquisitive about everything and, in turn, question themselves and their own motivations and needs. “When I give them a book like this and students like Bea and Phoebe create their own original ideas I feel that I am doing something right,” he adds. “They looked at the words of the great and the good and said loudly and clearly that they too had something interesting to say.”
One comic in particular to which the children in his class responded was Ira Glass: Advice for Beginners.
“That’s where they are at the moment,” Johnny says.”They so want to express themselves in a variety of ways but they don’t quite know how to do it yet. They realise this as well. The Ira Glass strip tells them that this is how it is at the moment but it gives them hope that soon they will figure it out if they work hard, apply themselves and enjoy what they do.” It is clear that the children under his care are lucky to have such an emotionally aware teacher committed to education in its fullest sense. “I love my job, I love my school, and I love the fact I have the opportunity to share art and ideas with my class,” says Johnny, who has two teenage children of his own. “I’m really touched by the children’s work. But it’s not about my feelings about what they have done. The girls have made the journey and the girls have embarked on the learning.” And exposure to Zen Pencils has also inspired other forms of creativity, including a mosaic based on the front cover of the book that Bea made during the Easter holidays.
“I think Zen Pencils is a great idea,” Bea says. “And I’m happy that Mr Loizides let me borrow it otherwise I would never be making my own cartoons, doing the mosaic, or writing this. I personally think it’s been one of my favourite books yet.” And her final (philosophical) word? “Appreciate art, admire beauty, and be kind!”
Thanks so much to Mr Loizides, Jane, the students of Wisborough Green Primary and of course Bea and Phoebe for the fantastic work! I might have cried reading this, I’m man enough to admit that. Seeing the girls create their own art, inspired by what I’m doing is pretty amazing. I think the new book is better than the first, and I hope Bea and Phoebe enjoy it when it’s released later in the year. If you’re a teacher or someone who uses Zen Pencils comics in an educational way, please share in the comments, I would love to hear more examples. – Gav
🙂 I am so happy for the fruit for your work :O) can’t wait for more of your comics
Love this story! Had me tearing up at my desk 🙂 If you look at the second last photo (Bea making the mosaic) you can just make out the newspaper headline “Drops of brilliance”…and that’s just what this is… I imagine drops of brilliance springing up all over the world from people inspired by Zen pencils. Looking forward to reading more stories like this. Keep up the great work Bea, Phoebe, Mr. Loizides and of course Gavin 🙂
What an inspirational uplifting story. Thank you everyone for sharing. What wonderful artists and teachers….all of you are…Jane, Bea, Phoebe, Johnny, Gav, and Willem.
This story is beautiful and I’m happy to see that you get back some of what you give us. I share Zen Pencils with everyone I meet and I happen to have the attention of quite a few people sometimes. I’m the vice president of a chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success at Texas A&M University-Central Texas in Killeen, Texas. The mission of the Society is to “Create leaders to build a better world.” One of the things we mention to members is finding the motivation to keep moving forward in our roles as leaders and see our ideas through. You are one of my motivations and I love to share your story and your art. Many of your cartoons have been used to give a different perspective to members on a slew topics. For example, I have used your “Hatred Breeds Hatred” cartoon to help me express that hate and negativity is one of the most wide spread diseases around the world, and that we have the ability to stop it from spreading past ourselves. I share your site with Society members in the hopes that it will help them stave off negativity just as it did for me. Thank you for the work you do.
When I found your website I thought: This is so good. Why did not I think of that? Your passion for drawing and transmitting positive messages is fantastic. As a graphic designer I totally understand your decision to leave the agency and start your own business. You are a great example of a person who has decided to do what he likes from the heart. This story gave me an idea of what to worship my 9 years old daughter for her birthday. It will be an educational and fun gift because she will be able to adopt the English language and inspiring life’s thoughts at once. Also, I’m thinking to propose to her teacher of the English language that she uses your comics in class. I appreciate your work. Greetings from Croatian
I use the Erica Goldson graduation speech with my 7th graders to get them to think about what “success” means. Is school just about getting good grades and scores, or can they take the power and responsibility of choosing to make school meaningful?
https://zenpencils.com/comic/123-erica-goldson-graduation-speech/
I use the Ira Glass quote all the time in my classroom. I teach band in Wisconsin and it is especially my passion to share my love of jazz with my students. Improvisation is an important part of Jazz but some kids it’s really uncomfortable experience to play from your heart on the spot. Lots of times the kids who are the most uncomfortable have the best improvisations, but what gets them in the way and makes them feel wary is that they can’t express themselves accurately yet. The Ira Glass quote is a great way to make the students know that what they’re playing IS really good and with practice it will get closer to what they really want to play.
I also love the “Make Gifts for People” and share that with the students when we’re working on music that is maybe a little too classical or modern for our Northern Wisconsin audience. But the responsibility isn’t to the audience no matter how we try to entertain them, it’s to honoring the music itself.
I would love to get a Miles Davis quote illustrated one of these times. Maybe something to do with their being no categories in music? I think that really applies to this current time in the U.S. where so many people see themselves and others as separate.
What a great story of inspiring kids into a good start for life.
I work with people getting out of prison which means a fair bit of my work is with addiction management programs. I print out Zen Pencils comics and tape them into long vertical banners and have them on the walls of our office. The recent one with the chained up rowers who escape is a classic for my work. That comment, ‘Your brain is your own, it’s what you get in return for not having asked to be born’ touches something very deep in the life of my clients who are angry at the world until they decide to see life in a positive manner.
I hope the new book goes well for you.
I teach high school math, so students walk into my classroom expecting to see math posters everywhere. They are surprised to walk in and see 2 framed Zen Pencils poster (“Everyone is a Genius” and Einstein’s “The Important Thing”), along with “Make Gifts for People” and other inspirational quotes. They are surprised to hear that math isn’t the most important thing that happens in the classroom- being able to think, reason, communicate with others and recognize and celebrate mistakes are the important things…. math will come from doing all those things. Since I have changed my focus (in part, thanks to Zen Pencils), I notice that it takes about a semester for my students to buy in. However, the rewards on the other end are SO worth it and hopefully will carry into the future.
It’s beyond wonderful that you have inspired this in the girls and have given them a platform to share their original ideas that have flowed from your work. Thank you so much. I can’t wait to show Bea in the morning, and ditto Emma with her daughter Phoebe. So happy-making. Now we can’t wait for your latest project – exciting!
Thanks so much for sharing how you use the comics! It means a lot to me to read these comments – never underestimate the power of a good comic strip!
The reader of the month story is so wonderful I can’t even express.
Well done Gav! You’re doing great things!!
Your job it’s awesome, I’m Chilean, Chile is a little country in south america, near to Argentina, I saw a long time ago a comic of you that makes me cry (make gifts for people), and since for then I’ve been following you. I’m a scout, and I teach some things to childrens, like good actions or ways to change the world in a good way, but sometimes words are not enough. So I teach some things with your comics and kids loves that (I have to translate the comics first, because in Chile we talk in spanish). The thing is, thanks for your job, it’s wonderfull for me and for kids too.
ps: sorry if my english it’s poor, but I don’t talk too much in english hahaha
Beautiful story – reminds me of one of my own pupils, wandering into tutor time and immediately asking “can I borrow it” for the Zen Pencils book. I like to think that it, and the posters, have at least opened some of their eyes to your work!
I have been using your comics in my classroom in a low income community in India for past two years. Sadly, I did not purchase those comics since it would be too expensive in India. So I printed them out in low resolution, colour pages and taught them about Malala and Nelson Mandela through your two comics. I am able to expose them to good poetry through your comics and I personally draw a lot of inspiration to keep persevering in my classroom. Since a lot of my kids were at low reading levels,the comics provide the perfect way to spread the stories and messages without the need for words. I know a lot of fellow teachers who feel the same. Thank you.
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When you are describing,
A shape, or sound, or tint;
Don’t state the matter plainly,
But put it in a hint;
And learn to look at all things,
With a sort of mental squint.
Never raise your hand to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected.
I am essentially befuddled. I expect that you continue doing your work like this later on as well.
Those children are so happy with Zen Pencils book
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