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Biography
Providing "Caffeine for the Soul" and Inspiring All Ages to Read
In a style described as a cross between Jim Carrey and Robin Williams, I have made it my mission to inspire students, parents, educators and non-profit and business leaders to improve their reading attitudes and aptitudes. Interest leads to devotion, and devotion leads to life-long growth. I want to inspire you to use reading to grow professionally, emotionally, financially and spiritually.
My audiences have included K-12 schools and universities (including over 100 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Furman University and St. Mary's College), non-profit organizations (including Reading Is Fundamental and Boys/Girls Club) and companies (including Disney, City National Bank, Paramount Pictures and Staples Center/LA Live/Nokia Theatre). While my roots are in education, I have received glowing feedback from business leaders on the applicability of my talks to their businesses.
The son of a librarian, I grew up hating reading. Yet I had an advantage countless others do not: I grew up in a home filled with books, magazines and newspapers. My siblings and I endured our mother reading aloud just about every piece of mail she ever received, and it was typical to see my father reading 3-4 books simultaneously. Yes, I hated reading, but I never had any trouble reading.
So when I became an inner-city teacher working with students of all ages, I was appalled to see under-resourced schools and homes, dispassionate parents and educators and an appalling amount of apathy toward reading. Speaker Charlie “Tremendous” Jones once shared a favorite saying: “You are the same today you’ll be in five years except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read.” My goal is to provide superior presentations that are “fun, meaningful & memorable” and leave you anxious to visit your local bookstore, library or on-line book retailer.
Find out more at: www.dannybrassell.com
Industry Expertise (3)
Training and Development
Professional Training and Coaching
Education/Learning
Areas of Expertise (3)
Creativity
Reading
Motivation
Education (4)
University of Southern California: Ph.D., Education 2001
American University: B.A., Sociology/Print Journalism 1994
California State University-Dominguez Hills: M.A., Multicultural Education 1996
American University: B.A., Sociology/Print Jorunalism 1994
Links (3)
Event Appearances (3)
Title
Back-to-School Celebration for Teachers, Administrators & Parents Tamarack Center - Beckley, WV
2011-08-30
Title
SDE National Conference on Differentiated Instruction Bellagio Hotel - Las Vegas, NV
2011-07-15
Title
8th Annual Georgia Conference on Teaching Writing and Reading Georgia State Fairgrounds - Perry, GA
2011-06-08
Sample Talks (3)
Bringing Joy Back into the Classroom
Teachers are “kid-people.” They do not teach for the pay or daily accolades from society; they teach because they care about kids. The standardized testing craze has terrified students and led many great teachers to quit. Come join Danny as he reminds teachers of their importance in the every day development of children. He’ll remind you how to laugh, sing, dance and play in order to bring the joy back into your classroom.
Waking Up Your Lazy Readers
Get ready to move! Discover great ways to motivate your struggling and reluctant readers to read, as Danny demonstrates strategies and books designed to help you increase interest in reading – both in school and at home. Plus, learn about effective, FREE web-based tools you can use to enhance your students' reading attitudes and aptitudes.
A Baker's Dozen of Lessons Learned from the Teaching Trenches
It takes a special person to be a teacher. Every day presents new challenges, and our attitudes and expectations shape our success. Join Danny as he shares a fast-paced, humorous and motivational keynote designed to show you how you make a difference in the lives of your students. From teaching preschoolers to rocket scientists, Danny shares his own trials and tribulations in the classroom as well as why he loves to teach. You?ll learn his secret to good teaching and leave feeling invigorated.
Style
Availability
- Keynote
- Moderator
- Panelist
- Workshop Leader
- Host/MC
- Author Appearance
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