Jonathan Mooney
About Jonathan Mooney
Speech topics
One of Those Kids
Jonathan Mooney was one of “those kids”: One of those Kids who couldn’t sit still and spent elementary school chilling out with the janitor in the hallway.
Couldn’t keep his mouth shut, so he spent middle school on a first name basis with Shirley, the receptionist in the principal’s office; And one of those kids who spent much of high school hiding in the bathroom to escape reading out loud with tears streaming down his face. Growing up he had ever label under the sun: The Bad kid, the dumb kid, the “at risk kid”, the special ED kid. He was diagnosed with dyslexia in fourth grade, dropped out of school for a time in sixth grade and had a plan for suicide when he was 12 years old. He had many low expectations that surrounded him. He was told he would be a high school drop out; he was told he would flip burgers for a living, and he was told that people like him usually end up incarcerated.
But he beat those odds, graduating from Brown University with an honors degree in English lit. How did he do it? That question is the heart of Jonathan's personal, humorous, and research based talk.
In this presentation, Jonathan explores three ideas that changed his life and that all educators can adopt to support vulnerable and at risk learners. He provides concrete strategies to support teachers in building a positive learning identity when many students like him self believe they are “stupid, crazy, and lazy”; he outlines a strengths based approached the gives teacher concrete idea on how to scale students strengths and build contextualized learning pathways; and he explores the power of student teachers connections and relationships as the foundation of transformative learning environments. And through all of this, Jonathan celebrates educators as change agents and education as a powerful tool for personal and social transformation.
Speaking videos
Books by Jonathan Mooney
“Normal Sucks” (2020)
Confessional and often hilarious, in Normal Sucks a neuro-diverse writer, advocate, and father offers a radical message of acceptance and empowerment. Jonathan Mooney blends anecdote, expertise, and memoir to present a new mode of thinking about how we live and learn. As a neuro-diverse kid diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD who didn't learn to read until he was twelve, the realization that he wasn’t the problem―the system and the concept of normal were―saved Mooney's life. Here, he explores the toll that our narrow conception of normal takes on kids and adults both. But, he argues, if we can reorient the ways in which we think about diversity and disability, we can start a revolution. Mooney has been inspiring audiences with his story for nearly two decades. Now he’s ready to share what he’s learned from parents, educators, researchers, and kids in a book that is both a survival guide and a call to action. Whip-smart and inspiring―and movingly framed as a letter to his own young sons―this book will upend what we call normal and empower us all.
“The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal” (2008)
Labeled "dyslexic and profoundly learning disabled," Jonathan Mooney was a short-bus rider―a derogatory term used for kids in special education. To learn how others had moved beyond labels, he bought his own short bus and set out cross-country, looking for kids who had dreamed up magical, beautiful ways to overcome the obstacles that separated them from the so-called normal world. The Short Bus is his irreverent and poignant record of that odyssey, meeting thirteen people in thirteen states who taught Mooney that there's no such thing as normal―and that to really live, every person must find their own special way of keeping on. The Short Bus is a unique gem, propelled by Mooney's heart, humor, and outrageous rebellions.
“Learning Outside The Lines: Two Ivy League Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD Give You the Tools for Academic Success and Educational Revolution” (2000)
Written by two Ivy League graduates who struggled with learning disabilities and ADHD, Learning Outside the Lines teaches students how to take control of their education and find true success with brilliant and easy study suggestions and tips. Every day, your school, your teachers, and even your peers draw lines to measure and standardize intelligence. They decide what criteria make one person smart and another person stupid. They decide who will succeed and who will just get by. Perhaps you find yourself outside the norm, because you learn differently—but, unlike your classmates, you have no system in place that consistently supports your ability and desire to learn. Simply put, you are considered lazy and stupid. You are expected to fail. Learning Outside the Lines is written by two such “academic failures”—that is, two academic failures who graduated from Brown University at the top of their class. Jonathan Mooney and David Cole teach you how to take control of your education and find true success—and they offer all the reasons why you should persevere. Witty, bold, and disarmingly honest, Learning Outside the Lines takes you on a journey toward personal empowerment and profound educational change, proving once again that rules sometimes need to be broken.
Topics
At a glanceJonathan Mooney
Recommended offer:
Get a custom quote for your event:
Get StartedBrowse Similar Speakers
Speaker Search is a marketplace of speakers designed for talent buyers. We do not represent or manage speakers; instead, we provide event planners with the most comprehensive resource to discover and book the right talent.