Let's Rhyme Like Dr. Seuss!

Hello! 

Thank you for stopping by my Outschool page! And thank you for also taking the time to learn a little more about who I am and what I have to offer your learner!

My name is Joshua Goudie and I am a children’s author living on the east coast of Canada. Since the publication of my first book in 2017, I have been invited into both public schools and universities to lead writing and storytelling workshops. I have been thrilled to engage with learners as young as five years old, all the way up to those entering the first year of an English degree. And through it all, the one thing I’ve learned is:if you want to become a better storyteller, you’ve got to start sharing your own stories!

It sounds simple, but it’s something many of us take for granted. I think about it like this: If you want to be a great chef, reading recipes is a good place to start, but at some point, you’re going to have to start making a mess in the kitchen. If you want to be a mechanic, you can absolutely read over your owner’s manual, but before too long you’re going to have to get your hands dirty. And storytelling works the exact same way! In my lessons, I’ll be there to provide hands-on tips, tricks, and exercises to help your learner develop their writing and storytelling skills. 

Now, storytelling isn’t just important for learners hoping to write the next great novel or Broadway musical or award-winning song. Developing storytelling skills is so important for anyone hoping to get into business, medicine, hospitality... really, every field benefits from better storytellers! Storytelling is how we capture another person’s attention and it is a crucial part of being an effective communicator. Think about how many politicians and CEO’s have launched their careers with a speech or a particular effective pitch. Having the next big idea is certainly a wonderful thing, but you also need to know how to effectively communicate your thoughts and excitement. 

Because I try to encourage as much participation as possible, I like to keep numbers in my classroom pretty small. My goal with every lesson is to make each learner feel comfortable and empowered to share their own thoughts and ideas. The very first step to developing any good story is to put an idea out in the world and I want each learner to feel confident that their stories will be heard and met with the encouragement for them to take the next step. 

I look forward to meeting your learner in my classroom and I can’t wait to start hearing all of their stories!