The drive to do better the next year always led me to one of my favorite things- professional summer reading. I'd fill up on new strategies and inspiration, and start the new year completely rejuvenated and excited for the journey ahead.
This year, as I worked with both beginning teachers and their veteran teacher mentors in the Kaimuki-McKinley-Roosevelt complex, I saw incredible success and innovation. I also saw the teachers' desire to continue learning and growing their practice to best support their students. I began to see that the beauty of my role as a complex resource teacher was that I could bring teachers across the complex together for a learning and sharing experience.
I started out thinking that I would lead virtual weekly discussions on teaching throughout the summer, but coming up with topics each week seemed overwhelming. And then it hit me- a book club! The topics would be based on the reading, and I could follow up throughout the school year during our PLC's and forums. I just had to find the right book.
I reached out to my professional networks and Dave Burgess's Teach Like a Pirate was suggested over and over again by respected colleagues, one of whom was 2012 National Teacher of the Year Rebecca Mieliwocki. I got myself a copy to preview, watched some of Dave's youtube videos, and I was hooked.
I wanted to become a pirate. And I believed that our children would thrive if their teachers were the pirates that Dave describes in his book.
I - Immersion
R - Rapport
A - Ask & Analyze
T - Transformation
E - Enthusiasm
Weekly discussion prompts matching the assigned readings (note that it would help if you did the reading listed under each week prior to the start date of that week) will be posted on this site each MONDAY. Feel free to jump into the conversation throughout the week, and check in often for new insights from the rest of the crew!
Here's our map for the course:
WEEK 1 (June 5-12)
- Pack Your Bags- Introductions and Reading Time
- Part I- Teach Like a Pirate- Passion, Immersion, Rapport (p. 3-32)
- Part 1- Teach Like a Pirate- Ask & Analyze, Transformation, Enthusiasm (p. 33-71)
- Part II- Crafting Engaging Lessons- The Third Circle, A Crash Course in Presentational Hooks, I Like to Move it, Move It, Long Live the Arts, and What's in it for Me (p. 75-106)
- Part II- Crafting Engaging Lessons- All the World is a Stage, Stand and Deliver, Advanced Tactics, Around the Edges (p. 107-142)
- Part III- Building a Better Pirate (p.143-176)
* Honolulu District Kaimuki-McKinley-Roosevelt teachers/principals: We purchased 50 copies of Teach Like a Pirate and have approximately 15 copies left! If you haven't yet registered, sign up HERE and you can pick up your free copy (while supplies last) at the Honolulu District Office.
WEEK 1: Pack Your Bags & Introduce yourself!
Q2: Share something interesting about yourself to help your crew get to know you.
Q3: What's one thing you hope to take away from Teach Like a Pirate and our discussions?