Teach Like A Pirate Reflection: Part 1 PIRATE

Teach Like A Pirate by Dave Burgess is an excellent read for any teacher whether you are a newbie or veteran teacher. His classroom is one of excitement and learning. Once you start this book, you won't be able to put it down until it is over. If you get a chance, see Dave Burgess in person! In the book, Dave Burgess says, "Pirates are daring, adventurous, and willing to set forth into uncharted territories with no guarantee of success." This explains my job! Teaching and technology are that uncharted territory and we just need to keep being daring and trying new things!


PIRATE
P is for Passion
What is your content passion?
My passion is for Accounting and technology. I love that with Accounting, you get to start the students from scratch. They don't have any preconceived notions and I get to see the growth throughout the year. It is such a rewarding content to watch them go from not understanding debits and credits to being able to do advanced accounting techniques.
Technology by itself excites students and their learning. For me to be able to teach technology to the students is a reward in itself! I love to watch their codes become usable works, have them learn that a site can help them learn a new skill, and they are in control of their learning! My favorite course that I teach is Multimedia because the students have the floor and I simply watch their learning happen in front of my eyes. They collaborate, brainstorm, create, and problem solve all while making a creation that will be shared with the school.

What is your professional passion?
My professional passion is learning. Learning is such power! Why would anyone choose to not be a lifelong learner? I am always wanting to go to National conferences such as ISTE. ISTE allows me to be among my "people". It is such an exciting time to see people who live and breathe Google like I do. :) I am passionate about the students getting this material as well. I want to continue to learn and learn so I can always be sharing the latest and greatest techniques, sites, and apps!

What is your personal passion?
My personal passion is my family and technology. My family is first and foremost above all else but technology is my passion. In my free time, I am exploring Twitter feeds, reading articles, checking websites, learning on Coursera.org. I am always looking and learning about tech! I love any excuse to purchase the latest and greatest technology to "learn" it for my classroom. :)


I is for Immersion
How do you immerse yourself in each lesson?
This is one that is easy for me in several of my courses. I am a facilitator for 90% of my classes and 50% of the time, I like to do whatever the students are doing. During multimedia, we are always exploring and previewing and finding new resources. Web Design class, the students are coding and problem solving and if I find I need to immerse myself in the same topic so I can help guide them.
 In some courses, it is harder to immerse yourself in the lesson. Keyboarding is one class that fits that category for me. The students need to practice those skills over and over again. I can find immersive lessons for keyboarding and make it more exciting and creative but 90% of the time, the kids just need to type to practice!
This is something I will continue to work on! I need to "jump into the water" instead of being a lifeguard!

R is for Rapport
Do you have rapport with your students? your fellow teachers? parents? community? How do you develop rapport?
I am very passionate about having a rapport with my students and parents. If your students don't respect you, it is very difficult to get them to be successful. If the parents don't know you, it is also very difficult to get their support. If the community is behind the school, it is such a rewarding experience for all.
I have found the easiest way to develop rapport with my students is through interactive conversations and caring. This quote by Theodore Roosevelt explains it all!

A is for Ask and Analyze
"Creative ideas don't come out of the blue; they come from engaging in the creative process. That critical process starts when you ask the right types of questions and then actively seek the answers." - Dave Burgess
It is a constant try, try, try. Ask, Ask, Ask! I am always analyzing my lessons and my plans each and every day.

T is for Transformation
Being creative in your lesson designs is crucial to keeping your "audience" engaged and active. You need to always ask yourself if you would want to be a student in your room. Would you buy a ticket? Each of those questions really make me stop and reflect on my lessons.
Interestingly enough, most of my creative lessons happen in the shower or while I am lying in bed at night. I have had several lessons that I thought would be so exciting and engaging, flop right before my eyes. Other lessons that I'm hesitant to try, the kids LOVE!
I need to make sure I am constantly re-framing my lesson into something the students will love! I need to change that heart bracelet lesson into PIRATE treasure daily.

E is for Enthusiasm
Had a bad day? Not impressed with life? You have to be "ON" everyday as a teacher.  Students have enough going on in their everyday life and they don't need your concerns and worries added to it. "...and yet people allow themselves to be dragged down into the muck of negativity. This job is tough enough without having to fight through self-imposed negativity." - Dave Burgess
I work hard every day to not be negative. I'm not going to lie and say I am 100% successful with the fight. I do find myself being a downer! I will continue to try to follow these words of wisdom!

Stay tuned for Part II - Coming soon!