As I've shared a few times, I'm in the middle of Teach Like a Pirate.
I've been enjoying the book and all the teaching ideas that are flowing from the author's open-ended questions.
Between tidying the house, unpacking from my trip, and deep cleaning, I've been breaking up my house work with escaping into the book.
Yesterday, I headed to school for two main tasks.
First, the Sunshine social club cabinet was in desperate need of tidying. By tidying, I mean I took everything out, wiped down the shelves, organized by item, and trashed some particularly disgusting ancient table cloths and bowls. It looks so much better now.
Second, we were doing open library. Students are invited in for two hours to read and take AR quizzes. There were several teachers there for a half-dozen kids, so I didn't feel bad about only being in the library for the entire time.
One of my former students (he's off to sixth grade) was there and it was good to see him. Upon leaving, he inquired if I'd finished The Dark Prophecy yet because he'd like to read it.
The libraries don't have it yet and he is eager to tackle the next adventure. Wooed by his puppy dog eyes and eagerness to read, I gave in and said he could borrow it next Wednesday at open library. He was thrilled (as were his parents).
I'm currently on chapter five (page 43ish) of a 400 page book...so I've got some reading (and note taking) to do.
Sorry, Teach Like a Pirate, we're taking a break in the name of making a kiddo happy.
With my staycation in Arizona winding down, I'm not really sorry about not accomplishing all my summer goals in a timely manner.
B was supposed to be on a work trip to Texas when I planned this staycation (and birthday celebration for my bro's gf). However, that got cancelled but he insisted I still take my mini-trip (but without the pets).
So for the past week(ish), I've been shopping, napping, eating out, watching movies, and lounging about with my family. It's been lovely. We're spending my last full day here doing brunch at home to celebrate a birthday, then my mom and I will visit Marshall's and Joann's.
Next month, the hubs and I will be going on our island honeymoon and after a discussion he now realizes he does in fact need flip flops/sandals for the beach. Thus, the Marshall's trip.
My mom is also looking forward to launching her quilting Etsy shop later this year (stay tuned), so we've got some props to buy (for staging the quilt) and banner colors to look at (for the photography set). She's visited the postal store to look at her shipping options.
I've also {crafted} and continued to work on Teach Like a Pirate, although it's not a book I can just breeze through because I stop and jot down ideas about what I want to do next year in my classroom. (Again, the whole sparking ideas thing might just be the point of the book.)
I'll be driving back super early tomorrow morning to beat the heat.
The rest of the week is devoted to:
1) Picking up my mom's wedding album from Costco
2) Finalizing honeymoon details
3) Cleaning and painting our built ins
4) Two different planning meetings with friends. One is for her son's sixteenth birthday, the other is for a baby shower in Sept. I'm easily bribed with food.
5) A coworker's birthday BBQ
6) Finishing Teach Like a Pirate
7) Oil changes on both vehicles, plus a brake change for the truck
8) Cleaning out the Sunshine closet at work
9) Manning the library for 2 hours. Our principal has opened up the library for students to come visit on summer break. I sent out the message on class dojo because I'm hopeful some of my students will come with their younger siblings (my future students)
10) Perhaps getting around to fixing the format of this blog. Sadly, adventures in fifth is no longer relevant.
11) Following ITSE posts from a distance. Maybe one year I'll apply...
12) Posting the morning messages PPT on TpT
13) Continue to work on The Dark Prophecy
I'm exhausted just looking at this list.
One of my on-going goals is always to read more and one of my specific summer goals is to read Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess.
I first heard of this book several years ago, but didn't snag a copy until I was at ASCD and actually visited the TLAP booth in the convention. I'd attended a rather awesome session by the author of Play Like a Pirate and won a free shirt, so I went down to claim it. Low and behold, there was Dave in full pirate attire. So I snagged both books...and had them autographed.
It's taking me longer than I anticipated to read Teach Like a Pirate, but not for the reasons you might think.
The first reason is my furry helpers. I love them, but they do get in the way of my work time.
Sometimes we need to stop for snuggle and scratching breaks.
The second is because the book's content. There are parts that seem to sucker punch my heart. I have to stop, reflect, analyze, and realize that this author is highlighting a point that I didn't even know bothered me.
Part One:
Creativity
For years, I've been described as a creative person. I enjoy craft projects, scrap booking, and generally making things (except if it's in the kitchen, sorry mom!). However, this also means that sometimes I'm assigned extra work because "I'm creative" and it "shouldn't take me much time at all". (Spoiler: Whatever the project, it usually far surpasses the estimate of a time commitment because I'm a perfectionist.)
Deep down, this assumption that creativity just flows through me and is easy for me has always bothered me but I couldn't quite pinpoint why. Being creative isn't an insult by any means. But the assumption that it's natural and easy is.
But then I read a few pages from Teach Like a Pirate where the author was so clearly able to articulate all of my feelings with the concise verbiage I hope to one day master.
The author goes on to state:
"Creativity is rarely about natural brilliance or innate genius. Much more often creativity results from properly directed attention, laser-like focus, relentless effort, and hard work. Outsiders see the glorious results but know very little about the sweat and blood that happens behind closed doors. Creative genius is something people tend to romanticise, but the reality is not very romantic at all. Like any skill it takes practice and effort. No one assumes that an accomplished doctor, rocket scientist, or engineer "lucked" their way into greatness. We have a certain understanding and appreciation for the years of study, sacrifice, and hard work it takes for these experts to reach the highest levels of their profession...Most people would be surprised to pull back the curtain and see the years of excruciating labor, relentless pursuit of excellence, and monstrous obstacles those "naturals" have overcome." (Burgess, p. 38)
Being "creative" isn't something I can turn on and off like a light switch. Being "creative" isn't something I was born with and it's not something that just happens. Creativity has been fostered since childhood with lots of painting projects, spilled glitter (sorry mom), and failed attempts at crafting. Creativity was encouraged in student council and being an RA with finding alternative ways to problem solve and plan events with a limited budget. Creativity was encouraged in the aisles of Joanns, in the pages of craft magazines, in conversations with others, and through countless pins on Pinterest (it's true!). There have been hundreds of failed attempts at craft projects in the name of "being creative". The first burlap wreath I made took almost six hours because I didn't know what I was doing and I didn't like how it was turning out. (On a side note, burlap with a wired edge works way better for crafting wreaths.) Being creative, like any skill, takes time, patience, and a lot of trial and error situations. (Ya know, like teaching...)
The author goes on to describe an interaction with another teacher. The other teacher used the crushing "six words": "It's easy for you. You're creative." This was in response to a conversation about classroom management and culture.
The author, understandable irritated, goes on to articulate:
"It's easy for me. Really? So with our words she dismissed sixteen years of hard work...It wasn't easy when I started, it wasn't easy last week, and it won't be easy next week either." (Burgess, 40).
I've been there, several times.
The author then comments on the other teacher seeming to make excuses for the lack of management in the classroom. These excuses deprive her students of their full potential. Burgess goes on to state "It's not OK to throw up your hands in defeat because you're not naturally creative. Few, if any, teachers are innately creative." (Burgess, 41). He goes on to talk of creativity as something that is meant to be "nurtured and developed in all of us".
Creativity, like all things worth having, takes time, questioning, persistence, and a degree of failure.
I can't wait to see what the other 150 pages hold!
I was introduced to Play Like a Pirate by the author at ASCD in March, bought the book on site, finished it within a week, loaned it out to friends, implemented new ideas, and promptly forgot about actually finishing/publishing this blog post. Oops!
We'll blame it on teacher brain...
At ASCD, the title of the presentation immediately caught my eye:
And by far, it was one of the best sessions I attended. Immediately my wish list for graphic novels grew and I started a donors choose project shortly after.
After this magical 1 hour session ended (and my frantic tweeting paid off because I won a free Teach Like a Pirate shirt), I wandered down to meet Quinn and Dave (Burgess, author of Teach Like a Pirate).
We chatted, I followed them on twitter, and I won't lie, I had some fan-girl moments when they retweeted or replied to me.
Since then, I've shared lots of ideas with fellow teachers. I wasn't necessarily asked, I just couldn't contain my excitement about the ideas and how I wanted to implement them in my classroom. I was really eager to share my plans to make teaching fun again (what a novel concept!).
I'm not really sorry about my over-zealous attitude toward the awesomeness that happened in my classroom (or that's going to happen next year). In all honesty, I'd rather be surrounded by equally passionate weirdos who are innovative, creative, and honest. Those are my people. That is my tribe.
