I just got done with Part 1 and thought it would be a great time to reflect and jot some ideas I had so far...
PIRATE:
P - Passion
I - Immersion
R - Rapport
A - Ask & Analyze
T - Transformation
E - Enthusiasm
The book states many things that we already know we should be doing as educators; however, may very well not be. I would like to reflect on each one of these very important pieces of the education puzzle.
Passion
Before reading this chapter, I thought I had passion in the bag. I am by nature a very passionate person. However, after reading this and later chapters, I realize that I probably have mistaken my enthusiasm for passion. Dave points out that there are three different types of passion: content, professional, and personal. Content passion - what subjects am I most passionate about teaching? With my upcoming move to 3 and then 4th grade as a loop, I am passionate about social studies. I love culture studies and am excited to explore the continents with students. Professional passion - what drives me as an educator? I am passionate about building relationships (rapport) with students, making them feel valued, and getting them excited about learning; therefore, creating lifelong learners. I am also passionate about teaching independence and real life lessons. While in my heart I know these passions, reading about professional passion helped me to reflect and gave me a little jolt of energy to finish the school year strong. Personal passion - what am I completely passionate about outside of school? This last quarter of school, I have felt a little frazzled - always so busy, always so much to do. But am I really that busy? Do I really have that much to do? No. Not anymore than anyone else. We all have 24 hours in a day. What are my passions right now? I realized that I had not been focusing on them and therefore have not been focused or content.
"Don't fall into the trap of thinking time spent developing yourself into a well-rounded person, above and beyond your role as an educator, is wasted or something to feel guilty about. It is essential and will pay dividends in not only your life, but also in your classroom." -Dave Burgess
Immersion
Basically, I am focused on what I am doing? Am I completely immersed in the lesson? I just read a blog post by Pernille Ripp about distraction and how many of them there are in our classrooms. For example, when we hear the ding of our phone or laptop notifying us of an email, it is very hard to not wonder what it's about and who it's from. These last days of school I am going to do my best to immerse myself totally in what we are doing and focus 100% on the task at hand.
Rapport - Building relationships with kids is one of my professional passions. I love children, but more importantly I love to have a genuine connection with children that allows them to trust me, and then help them learn.
Ask & Analyze
This chapter focused a lot on creativity. I can no longer use the excuse that I am just not that creative. I have to start asking the right questions to arrive at the right answers.
Transformation
GPS - I learned about this in the first book of Dave's that I read, "P is for Pirate". Here is where my GPS will be set (I blogged about this previously!):
1.Happy
I want every person in my classroom to feel that our classroom is a happy, fun place. I want a POSITIVE classroom culture. Even when things are serious, I want the children to know that I first and foremost care about them.
2. Safe
I want all students to feel safe. Not only physically safe, but emotionally safe. They will be respected and treated with love and compassion. They will not be demeaned or talked down to by any student or any adult, including myself, ever. I also want them to be safe to take educational risks, try new things. I want them to know that it is okay to fail and feel safe in doing so.
3. Empowering
Students WILL be confident and resourceful. They will do these things together, not exclusively. For example, they will find the answers because they know that they can. They will search and not feel fearful of failure or uncertainty. Try, try, try.
4. Student Led
Students should know that this it THEIR classroom. I would ultimately like them to control as many of the daily routines as possible. I would also like them to take responsibility for their learning, to realize that they have a voice in our classroom.
5. Engaging
I want students to WANT to be in our classroom. I want students to be intrinsically motivated to learn, to crave more, and to be active participants in their own educations.
Positioning and Framing - make it exciting and make it relatable to what they are doing and things they like! Don't position and frame yourself as dreadful, "I know this is boring, but we have to do it..." Be motivating and exciting! Fake it 'til you make it, love it and they will.
Enthusiasm
Again, may have to fake it 'til you make it. Dave points out that you can fake enthusiasm, but you cannot fake passion. I believe that I have done a good job at being enthusiastic or "monkey dancing". For example, I try to do all of the fun and positive culture building activities that we have at school - i.e. dressing up in my wedding dress for "Princess Day" at homecoming.
