Loving Literacy: Real World Wisdom from the Pirate Himself

"You Can Change the World!"

Dear Readers,

What do you say when a best selling author and inspiration to your teaching craft offers to spend 30 minutes with your 8th grade Language & Literature students?

There are no words. It is truly a priceless opportunity. Words cannot express the sincere and heartfelt thanks to Dave for taking time out of his busy schedule to speak with us.

As educators, we want to create special moments to share with our students. What makes them precious is that shared moment in time that you will all remember. Dave Burgess, author of Teach Like a Pirate and co-owner of Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc., gave that to us yesterday.

What did one my students have to say about it?

"He is the coolest pirate I have ever met."

I would have to agree with him.

In Language & Literature we talk about storytelling and the power it has to connect people and build relationships. It helps us to be empathetic, see the world through different perspectives and to want to make a difference in the lives of others.

I believe in the power of writing. In standing up for what you believe to be true. Finding your voice and helping others find theirs. To be the voice for those who are unable to speak for themselves.

I believe in my students and the ability they have to change the world, both in the present and future. Words of support and encouragement are spoken daily in our classroom. They know I think the world of them and praise them for being themselves and not changing because someone else wants them to. If people do not like you the way you are, it is their loss.

That is exactly what Dave told them as well.

One of the most powerful statements he made to them, which is now hanging on our wall, was, "If you have an idea. If you have the ability to speak well, to write well, you can change the world!"

Another memorable moment was when he spoke about creating a PD session for teachers. "There are going to be all kinds of times in your life.....when people tell you that you can't do something or can't accomplish something......you can be like oh yeah you're probably right and give up.....or you can be like.....you tell me I can't do something.......watch what I'm gonna do now!"

My students GOT it! Today we discussed some of the topics that were brought up during the GHO and it really helped bring us together as a class. Middle School can be such a difficult time for our students and it is occassions like this that really create a pathway for tackling tough conversations.

Of course, being in my classroom, we are now going to write about this incredible experience! As they get ready to blog, here are some of the thoughtful reflections they made today:

What character traits would you use to describe Dave?

kind
risk-taker
intelligent
out-going
energetic
inspirational
knowledgable
motivated

What was the mood (how you felt) while listening?

happy
uplifted
grateful
determined

What was the tone (how Dave felt) while speaking?

humorous
excited

What was the central idea of Dave's message?

"You can change the world!"
"Be yourself!"
"Never give up!"
"If people don't accept you for who you are, it's their loss."

What motivates Dave?

family
educators
other publishing companies

As I was looking at the photos I took, I was overcome with emotion. Seeing my students laughing, smiling and so happy.......holding our therapy dog Lucy so she could be in the photo too.......with a smiling Dave Burgess in the background.......I was reminded why I love what I do. How blessed I am to be part of their young lives every single day. It's moments like this that make everything worth it.