Teach Like a Pirate: Birds, Snakes, and So on

I thought I finished the Teach Like a Pirate chapter on passions last time, but apparently it continues.  And my last couple posts are long enough so I decided to start a new post.

In this section, Burgess talks about how captivating it can be to watch someone who is involved or talking about their passion. 

It reminds me a little of a book I read over a decade called "Flow" by (let's see how long it takes me to Google this name for correct spelling*) Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.  Flow is about how true happiness is a state you enter when you are doing something you love.  Sounds like common sense, except that it goes beyond the idea of hobbies are great to have.  It is about the fact that working, as long as it's work you love, is more pleasurable than veg-ing out on the couch, comfort eating, smoking, and other vices that tend to be addictive.  Work > lazing around.

So when Burgess wrote, "light yourself on fire with enthusiasm and people will come from miles around just to watch you burn," it seemed to me that what Burgess is saying is that "second-hand flow" exists.  And teachers need to use it in our classrooms.

Wow.

I do believe in Flow.  When I am doing art, I can forget to eat all day (and as a big snacker, that says a lot).  The question I have is, when I really get into that state, I tune everything else out.

The ability to tune out a room full of 6 year-olds for a few hours is probably not a desirable skill in teaching. 

So how does a teacher bring that passion to a room full of little ones, while also tending to their needs?  Is is possible for primary teachers to do?  Isn't a million interruptions normal for 6 year-olds?  It's one of the main reasons I'm so scared of moving from fourth to first.  I think Burgess teaches high school; is this applicable to first grade?  Or do I need to do have a million little tricks to get kids excited, that I'm not actually passionate about, but I act like it's the coolest new thing?  That seemed to work when I was a paraprofessional in a second grade classroom.  I need to think more about this.

As he concluded this section, he said something else that really got me fired up.  He started preaching to the choir a bit to say that teachers are all different, and copying another person's style will not work.  We need to:

Resist any movement that attempts to clone teachers and lessons and instead rejoice in the fact that it is your individuality and uniqueness that will always lead you to become the most effective teacher that you can be.

*Takes a deep breath*

 
I'm going to speak in generalities for a moment here.  This can be a challenge for a number of reasons:

1. Sometimes, parents compare teachers.  "Why does this teacher do this but my child's teacher do that?"
2. Sometimes, districts adopt curriculum maps that are set in stone.  "Falling behind in the pacing guide" is frowned upon.  District-wide and state-wide tests have a "window" in which they must be administered.
3. Most states have a set of standards that teachers must follow.  Standards are, by definition, the standard.  Not to be deviated from.

As much as teachers would love to bring in some activities or content, it's just not always appreciated by parents or administrators as being something that works for them.

This is something else I need to really chew on for a while in order to elevate my teaching in a way that is well received next year.  If you haven't read this book yet, you can get Teach Like a Pirate with my affiliate link. 

*By the way, if you're wondering, Google and I got it in less than 10 seconds.  Typing in "Flow Mi" caused Google to figure out the rest right away.  Technology is awesome.  :) 

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