And the Learning Goes On

School may have been closed for the last few months, but for the teachers at St. Bernadette’s in Drexel Hill and St. Patrick’s in Malvern, PA, the learning and professional development continued over the dog days of summer.

The vision to create collaboration in order to generate innovation in education is a constant goal for teachers within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. This summer, the cooperation took the form of both schools reading an inspiring book, Teach Like a Pirate, by Dave Burgess. The book highlights embracing your inner pirate through: Passion, Immersion, Rapport, Ask and Analyze, Transformation, and Enthusiasm.

Using Edmodo, a social learning platform website, teachers from both schools responded to questions, shared ideas, gave examples of how they would implement new techniques from the book into their classrooms, asked questions, and commented on posts. Our sharing over the summer became an on-line book club that will enhance teaching throughout the year.

A fun part of the sharing was teachers taking Teach Like a Pirate with them on vacation. They shared pictures of reading on the beach, dressing up like a pirate with their grandchildren, or visiting Pirates of the Caribbean in Disney World.

Mr. Chris Fender, 5th grade teacher at St. Patrick School enjoyed his experience with the book. “This past August, I set sail with Captain Dave Burgess, as a shipmate sharing in the treasures of Teach Like a Pirate. Pirates are adventurous daredevils willing to take chances in uncharted waters. Teachers need to be passionate hosts of knowledge that create an atmosphere of enthusiasm, safety and creativity. This reconnect has given me the desire to take chances on new lessons with the use of the ‘hooks’ that utilize music, art, and movement. This approach will allow me to cultivate lifelong learners and contributing members of society. I’m excited to share that treasure with our school community.”

Kathy Pedano, Kindergarten teacher at St. Bernadette’s, had this to say about the summer experience. “I enjoyed reading Teach Like A Pirate and feel it has become a tool to remind me of some important ideas I need to revisit in my teaching. There were several concepts and strategies that I know I have used in the past or that I know are important to my teaching. However, there are times when we get caught up with some of the more “rote” issues of day to day teaching and we tend to forget to use these great ideas. I have appreciated the opportunity to get new ideas and feedback from the teachers at St. Pat’s using the Edmodo forum. I look forward to continuing this professional connection.”

The learning, connections, and collaborations that took place in the professional development summer book club connected over 40 educators between the 2 schools. Reading and reflecting about Teach Like a Pirate was an energizing experience for everyone who participated.