I’m a bit embarrassed to say that prior to this #DBC50Summer blog series, Pure Genius by Don Wettrick  (website, Twitter) was one of the few books published by Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc (DBC) that I did not own.  I had heard wonderful things about it and had watched the TEDx video; I just had not read it.  I’ll be honest… I couldn’t see enough relevance in my current role to purchase this book as I do not have a class of students anymore. (Don, I’m so sorry I doubted it!  I should’ve known better! I sure do feel better getting that off my conscience though!) One of the reasons I want to read the #DBC50 in order is to uncover jewels like this one that I may not have felt a connection to otherwise!  I had no idea that when I started reading, I wouldn’t be able to put it down.

After an exciting evening spent working with fantastic educators from across North Carolina to plan Digital Learning sessions for summer professional development, I hustled back to my hotel room to start reading.  Before I knew it the clock said it was after 1:00 in the morning, and I had finished the book.  I literally could. not. put. it. down. And the entire time, my wheels were turning and I was thinking of ways to recreate this in my school, even without having students of my own.

What’s It About?!

Pure Genius is about creating a culture of innovation and allowing students to explore their own passions.  It’s about moving beyond the idea of dedicating the typical 20% of your class time to allow for this exploration and passion projects.  Don upped the bar by creating an ENTIRE CLASS devoted to this idea of Genius Hour/Passion Projects and allowing the students to really own the class.  He truly became the facilitator; he asks questions of the students and helps them manage their time.  Every single year is different because every group of students in the class has different passions.

The struggle was real with the pink highlighter I used.  The poor thing just couldn’t quite make it through all of the awesome that Don shares within the book’s 150 pages.  I actually had to cut back on my highlighting toward the end.  RIP, Pink Highlighter.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

One of my favorite things about Don’s book is he starts with the WHY!  The very first chapter “WHY INNOVATE” hit home.  I love that he immediately addresses that “innovation”  has become so overused and cliché.  This is so greatly appreciated because the list of educational buzzwords continues to get longer and longer.  It’s unfortunate because many of these buzzwords once started as something powerful, but has lost it’s luster.  My job title as Lead Digital Learning & Media Innovation Facilitator needs to be shortened; it’s a mouthful.  My directors and I had discussed various possibilities to condense it, and one option was Innovation Facilitator.  Y’all… I can’t handle that kind of pressure.  If “Innovation Facilitator” is a stand-alone title, that’s some serious standards to live up to, in my opinion.  It doesn’t bother me within the insanely long title because by the time we get to “innovation” people have tuned out anyway.  But if I say, “Hi, I’m Alicia Ray, Innovation Facilitator at a STEM Magnet Middle School”… I better be ready to back that up with some innovative experiences for students! Otherwise, I’m contributing to the buzzword factory.

Anyhow, continuing through Don’s book, I found myself nodding the entire time.  Don’s father gave him advice before his first year teaching and it’s certainly words for us to live by!  “(Insert your name here), I don’t care if you teach for the next twenty years; just don’t teach one year twenty times.”  Let that sink in… if you have a filing cabinet FULL of old worksheets; do students, and yourself, a favor this summer.  Clean that thing out.  There’s nothing wrong with choosing a few amazing lessons and repeating them, with tweaks, to the next class of students if it will engage them.  However, doing the same thing year after year makes your teaching irrelevant – yup, I said that. Feelings may be hurt. My blog though, so I get to freely share my opinions.  Instead, hop on Twitter and ask your #PLN for ideas when planning for that standard/unit.  You’ll be amazed at the facelift your lessons receive.  It will keep your classroom fresh, engaging, and constantly changing.  Basically, Don’s dad is a genius (see what I did there…)

Don does an amazing job speaking to readers about how to create a culture that not only allows failure, but encourages and supports it as a necessary piece of the learning puzzle.  The blueprint for an Innovation Class is easy to follow and replicable in any grade level.  In fact, he gives examples of the concept of Genius Hour at an elementary, a middle, and a high school!  Spoiler alert: Future DBC author is featured here! (Yes, I totally geeked out with that realization, sure did!)

There are chapters devoted to using social media as a platform for sharing with the world.  He speaks to connecting with others, and the opportunities these connections have given his students.  Another quote to live by (it totally inspired and motivated me) is featured in this #BookSnaps tweet – note that it was tweeted shortly before 1:00 AM!

Whew! So much to reflect on after reading about #20Time in #PureGenius by @DonWettrick – blogging tomorrow evening! So inspired & implementing in the Fall! Can’t wait to share more info! #DBC50Summer Book 2/50 was worth the wait! #BookSnaps #GeniusHour pic.twitter.com/ulXguDEExj

— Alicia Ray (@iluveducating) June 16, 2018

Are you looking for opportunities? Are you actively seeking out opportunities that will enhance your own professional development, which enhances your students’ learning experience? Networking is the key to success today.  Do you know the right people?  Do you even realize that you’re already connected to everyone in some way?

Ever heard of a Bacon Number?  This is not the number of bacon strips you can eat in one sitting (mmmmm, bacon).  It’s basically how far removed actors/actresses are from Kevin Bacon.  Check it out here.  This principle can be applied to anyone really.  We all know somebody who knows somebody.  Take the opportunities that are presented to you and make the most of them!

There is so much about Don Wettrick’s Pure Genius that I love – quotes, student voice, digital citizenship, MacGyver, grading negotiations (yes, that’s a thing – and it’s incredible)… I can’t possibly write about it all.  Just trust that you need to get this book.  Don’t be like me; don’t think it’s not applicable to you.  It is!  In fact, Don says, “You don’t really need a formal classroom to change the world. Create your own path.”

My Bright Idea for Implementing

That’s exactly what I’m doing when we return to school.  I accept applications for Makerspace Managers.  These students are in charge of the makerspace in our media center.  When I say they’re in charge, I literally don’t know where things are located sometimes because the students run the space.  I love it!  These Makerspace Managers may be promoted after one successful year to Makerspace Mentors.  They then help me select the new Managers from the applications.  After three years, they have the opportunity to be promoted to Makerspace Advisors.  They work with me directly to advise the mentors and managers – doing the communication, making sure mentors are following through, and then following up with projects.  While this group is amazing, I’ve been trying to think of something fresh (my filing cabinet is empty, by the way).  See where I’m going here?  These students will lead the way for implementing a before-and/or after-school Innovation Club.  Clubs are always a safe place to start, so we’ll see what happens.  I’ve got to speak with the Managers and Mentors to outline all the details; once it’s hashed out a bit more, I can blog about it – hold me accountable for that.  I’m creating my own path, as Don suggests!

Did you know that this book was released by DBC almost two years after Teach Like A Pirate? That would make Don Wettrick the “First Follower” of DBC! Check out this video which explains how important this book really is within the DBC line up!  The first follower is everything!  Without the first follower, there would have never been a second, third, fiftieth follower… imagine a world with no DBC books (GASP!).

I can’t encourage readers enough to grab a copy of Don’s book.  It was informational, conversational, inspiring, and packed full of everything that can be right with education, if we will just be bold and take a leap of faith.  There is so much depth to Book 2/50 and is well-worth the read!  I’d love for you to share your favorite take-aways from Don’s book!  How are you implementing Genius Hour in your class/school?

Update: June 22, 2018…The creative genius that is Andrea Paulakovich (blog and Twitter), an instructional coach and educator from the great state of Kansas, contacted me via Twitter to co-pilot a Flipgrid for readers to respond and connect as they embark on this #DBC50Summer journey!  I am so excited to have educators take hold of this crazy idea of mine to commit to reading every DBC book, and thrilled that Andrea has taken on the challenge and wants to take it a step further in collaborating!  This is just another example of how, as educators, we are #BetterTogether!  I am thrilled to edit this post to add the option of a Flipgrid response! You may use the question prompts available, but please do not feel restricted by those!  Share your thoughts on the book!  The password for each topic on the Grid is DBCSummer – looking forward to watching these videos as they roll in!  You may respond using this link.

While you’re waiting for your copy to come in, check out these videos and podcasts!

YouTube Videos: TEDxBallStateUniversity, Sparks Tech, Subscribe to Don’s YouTube Channel

Podcasts: The Principal Center, Don’s StartEdUp podcast

Next on the #DBC50Summer list… none other than P is for Pirate by Dave & Shelley Burgess (told you that you’d hear from her again soon).  This little ABC picture book is not for the kids!  It’s for YOU! Prepare for a picture book of inspiration, mixed in with a little game of I SPY where “X marks the spot”?!?! Hmmm…. what’s that about? More on that coming in the next post!

Let me take you back…

It’s 2014 and I am attending an #edcamp where I meet my friend, Lisa Milstead, a fellow Pirate from my graduate studies at East Carolina University face-to-face for the first time!  She proceeds to tell me about this book that she’s read and is absolutely crazy about; she also has on a pirate bandanna.  After hearing her go on and on about how incredible this book is and how down-to-earth the author is, I figure I’ll order it to read on my Kindle. Then I read it, but have no one to share in my enthusiasm on a day-to-day basis.

Moving on – it’s March 2015 and I’m at #edcampRSS with some superstars in education. One, in particular, is Sean Gaillard (remember his name, you’ll hear from him again around post 49).  As we sit in a packed classroom sharing stories from this “pirate book”, my Twitter notifications tell me that I have a message from Dave Burgess, the author, who would like to Skype in with us if we can (y’all, I’m not making this up)! After some technical difficulties with Skype, we manage to make something work and get to speak with the Captain himself. I am… (wait for it) …hooked – and still waiting on that purple #tlap shirt, HA!

 

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Let’s move forward a bit to September 2015.  At an #edcamp, I win an autographed copy of Teach Like A Pirate (I rarely win anything)!

Present day…

I just reread the very first book in the #DBC50 – Teach Like A Pirate by Dave Burgess (website, follow him on Twitter).  This makes at least the 7th or 8th reading of the book since Lisa introduced me to this crazy Pirate World over 4 years ago.

So you may have heard about this Pirate guy, or seen the book cover that looks oddly out of place with its pirate map and treasure among all of the static, boring-looking PD books on the store shelves. Well, in this case, you CAN judge a book by its cover!  The content within this book is just as exceptional as its cover & just as different from the other books surrounding it!  You will not be bored to tears, I can promise you that! Teach Like A Pirate is an inspirational book that will get you fired up to be an educator. Dave reminds us that we are “in the life-changing business” and pushes us to “relentlessly search for what engages students, then have the guts to do it”!  You may wonder what in the world the “pirate” thing is about.  The PIRATE system is embodied in three ways.

1. It’s about the Spirit of a Pirate, not the dictionary definition!  Pirates are willing to sail into uncharted waters with no guarantees of success.  They take risks and often pave the way for others.
2. Pirates are known for having hooks.  These hooks are ways to draw your students in and engage them in unconventional ways.
3. PIRATE is also an acronym.  Each letter stands for something within the PIRATE system (read the book to find out – prepare yourself for the immersion chapter).

This book is about so much more than professional development; it’s also PERSONAL development.  Reading this book helps me understand that it’s not “weird” for me to enjoy my job.  It’s not “strange” to want to get to know my students and their families outside of school.  It’s perfectly acceptable, and encouraged even, to share the story of what my students and I do inside our classroom with the world – both successes and failures!

There are TWO main questions that really resonate with me after reading the book.  It’s always a gut-check when I think of these questions that Dave asks (thanks to Dave’s wife, Shelley Burgess, for the following graphics – her name pops up again soon and it’s amazing)…

 

So think about it… are you facilitating a room of learning in a way that is so engaging that students would not only attend your class if they weren’t required, but they’d also PAY to be there?  Are you creating experiences for your students?  Or are you just making lesson plans each day?

If you are creating experiences – you should read this book!  It will empower you and motivate you to keep doing the hard work!  Dave reminds us that “it’s not supposed to be easy – it’s supposed to be worth it!”

If you are going through the motions just making your daily or weekly plans, coming to school and teaching, grading papers, and when you get home with your stack of worksheets not really sure which handwriting belongs to which student… you should REALLY read this book!  Please!  If you aren’t sure where to start, the Captain has got you covered!  There are over 30 hooks to engage your students, with over 150 questions to ask to help make the very best experience you can create for your students!

If you are a first-year teacher or a 35th year teacher, an English Language Arts, Science, Math, History, or encore/special area teacher, you should grab a copy of this book!  If you are struggling with students who aren’t motivated, those students who struggle playing the “game of school”, or desperate to find new ideas to entice the kids who “already know it all” to be excited about your class, you need to grab a copy! If you have a great relationship with every student in your classroom, or if you aren’t sure what that kid with the red hair in the back of the room’s name is… you should gift yourself a copy of this book!  Basically… if you are an educator, have been an educator, or want to be an educator, go get the book – period!

Finally, Teach Like A Pirate is not only a book, but it’s a community which has created an entire educational revolution.  It’s not a one-and-done read then put the Pirate stuff in the back of your mind where the cobwebs are. You can tap into some incredible Pirate Power by searching on social media for #tlap!  Each Monday night at 6 PST/9 EST you can join the #tlap Twitter chat and be inspired.  I can’t think of a better way to end a Monday.  I also can’t think of a better way to end my first #DBC50Summer blog post, but with a picture of me and the Captain himself at a conference in April 2018 and again in June 2018 (I am that lucky)!  So thankful for this book and its author who started it all – who truly embodies the SPIRIT of a Pirate and took a risk writing this book, starting his own publishing company with his wife, and releasing Teach Like A Pirate in September 2012!

 

Resources to get you pumped while you wait for your copy to come in:

Pirate Pedagogy with Dave Burgess: Across the Hall Episode 8

Innovator’s Mindset MOOC Event 1

Teach Like A Pirate: TEDxLitchfieldED

Podcasts: Educator’s Lead Ep74, Under the Crossbones Ep139, Vrain Waves Ep5, My Bad: What I Learned When My Lesson Plan Bombed Twice

Updated June 22, 2018: The creative genius, educator, and instructional coach from Kansas that goes by the name Andrea Paulakovich (blog and Twitter) contacted me on Twitter to let me know that she was interested in joining me on this #DBC50Summer challenge to read each DBC book!  (See her blog about #TLAP here!) I told you the #tlap community was amazing, right? She wanted to see about collaborating on Flipgrid to allow for video responses as educators across the country are embarking on this #DBC50Summer, committing to reading each DBC book!  Of course I replied immediately with a YES!!!  This is a wonderful idea, and I am so excited to partner with Andrea to provide this option for responding!  You may use the question prompts provided to respond to Teach Like A Pirate, but please do not feel limited to only answering those!  Share your thoughts by clicking this link!  The password to the Flipgrid is DBCSummer.

#DBC50Summer Book 2/50: Don Wettrick’s Pure Genius – Stay tuned; this is my FIRST reading of this book & I am pumped!  It’s been on my “to be read” list for a LONG time!