I Knew Him When...

My #FollowFriday recommendation is Dave Burgess, @burgessdave on Twitter.

I taught for about 15 years with Dave at West Hills H.S. down in Santee, CA. He consistently beat me out for any wacky/zany/weird teacher awards for the yearbook, which frustrated me to no end. But he deserved it...I was never committed enough to cross-dress for a lesson!

If you've never heard of Teach Like a Pirate, you need to check it out. Google it, check the hashtag (#tlap), go to his website...whatever. Just check it out. And if you're ever at a conference where he's presenting, make a point to go to his session.

I had the pleasure of seeing his #tlap concept evolve (Dave, do you remember doing the GUHSD Summer Institute classes in a trailer at Chap?). I wonder sometimes if he's sad to have created an acronym that commits him to pirate imagery for the rest of his life, but I bet he's doing just fine!

As a still-new-to-this blogger, I'm not sure what the rules are about posting the details of his system. (Dave, if you tell me it's okay, I'll add the acronym here. I even found the hook cards online...but I figured those are off-limits.) I don't want to take away from Dave's livelihood. It's worth the money...buy the book! But I'm telling you, if you ever get a chance to see him live, it's going to stick even more.

Dave's concepts are definitely the type of thing that resonate deeply with me. The "hooks" idea (being intentional and creative in finding the best way to engage students into a lesson) is what good teachers do naturally. He's just identified a range of TYPES of hooks, then elaborated on the ideas to help lesson-crafters flesh them out. And he gives teachers permission to do the crazy things they've always wanted to do, but just wondered if it was allowed. Let me give you a tip, people. DO THE CRAZY THINGS! And do the gut-wrenching, heart-level things, too!

Side note: I love how angry Dave gets when people tell him, "You're so lucky to be so creative. I wish I had that gift." Seriously...it ticks him off. And with good reason; don't belittle someone's hard work and dedication by thinking it's just a gift!

On a personal level, let me tell you this. Dave is such a great dude. He's got a fire in his eyes (especially if he's telling you an elaborate story). He's passionate about getting teachers to craft lessons that will CHANGE KIDS' LIVES. I know that he must miss connecting to kids the way he did. But I'm sure he finds tremendous joy and satisfaction in developing teachers across the country who are making those connections with their students. I know for a fact that he has saved teachers' careers, reigniting in them a passion for what they can do.

It's been really neat to see his publishing empire grow, and with a stable full of educational thoroughbreds! @alicekeeler @techninjatodd @awelcome ... and those are just the ones I know! I'm sure if Dave is putting his stamp of approval on a product, then the creator must be awesome.

In any event, if you have any control over the Professional Learning in your district or school site, I urge you to look into getting Dave to come present. Your students will thank you for the amazing impact he will have on powerful instruction. If you're looking for a powerful community to engage with on Twitter, check out #tlap or the #tlap chat.