I am a professional development junkie. This month has provided me with an abundance of PD binging. And Duh duh duh duh duh I’m loving it.
What follows are snippets from my binge.
I started the month participating in the third of a series of English Language Learners trainings provided by Education Northwest.
How are you feeling so far in our work? I am hungry. I want to learn more. I want to change my major. 🙂
How has our work impacted your craft? I notice the use of the word apprentice. I look for language in action.
Big take away: Language is a tool we use to act in the world.
The following day, I was a pirate. From Dave Burgess I learned that pirate teachers have passion
Passion in content, what in the content are you passionate about? Within my profession what am I passionate about? You don’t have to have an assignment from a teacher to learn. Life changing impact! Outside of my profession what are you passionate about?
Teacher pirates are immersed.
Immerse yourself in the moments. When I am doing whatever I do am I doing just that?
Pirate teachers have a rapport with students and colleagues. They build relationships.
Relationships of influence. This is a no meanness zone. 1 minute of informal interaction with a student is worth 10 hours of instructional time.
Pirate teachers also ask and analyze.
Ask because questions are the key to creativity.
Don’t give homework give challenges! This provides creative alchemy.Create a capture system for you ideas. Brackets are engaging. Be prolific not perfect
Pirate teachers transform
Transformation …. you can’t be good you have got be remarkable.
If they didn’t have to be there would you be teaching to an empty room? Do you have any lessons you could sell tickets for?
Finally, pirate teachers engage. Dave Burgess definitely delivered on engagement.
Now I am at the ORTII conference. I came here thinking I would learn strategies and skills, but the keynote address by Anthony Muhammad changed my focus. I am now thinking about culture.
Culture = soil and technical innovation = seeds. We need a fertile soil.
Prior to this conference, I was an Anita Archer virgin. I heard I would love her. I heard she was the best. She did not disappoint and caused me to rethink some of my deeply held beliefs (i.e., beliefs about spelling and I do, we do, you do). However, she made us put away our phones so I was not able to capture my thoughts here. I will have to report back at a later date. 
So are have they reached teacher crush status? The verdict is still out on that one. I still need to try things out and process. Again, I will have to report back.
Wendy Mair Clark 