Pirate Adventures and a Crystal Apple Award

It is just another regular Thursday morning at our house. My daughter puts on her favorite seafaring clothes, grabs her voyage-tattered pirate logbook and stashes a treasure box full of gems, jewels, coins and other miscellaneous plunder into her backpack. With pirate boots zipped, treasure pouch strapped on, and bandana strategically placed upon her head, we hurry out the door to make sure she arrives for her 10:00 a.m. boarding on the “Wilhelming Phantom”, a very magnificent pirate ship that departs from Port PCCS each Thursday.

Wouldn't you agree that this sounds like just another regular school day? Well, maybe not for you, but if you have a teacher like Dawn Binder of , this could be a typical day for you too.

When we arrive aboard ship, I am greeted by Captain Binder and a group of early-bird pirates who are all very busy getting their provisions ready for the voyage, while others are counting the pirate's booty in their personally embellished treasure boxes. At the front of the room, there is a very large treasure chest standing open and inside are some some of the Captain's classroom supplies and tools. On the shelf above, among the rats, bones and various implements, you will find a Pirate's Handbook, Treasure Island and many other books on the subject or pirates.

There are sailing necessities such as a compass, globe, and even a hook to be worn on one's hand if the need should arise, because you just never know what will happen on the next voyage out to sea. One part of a wall is decorated with hand-designed Jolly Roger flags complete with skulls and crossbones. Another has information written by students about what they know about pirates, while yet another wall holds a clothing rack with the Captain's wardrobe hanging neatly. On a nearby table there are feathers used for quill pens, and various goodies that every pirate captain should have. The rats and random bones may not frighten me, but I admit that the skull on the wall with the wacky moving eyeballs that says “Hey, where ya going?” when I walk by has made me jump more than once.

During each weekly class, the students set sail on a new voyage. They get to dress as pirates, wearing clothing or costumes that would be relevant to the era. Each crew member has an important duty on the ship, and they decide together where they will set sail and how they will deal with the various friends or foes they may encounter along the way. They have landed on shore and uncovered buried treasure on more than one occasion. They have plundered loot from each other, fought and robbed Blackbeard, dived into the ocean for Black Sam Bellamy's sunken treasure and some crew members have even had to walk the plank in the past, including the esteemed captain herself.

At this point you might be starting to wonder what kind of class this is. Is it Social Studies, Writing, Drama, Art, PE? Well it could be all of those things, but it is a Writing Class that uses history as its base and is one of the three terrific writing classes taught by the K-5 teachers at PCCS this trimester. This class was completely developed and designed by Dawn Binder, and is phenomenal. The students don't really think about being in a writing class, but instead they feel like it is an adventure. Each crew member keeps a logbook of their activities, with journal entries, maps, letters, and drawings, along with writing information and word lists. (See how she slipped those educational things in there among the goodies? Yet, they are all part of the adventure). When they get a writing assignment for class, it might be about their adventures, a journal entry describing their own character, how they are feeling or how they felt about a situation, or even about other crew members. (This was actually a class favorite!) They are very excited to write in class, and some can't wait to do their homework, as I have heard from many parents. The students have found the thrill in writing and history by living it. Dawn has shown them just how much fun it can be while using their very active imaginations.

A few weeks ago in class, Dawn gave her students a little taste of reality when she showed the students a display she hung on the wall explaining what they had learned so far in the different areas of writing and what they will be learning in the weeks ahead. It was much like looking behind the curtain at the real Wizard in the “Wizard of Oz”. Many students were very surprised that they were actually learning all of this in class the entire time. But after that brief glimpse of reality, they were soon whisked back into the magical land of history as they prepared for their next adventure.

This is not the first time Dawn has put together a class like this, she has been doing this for many years over the span of her teaching career. She has designed a variety of other creatively inspired classes that are hands-on, interactive, engaging and she fully participates along with the students. Her goal is for the students to experience the subject they are learning and to empower them to think critically and to gain confidence in their learning abilities. She is also currently teaching two other classes at PCCS. One of them is an engineering class that is part of a series of middle school science courses co-taught with teacher Bev Bonde. The other is a chemistry class for 4-5 grade, and is another big hit with students. She puts much time and effort into every detail that goes into the design of the class and the curriculum. The best part is, not only are they learning, but they are loving it! One student was even quoted by his family as saying “Please pass the NaCl” at breakfast one morning after chemistry class.

Last Thursday was not a typical day aboard the trusty Wilhelming Phantom. It had a surprising twist that no crew member on board, even with the best spyglass, could have foreseen. Little did they know what was in store for their sailing vessel that day.

As Dawn was teaching her class that morning, with captain and crew dressed in full pirate garb, she and the entire class were completely surprised when KSBW News Anchor, Dan Green, along with the Action News 8 cameraman and crew, came walking into the classroom to honor her excellence in teaching with the KSBW Crystal Apple Award which was presented by Dan Green and Kent Hansen from Dole Fresh Vegetables. Parents Shannon Jordan and Alyson Greatorex nominated Dawn for the award, and she was chosen as the winner for February 2012. The nomination was unanimous among parents, students and staff. We are all very excited and proud that she is the recipient of this honorable and well-deserved award, and that she has been recognized for her exceptional efforts.

What she brings to the classroom each day empowers each student to do their best, not just for the teacher, but for themselves as well. They build a sense of self-reliance and pride in their work. They realize there is no limit to what they can do, and she teaches them to trust in themselves and to take pride in their capabilities.

I included a lot photos for you to see for yourself what a typical day might be like in one of her classes.

As I have told Dawn many times, what she teaches is not just a class; it is a true experience. I think students and parents would agree.

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Pacific Coast Charter School is a K-12 Public Charter School in PVUSD. It is a Homeschool/Independent Study program that offers onsite workshops and enrichment classes 2-3 days per week. If you would like more info, you can check out the website or call the school office at 786-2180.

Links:

• News coverage of the award being presented in the classroom: http://www.ksbw.com/video/30385488/detail.html