Welcome to my site! My name is Rich Anderson and I teach 9th grade Global History at a Junior High School in Central New York (Syracuse not NYC).

In early July 2018, on a total whim, I picked up a book at Barnes and Noble called “Teach Like a Pirate” by Dave Burgess and, in short time, it has totally changed my EDU world!

I sit here in late August 2018 creating this blog/website, have read more Professional Development books in the last two months than I have in the last five years combined (with a stack still to be read), and I have expanded my Professional Learning Network—connecting with countless educators from around the world via social media. If you told me this was going to happen at the end of June I wouldn’t have believed you. Funny how things work out sometimes!

Its my intention for this site to share my journey (both the wins and losses) and advance my life purpose or—as Tara Martin put it in “Be REAL”—my “why”. My “why” is to help empower people through positivity …and this is one of my “what” to do that—and a total “cannonball”.

I am still figuring out how to structure this but above you will find an “About Me”, a blog where I will discuss impactful things (books,  things I have tried in the classroom, and maybe even some vlogs), and I also intend to try daily reflections. I hope that you find use in what I share and that we can connect.

If nothing else I hope you always remember “Every day you wake up is a good day”—that is my life mantra and it keeps everything in perspective.