I’m a big Jimmy Buffet fan, sometimes called Parrotheads.  One wouldn’t normally think that there are many lessons for teachers to be garnered from the man who has built a career helping us escape to Margaritaville (fan fact – Escape to Margaritaville was the name of one of his Broadway musicals).  But in fact, one of the messages that runs through many of his songs is one that I think teachers can learn a lot from: the concept of songlines and our stories.

I may be a bit biased, but I think that Jimmy Buffet is not only a great entertainer but also a great storyteller.  During the pandemic, he teamed up with his daughter to bring fans “Songs You Don’t Know By Heart” – a play on his album “Songs You Know By Heart”.  These lesser known deep cuts are interviews that his daughter Delaney did with him about these songs.  One of those songs is called “Love in the Library”.

In that interview, Jimmy talks of his love of reading and how his mother instilled that love in him at a young age.  He tells of how she encouraged him and his sister to read to learn of the world beyond Mississippi where they grew up.  We as teachers do the same – we want books to be the windows to the world for our students.

But the Bits of Buffet wisdom don’t end there.  In his book A Pirate Looks at Fifty and in the song “Far Side of the World”, Jimmy talks of songlines – an Aboriginal concept that encompasses the narrative of the world and connects us all.  These are the stories that aren’t just the windows to the world, but the connections between us all.

Ok, so where am I going with all this and how does it relate to teaching and us as teachers?  Easy – we are the ones who not only share stories with students, but with each other.  Our stories matter and can inspire or discourage others.  I for one have had people whose stories terrified me and changed my career trajectory (Algebra 2 in high school – still get chills!) while others with a gentle word (thank you, Professor Shteirman) helped inspire me to grow as a professional. 

As you read this I challenge you to find a way to share your story.  Find a colleague to share a story with – even if it is not education related.  Build those connections with your coworkers.  Seek out other teachers who can share their stories with you.  A great place to share and connect stories is social media.  Share a post with the tag #wirededucator and share your favorite teaching story or memory.  Share an idea.  It is what we do as teachers – we share ourselves.

Whether we’ve been teaching for 2 days, 2 months or 20 or more years, we each have stories that we can share that can help to inspire others.  Share your story.  Listen to others.  Let’s allow these stories to help build each other up and encourage others.  And then let’s allow those stories we hear to become a part of our own songline.