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Lead Like a PIRATE: Make School Amazing for Your Students and Staff
Are You a Treasure Seeker? Pirates are on a constant quest for riches, but PIRATE Leaders seek even greater rewards: amazing schools, engaged students, and empowered educators who know they are making a difference. In Lead Like a PIRATE, education leaders Shelley Burgess and Beth Houf map out the character traits necessary to captain a school or district. You’ll learn where to find the treasure that’s already in your classrooms and schools—and how to bring out the very best in your educators. What does it take to be a PIRATE Leader? Passion—both professional and personal A willingness to Immerse yourself in your work Good Rapport with your staff, students and community The courage to Ask questions and Analyze what is and isn’t working The determination to seek positive Transformation And the kind of Enthusiasm that gets others excited about education The ultimate goal for any education leader is to create schools and districts where students and staff are knocking down the doors to get in rather than out. This book will equip and encourage you to be relentless in your quest to make school amazing for your students, staff, parents, and communities. Are you ready to set sail?
250 pages, Paperback
Published March 16, 2017
248 people are currently reading
611 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
January 7, 2019
#7 of 2019 PopSugar Reading Challenge: a book by two female authors.
This was given a 4 because of the gimmick/marketing nature of the "PIRATE" series. Also- I was digesting this book for almost a year. I read the second half in almost a single day thanks to State Testing. I know I will need to go back and revisit some concepts in order to implement those concepts into my leadership toolbox.
However, I am a fan of Dave Burgess and this book was written by his wife, Shelly, and Beth Houf, about being an educational leader. I enjoyed this book and jotted a lot of notes in the margins. It spoke to me, as I knew it would. As the book states, being a teacher means a large support system. Going into leadership is often a very lonely position, mainly because at the end of the day the invisible tattoo of "Boss" is still on your forehead.
I keep coming back to it, and seeing it when reading leadership books, but messaging is so important. It cannot be overstated that the way an idea or process for change is messaged will make or break that initiative. I need to work on this. A lot of times, I know something is a good thing, something worth doing in the building, but I don't always convey it to my staff in the most effective way possible. I need to get better with my words in this area.
This was given a 4 because of the gimmick/marketing nature of the "PIRATE" series. Also- I was digesting this book for almost a year. I read the second half in almost a single day thanks to State Testing. I know I will need to go back and revisit some concepts in order to implement those concepts into my leadership toolbox.
However, I am a fan of Dave Burgess and this book was written by his wife, Shelly, and Beth Houf, about being an educational leader. I enjoyed this book and jotted a lot of notes in the margins. It spoke to me, as I knew it would. As the book states, being a teacher means a large support system. Going into leadership is often a very lonely position, mainly because at the end of the day the invisible tattoo of "Boss" is still on your forehead.
I keep coming back to it, and seeing it when reading leadership books, but messaging is so important. It cannot be overstated that the way an idea or process for change is messaged will make or break that initiative. I need to work on this. A lot of times, I know something is a good thing, something worth doing in the building, but I don't always convey it to my staff in the most effective way possible. I need to get better with my words in this area.
April 30, 2019
Pop Sugar Challenge 2019: book by two authors
Just like Teach Like a Pirate, this book is full of ideas and reminders for how to be your best self as a leader in education. A lot of good reminders and resources to help new and established leaders alike can be found in this book.
Just like Teach Like a Pirate, this book is full of ideas and reminders for how to be your best self as a leader in education. A lot of good reminders and resources to help new and established leaders alike can be found in this book.
June 4, 2017
Incredible read for all educators. I loved the wisdom around building relationships, establishing high expectations and leading through all aspects of education the Shelley and Beth shared. Will be a top recommended book I share with educators looking to improve practice in practical ways.
August 21, 2019
This book is geared toward school principals, but a few of the ideas are applicable to those in other leadership roles. The advice seemed pretty basic and not innovative or ground-breaking. I didn’t find their personal stories to be particularly helpful or interesting. The pirate connection is tenuous at best. The authors could have picked any random word and made an acronym to fit (which they should have done, since pirates aren’t exactly stand-up characters to be emulated, being ruthless criminals and all). Since it was written by two authors and also written in the first person, the way they differentiated who was writing was: “I (Beth)…” “I (Shelley)…” This got old on page 7. Another annoyance were the tons of unnecessary self-quotes. I don’t see the need for the authors to highlight their own words by selecting random sentences and repeating them in a larger, fancier font. I don’t need to read the same sentence twice. I don’t need to read the same sentence twice.
December 7, 2017
This book was intended for K-12 administrators, and many of the issues discussed therein are specific to that environment. However, the advice provided by Burgess and Houf is certainly also applicable to a broader audience. In fact, though I am a program chair at a community college, I gained valuable information and was inspired by the authors’ enthusiasm for student success. If you are looking for practical, easily applied, fun ways to build trust and improve faculty and student morale, this book will not disappoint!
February 12, 2019
Great book when you feel overwhelmed as a teacher at any capacity. Had to read for an initiative I’m involved with but I found some of the strategies meaningful and pertinent to everyday life as a teacher in a Title I school.
August 13, 2017
How many books do you want to yell YES at upon the end of each chapter? LEAD LIKE A PIRATE doesn't just motivate: it inspires you in multiple arenas to be a better school leader. In particular, the lengthy section on ANCHOR conversations resonated strongly with me. I can't wait to put the authors' suggestions into motion when school begins in a few weeks. As I start my 14th year as a building principal, LEAD LIKE A PIRATE reminds me how much better I can be with the help of a professional learning network that includes Shelley Burgess and Beth Houf. Many thanks for this tremendous resource and catalyst to professional improvement. Cheers!
October 19, 2020
I always enjoy reading professional development books that come from the PIRATE family.
This book is directed to those in leadership positions; primarily administrators. However, there is a lot of good information for teachers who are not administrators, but instead they want to be an admin one day or instructional coaches or PLC leads, etc.
I picked this book up to read for a class project that I am completing for my masters degree and I found it insightful to some of the struggles administrators face, as well as things to focus on to build morale (and in this hybrid teaching world that is in high demand).
This book is directed to those in leadership positions; primarily administrators. However, there is a lot of good information for teachers who are not administrators, but instead they want to be an admin one day or instructional coaches or PLC leads, etc.
I picked this book up to read for a class project that I am completing for my masters degree and I found it insightful to some of the struggles administrators face, as well as things to focus on to build morale (and in this hybrid teaching world that is in high demand).
March 30, 2018
For some people, the themed/branded version of books connects them with a topic, and I'm glad that works for them. For me, this book was like attending a Tony Robbins sessions which, again, may work for some, but it is a turnoff to me. There are great nuggets tucked away within the book, but I couldn't get passed the Pirate-y theme of every chapter. For those that enjoy the "life coach" approach to professional development, this would be a great read. I know this is a brand that has been successful in education, but it just didn't speak to me.
July 18, 2022
The chapter about anchoring conversations and meaningful instructional leadership was the best by far for me. Don't get me wrong, there are other good ideas in the book, as well, once you get past the pirate gimmick.
I've read other helpful teacher evaluation books like Kim Marshall's Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation, but this book really gets at the heart of how to promote positive risk taking while creating a sense of safety to do so. More than other books I've read.
I've read other helpful teacher evaluation books like Kim Marshall's Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation, but this book really gets at the heart of how to promote positive risk taking while creating a sense of safety to do so. More than other books I've read.
August 12, 2017
Great book that will have you rethinking your role as a school leader. This book opened my eyes and provided me the opportunity to refine my views as to the role of a school leader. It took me so long to read because I kept going back and rereading chapters. This book will be placed on my "reread every year list."
July 16, 2019
This professional development book on school leadership was recommended by a colleague. It was a quick and easy read with many good ideas. However, being an experienced administrator (13 years), this book was more affirmation that I am doing the things I should be doing. I did highlight a few ideas I would like to try in the future.
April 14, 2022
I really learned a lot about being a leader by reading this book. It opened my eyes to a lot of things that I didn’t even think about. The whole PIRATE thing just strikes me as cheesy lol and some things got a little repetitive but overall a really good book. I recommend all prospective (or current) leaders and teachers read this. You truly can learn a lot.
October 12, 2025
Lead Like a PIRATE was fine which is exactly why I’m giving it two stars. While the message is positive and well-intentioned, I found most of the advice incredibly straightforward and, at times, repetitive. The “pirate” theme, though creative, felt overused and a bit exhausting by the end. Overall, it’s a quick, upbeat read, but it didn’t offer much new insight for me.
June 18, 2017
Great book for educational leaders. It is a great complement to Teach Like a Pirate that challenges readers to change the way they interact with teachers. True focus on investing in people and building better teams.
July 22, 2017
A fabulous read for not only administrators, but for teacher leaders too! If you want your faculty or colleagues to teach like pirates, you've got to walk the walk. Shelley Burgess and Beth Houf are excellent role models in how to do this. A must read!
January 3, 2020
I was expecting to find the treasure by the end and all I got was that crummy pirate, hollowed out, chocolate coins.
The book offered some great insights, but it was totally anecdotal and not researched based.
The book offered some great insights, but it was totally anecdotal and not researched based.
August 22, 2020
I did a quick read through and I now I plan to go back and make notes as I go. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to applying principles shared in the book in my own life and learning community.
April 30, 2022
Very insightful! I feel as though this book should be read as a leader every so often to make sure you really get everything out of it. One of my favorite portions of this book is to never forget your roots. Seems so obvious until you forget to practice.
May 17, 2022
I work in a school as the media assistant in the library. Though most of the examples and info doesn't apply directly to me, I found the book to be very insightful. I wish that my own teachers had been more like this.
May 6, 2017
So many great and practical ideas in this book! Highly recommend.
June 15, 2017
One of my all time favorite educational reads!! I loved every page! Highly recommend for all educational leaders!!
August 6, 2017
Lead Like a Pirate is a must read for administrators and teacher leaders.
July 10, 2018
Very inspiring! Time to think outside of the box and build better relationships with staff.
August 10, 2018
Makes me want to be the best I can be. Ready to jump in. Great tips and ideas to reflect upon. A must read for school leaders.
October 9, 2018
Still my number one Principal book.
December 31, 2018
Great book inspiring!
April 2, 2019
Excellent advice for all leaders.
April 8, 2019
Using the book in a training for my coaching role in my job. Good read so far, haven't completed but hope to soon.
June 23, 2019
Easy read for new leaders in schools.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews