Go ahead and burn the ships because there is no going back. I was listening to a song by For King & Country, and the words just hit me in the chest. They sang:

“Don’t let it arrest you.
This fear is fear of fallin’ again.
And if you need refuge, I will be right here until the end.
Oh, and it’s time to burn the ships, cut the ties.
Send a flare into the night.
Say a prayer, turn the tide.
Dry your eyes and wave goodbye.”

These words resonated with my heart. For years, I had longed for better, and after hitting rock bottom in my career, it was time to set sail to a new way of doing things. My traditional classroom was toxic, and I had to get out. I was miserable, and my students were miserable. After a conversation with my administrators, I felt like I had been given a map with no names and a broken compass. I was told to go and explore. I had no idea where I was headed or even where to begin my adventure, but I knew I could not stay put.

Discovering Project-based Learning

My explorations led me to Project-based Learning (PBL). The more I explored this new territory, I realized how traditional instruction had bound me. It kept me from working with students and engaging them every day. It prohibited me from being the teacher I had always wanted to be. Fear was a daily emotion. I was afraid of people seeing how ineffective I had become, afraid of failing one more day, afraid of student rejection once again, and afraid of not being enough. I had been in need of refuge but was unwilling to take it because I was trying to prove I was someone that I was not.

The Role of Community

I had no idea there was a community of people who would carry me through my lows, celebrate my highs, and help me navigate the obstacles that lay ahead. This community of educators is not only committed to the practice of PBL but is also invested in me as a person. After implementing PBL for a few months, it became apparent that there was no going back. I was where I wanted to be, but more than that, I was where I needed to be. I was free—free to be the educator I wanted to be, free to invest in kids the way they needed me to, free to work with students, and free to engage students in active, meaningful learning.

Transformation and Growth

Fear began to dissipate. Failing wasn’t scary anymore. I began to understand that my students weren’t waiting for a perfect teacher; they were waiting for me to be me. They were waiting for me to get out from the front of the classroom and kneel beside them and work with them.

The refuge came in the form of community. I was able to rest in who I was becoming. I was not alone in my journey. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of teachers who were searching for better and found PBL. Investing in online communities has created friendships that will last longer than a lifetime. I have found a support system that was trying to figure it out, just like me. And the great thing is, when we are all trying to figure it out, there is no judgment. I have been able to engage with people who each hold a piece of the puzzle, and it just so happens that those were the pieces I was looking for. And all the while, I was holding onto a piece that others were looking for, too. None of us holds all of the puzzle pieces, and we need one another to accomplish this beautiful thing called learning.

Embracing the New Day

I have a much deeper understanding of PBL now than I did on day one, but that is true of anyone who has lived in an area for years. It is time to burn the ships. I will never return to a traditional classroom. I have realized more and more that there is no going back. Why would I want to go back to a way that was so restricting, so binding, so unpleasant? So as I stand on the metaphorical shore of PBL, burning my ships has brought so much joy, and I am not alone. But what does a decision like that cost? What did I have to sacrifice or give up to live in my new environment?

Sacrifices and Rewards

One of the biggest things I had to give up was a sense of control. The truth of the matter is this: no matter the cost, the rewards outweigh anything I had to give up. One of the most gut-checking things I did was ask myself a relatively simple question, but one that is seldom asked. What do I think about when I think about what my students think when they think about me? I know that sounds confusing, but truly, how do they see me? Am I the dictator in my classroom controlling their every action and every interaction? Do they see me as kind, compassionate, or understanding? Do they see me as approachable or easy to talk to? Am I respectable? Do they see me as invested, or do they see me as someone who is doing a job? Most importantly, do they see me as someone that they can learn from? The answers to all of those questions are different when comparing my traditional practices to my PBL practices. I went from being a teacher that yells to a teacher that has a calm spirit. I went from controlling to empowering. My students went from obedience out of fear to obedience because they owned their learning.

Lighting the Way Forward

Burning the ships and embracing Project-based Learning has not only transformed my classroom but also reignited my passion for teaching. My hope is that my ships have a flame that burns so brightly that it leads others to a land of freedom where their passion for teaching can thrive and grow. The lyrics of that song end by saying:

“Step into a new day.
We can rise up from the dust and walk away.
We can dance upon our heartache, yeah.
So light a match, leave the past, burn the ships and don’t you look back.”

The new day is beautiful, and I am dancing upon the heartache that I went through. And I refuse to ever look back.

Now, I encourage you to reflect on your own teaching practices. Are there ships you need to burn? How can you create a classroom where passion and meaningful learning take center stage? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. Let’s start a conversation and support each other in this transformative journey. Your insights could be the spark that lights the way for others.

Interested in diving into PBL and starting your journey, check out my latest book, Modern PBL: Project-based Learning in the Digital Age.