Nomad Learning to Nautical Teaching: Sal Gordon

The Learning Future Podcast with Louka Parry

How does one become the realisation that much of what might be learned over 15 years of schooling was mostly meaningless influence over a person's life trajectory? How might free and untethered gaps help one find personal growth, resilience, and navigation in their life?

Sal Gordon dives into the details of his Peaceful Pirate Principle.

After Sal's schooling, he quickly realised that most of what he had learned in over 15 years of formal education seemed meaningless. In a way, Sal felt that school had impeded his true education. What was meant to be a gap-year transformed into a gap decade, during which Sal travelled and worked around the world, picking up new languages, customs, and cultures. He took on an array of jobs and enhanced his life skills; from sales to office jobs, from authoring books to driving trucks, from tending bars and restaurants to managing warehouses, working in labs, and building houses. It seemed there was no job Sal hadn't tried – constantly adapting to new environments, building resilience, and nurturing his love for people, learning, and our beautiful planet. Amongst all his roles, Sal's favourite was sailing boats – an experience that profoundly changed his life. He discovered an undeniable, sacred bond between the water, the wind, and a boat. Sal soon recognised that the treasures he once sought weren't just material, like gold or gems. Instead, the real treasures were all around — the breathtaking natural environment, remarkable humans, innate creativity, life's challenges, and love. These became the most valuable to him. Sal believed his true vocation lay in teaching and learning. After all, that had been the essence of his life's journey. He was confident that, as a Peaceful Pirate Principal, he could guide others to discover their real treasures.

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This Season is done in partnership with Salzburg Global Seminar. https://www.salzburgglobal.org/

Please check out our partner’s publication advocating for education transformation: https://www.diplomaticourier.com/issue/transformed-the-case-for-education-transformation

Transcript available at www.thelearningfuture.com