The Story of Trevor Muir’s P3

Trevor is a Senior Editor at WeAreTeachers. He is an author, speaker, teacher, and project based learning expert. Trevor is a National Faculty member for the Buck Institute for Education, one of the leaders of The Education Design Expedition at Fontys University in the Netherlands, the author of The Epic Classroom which, according to Tony Wagner is, "A must-read for anyone who aspires to really teach.” Trevor runs the Facebook page "The Epic Classroom" where his videos have been viewed over 22 million times.

Trevor has been teaching in Michigan for the last 7 years. After his many opportunities to present on the exciting work that he has been doing in the classroom, Trevor will be sharing with an even wider audience of teachers through his new job. Now in his last month of public school teaching, Trevor will be developing more creative content and inspiring educators through his full-time role at We Are Teachers. He will also be teaching a class for college freshmen who he referred to as future teachers. He wrote The Epic Classroom after spending his first four years teaching at an all project based learning high school. “I started to see that when kids are really engaged in whatever they’re doing in school, when they’re really invested in it and solving real problems, it’s almost like the story is unfolding in the classroom.” Trevor wondered what would happen if he laid his projects out like a story, and that is how his captivating approach book came to be.

The Personal Playlist Podcast is like a series of prompts to tell your story. The guests unpack three songs and recount several aspects of their lives and interests in an intimate half hour conversation. Trevor’s nostalgic song was big in its time. For him, it was shelter from the storm of middle school and life. He was caught by the chorus that says: Maybe you’re gonna be the one that saves me. It was a tumultuous time for him personally, and he was looking for his place in the world. Trevor described that even though his parents loved him and he had caring teachers, he felt alone at the time. He shares that sentiment of a lot of high schoolers from that pivotal time. Hearing this song gave him solace when he “...desperately wanted somebody to show up.” For Trevor, that was his teacher at the beginning of high school who made extra time for him and really listened. That kindness stayed with him and filtered into his role as an educator. This song has also stayed with Trevor. He, like several others from his generation, learned to play it before all others when picking up guitar and could expect to hear it when a group of kids got together and someone played. It brought him comfort and it still takes him back. Here is Wonderwall by Oasis:

Trevor’s next chapter, his identity song, is one that he got to hear at live shows over 14 times. “I was the biggest Dave Matthews Band junky in the world back in the day.” This song is about having no regrets and not looking back. “If you get to the end of the road, and you are stepping into the light, your time here is done, how are you going to look back on that time? Are you going to be proud of the time you spent on Earth? Are you going to be happy with how it was spent? Did you live it to the fullest” This last line is Trevor’s mantra. His enneagram test affirms his enthusiasm: he’s a 7. The description includes being the life of the party and seeking new adventures. On the unhealthy side, it can be difficult for his personality type to feel unsatisfied or when his pace of play slows down. This song brings him back to centre and helps him contemplate how he wants to look back at his life. “It celebrates the [precious] time that we’re given...” Here is Lie in Our Graves:

The last stop on this journey is an inspirational song that was, itself, sparked by a classic tale. Heavily influenced by John Steinbeck’s novel East of Eden this song is tattooed on Trevor's heart and arm. This book is filled with the word timshel which means “you are not destined to be anything but what you choose to be.” The idea of having free will and individuality is truly liberating for him as he refers to a line from the book and song: Choice is what makes man great; it’s his ladder to the stars. He loves the text and what an amazing thing it is to realize that we have self determination. Trevor lists a few examples among the bevy of choices people can have and the idea that each choice has consequences. “All of my high schoolers have the potential to be amazing...so many kids don’t realize what their potential is.” Trevor wants them to see that they can choose how to experience their lives and that they have the power to reimagine the possible if they choose to look beyond their circumstance. “If you’re not satisfied with something, then do something about it.” The theme of the book resonates so strongly with him as does the word he now wears. Here is Timshel by Mumford and Sons:

Through his P3, Trevor personifies a quote from his website: School should not be boring. Life either. Through various settings, our main character found determination, perseverance and perspective. While the action continues for our hero, his stories, workshops, writing and recordings continue to inspire. If you want to learn more about Trevor, check out his website, follow him on Twitter, buy his book, watch his effusive videos, subscribe to his YouTube channel, and become part of The Epic Classroom community.

Muir says School Doesn't Have to Look Like This Anymore