Teach Like a Pirate:
Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform
Your Life as an Educator by Dave
Burgess
(Published
by Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc., San Diego, CA, 2012)
Let
me just start by saying this is by far one of the most favorite
education-based texts I have read. It was real, raw, and inspiring.
It was not an encouragement to hop on a bandwagon, or speak in
regards to one breakthrough way to make teaching more like everyone
else. In fact, it was near opposite. In encouraged each educator to
be the full version of themselves, immerse themselves in their
students, and give students an experience they won't forget.
I
agree with the Dave Burgess that our goal as educators is to build
life-long learners. Our job is to help students seek knowledge, ask
questions, and want to be the best version of themselves. In order to
do this, teachers need to seek knowledge, ask questions, and want to
be the best version of themselves as well. Collaboration is a huge
factor to success in good teaching, as is being true to yourself as
an educator.
I
remember doing some “crazy” things inside and out of the
classroom that other teachers may not have been a fan of. However, my
passion for the learning experience was there and the students
engagement was through the roof. One example was when I challenged my
eighth grade science students to get light to go from our classroom
out the end door of the building, one story down. This meant finding
a way to get a straight light beam to travel from an upstairs science
classroom, out the door, down the hall, down the stairs and out the
door on the first floor. The principal was not impressed to find
several of my students in the hall during academic time, but the
students were impressed that they were able to make it happen despite
how impossible it seemed. I could have shown them a video about
reflecting light, blah, blah, blah, or I could challenge them to
figure out for themselves how it works and they DID!
This
book encourages all educators to dive into the content, learning
experiences, and mode of each individual class to make it the most
meaningful time together possible. When the teacher is excited for
the day's activities, the students start being excited to show up and
see what's next. It's not a plan of perfection, but rather a plan of
teachable moments.
The
most important piece to the success of an effective classroom
environment is knowing yourself and the students well. The rapport
and respect foundation is crucial to meaningful journeys and moments
together as a class. I like how the author emphasized laying this
foundation in the beginning of the class/semester. Most teachers feel
like they have so much to “cover”, but really they have so many
humans to get to know quickly. The good rapport established allows
the classroom to run like a well-oiled machine, ready for any
adventure that comes its way.
Coming
from an interdisciplinary undergraduate study, I also loved the way
the author pointed out the valuable ways to include music, art,
movement, etc. in any lesson or unit. Burgess also pointed out that
tapping into student's interests outside of school is a great way to
build engagement as well. Beyond engagement, this encourages the
students to become the best version of themselves, once again an
important focus for each student.
Connecting
anything in the classroom to that outside the classroom is so
effective. Show your students why what they are learning is
important, powerful, and/or necessary. Burgess suggested even tying
content to current events, or even a popular TV show. I believe
connections are all around us. If you start pointing them out to your
students, it will not be long before they start pointing them out to
you.
“Much
of your success as an educator has to do with your attitude towards
teaching and towards kids. The rest of your success is based on your
willingness to relentlessly search for what engages students in the
classroom and then having the guts to do it.” (pg. 84)
Burgess's
approach to being an enthusiastic, true-to-self, engaged teacher
benefits all students, all abilities, and fellow teachers. His book
was kind of like a big pep talk on how the career of teaching is
worth the effort. The rewards are infinite. We chose this profession
to make the world a better place and to touch the lives of children
of all ages. Thank you to Dave Burgess for reminding me of the
passion for teaching I still hold!
For more about this author, visit:
http://DaveBurgess.com
