Book Notes: Teach Like a PIRATE by Dave Burgess

Summary
There is too much happening in education to do it alone. There is too much happening in education to do it without Passion, Immersion into the process, Rapport building, Asking and Analyzing, Transformation and Enthusiasm in the process. The status quo will not continue to work. There are very intentional ways to build up what is happening in the classroom to engage students in a culture that celebrates the learning process. Mr. Burgess encourages "lighting a fire of passion and not to worry if it's not a controlled burn!" We need educators who are bringing to life the possibilities to the learning process.

Avast Ye! Get on Cap'n Burgess' ship, matey!

Part I
Teach Like a Pirate

Passion

Three Types
Content Passion
 - love teaching the Civil War, the Constitution, Civil Rights Movement

Professional
 - incorporate life-changing lessons (LCLs)
 - growth mindset
 - Project-Based Learning

Personal
 - web design
 - blogging/writing/reading
 - Twitter - social media
 - sports/fitness/nutrition

“Light yourself on fire with passion...and don’t worry if it’s not a controlled burn.” Pg. 12

Immersion

“It is far more powerful to “swim” with your students. They need the benefit of your complete immersion.” Pg. 15

I notice too many adults that are acting like lifeguards, high above, watching, instead of being the swim instructors in the pool.

Rapport

“Building rapport is all about interacting with your students as fellow human beings,not just as subordinates.” Pg. 21

Day 1 - play-doh activity - names
Day 2 - crashed on an island - helicopter can only take 5 of the 10 people - collaboration
Day 3 - sales pitch why this class will be different and the students will be successful

Ask and Analyze

The types of questions we ask ourselves determine the types of answers we receive.

Being creative is not having it or not having it. Being creative takes practice and asking the right questions.

Create a vision. Define the goals. Start working for them.

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” Robert F. Kennedy

Creative Alchemy - do hobbies, bucket list items, passions and surround yourself with new information

Transformation

“Standing out from the crowd is the only way to guarantee your message is received in a culture that is increasingly distracted and where attention spans are plummeting.” Dave Burgess

Enthusiasm
“Act as if” principle
Change what you focus on

Section Impacts
“Light yourself on fire with passion...and don’t worry if it’s not a controlled burn.” Dave Burgess

“Swim” with the students and their work!

Relationships with the students as learners not people that need to be controlled.

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” Robert F. Kennedy

“Standing out from the crowd is the only way to guarantee your message is received in a culture that is increasingly distracted and where attention spans are plummeting.” Dave Burgess

Be enthusiastic.

Part II
Crafting Engaging Lessons

The Third Circle
Too often time is spent on content and techniques, not enough time is spent on presentation.

“There is no content standard more important than nurturing and building a love for learning.” Dave Burgess - Pg 78

A Crash Course In Presentation Hooks
“I Like to Move It, Move It”
    - How can I incorporate movement into this lesson?

The Safari Hook
     - How can I get my class outside my four walls for this lesson?

“Long Live The Arts”
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows us.”
Pablo Picasso

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Albert Einstein

The Picasso Hook
    - How can I include art into this lesson?

The Mozart Hook
    - How can I use music to aid my presentation?

The Dance and Drama Hook
    - Can I provide the opportunity for my students to do skits or appear in videos related to what we are learning?

The Craft Store Hook
    - How can I incorporate a craft into this lesson?

“What’s In It For Me?”
The Student Hobby Hook
     - How can I incorporate the hobbies and outside interests of my students into this material?

The Real-World Application Hook
    - How can students apply this to their life?

The Life-Changing Lesson Hook
    - How can I use this lesson to deliver an inspirational message?

The Student-Directed Hook
    - How can I provide opportunities for students to have autonomy and choice?

The Opportunistic Hook
     - What current events are related to this lesson?

Building capacity of the students to take ownership of their learning and their demonstration of their learning would take care of most of these areas.

Does Project-Based Learning best provide these opportunities?
    - The lessons then throughout the unit will include the inspirational messages and challenging what the students have long held as school.

All the World is the Stage
The Interior Design Hook
     - Can I change the lighting for mood?

The Board Message Hook
     - How can I write on my board or have projected on my screen that will immediately spark curiosity?

The Costume Hook
     - What can I wear as an outfit or costume for this lesson?

The Props Hook
      - What physical item can I bring in to add to my presentation?

The Involved Audience Hook
     - How can I keep the audience consistently involved?

The Mystery Bag Hook
     - How can I openly hide something to gain engagement?

Stand and Deliver
The Storytelling Hook
    - Can I create a high interest story to fit this lesson?

The Swimming with the Sharks Hook
    - Can I participate in the activity?

The Taboo Hook
     - How can I position my topic so that it seems like a little-known secret?

The Mime Hook
    - How can I use the mesmerizing power of silence to spark interest?

The Teaser Hook
    - Can I spark interest in this lesson by promoting it ahead of time?

The Backwards Hook
    - How can I gain an advantage or increase interest by presenting this material out of sequence?

Advanced Tactics
The Mission Impossible Hook
    - How can I design my lesson so that students are trying to unravel and solve a mystery?

The Reality TV Hook
    - How can I design my lesson to take advantage of the popularity of reality tv?

The Techno Whiz Hook
     - How can I tap into the technological prowess of my students?

Around the Edges
The Contest Hook
    - How can I include a contest in this lesson to build excitement and motivation?

The Magic and the Amazing Hook
    - What amazing principle can I demonstrate as part of this lesson?

The Chef Hook
    - How can I advance this lesson by adding food or drinks?

The Mnemonic Hook
    - Is there a pattern to point out?

The Extra-Credit Challenge Hook
    - What High-interest and motivating challenges can I create that relate to this unit?

“Rising up to and overcoming challenges, building lifetime relationships, and forging positive connections to school won’t directly result in better test scores. It will result in better people.” Dave Burgess

Part III
Building a Better Pirate

The Awkward Question
Do you want to be great?
  - YES!
         - This answer is not egotistical or selfish

“...your greatness in the classroom doesn’t negatively impact or inhibit anyone else’s opportunity to be great. This isn’t a zero sum game. The pie is infinitely huge. In fact, your greatness only enhances the opportunities and possibilities for others.” Pg 145

“A rising tide lifts all ships.”

Mediocrity Doesn’t Motivate
Seeking greatness can ignite, stoke, and continuously fuel a raging inferno.

The Mighty Purpose
Our purpose is too mighty for anything other than our best!

Forget about the things you can’t control and play your drum to the best of your abilities!

Where Do I Start?
The first step is the hardest...

Five Most Common Reasons For What’s Holding People Back
1. The Fear of Failure - life is not 100% or failure
2. Believing you have to figure it all out before you begin - nobody has it all figured out
3. Perfectionism - perfection is an impossible goal
4. Lack of Focus - when you say yes to something, you say no to something else
5. Fear of criticism or ridicule - it’s coming...if you are trying new ideas and being proactive instead of reactive, criticism and ridicule will happen

The only part of “rigor” I want is ‘challenging’ not severity or cruelty.

When In Doubt, Take Action
Get rolling 60mph towards your goal and any obstacles will be steamrolled!

Find A Crew
You can’t sail, navigate and fight battles all on your own.

No one style will solve every issue. Learn from as many sources as possible to enrich your craft.

This would be one of my first pieces of advice to any teacher at any experience level. Find your crew. Surround yourself with people that challenge your thinking, support your questioning and bring joy to your teaching.