Teach Like A Pirate Chapter 11: All the World Is A Stage

 Are you excited about teaching like a pirate yet?  I know that I surely am! :)  Having engaging and creative lessons that are focused on high levels of student participation are the foundation of long term learning.  It's been so cool to see how I've already implemented some of what Burgess has written about, but he's sparked my interest to pursuing these concepts for even more of my lessons than I do now! :)  As always, link up with Gina or Jen if you've got a post that relates to this chapter!

Today's chapter is all about hooks that relate to your classroom.

Now, I have to admit, up until recently, I've been a fairly plain jane.  I think that the most exciting thing I did with my decor one year was to bring in a couch, two ficus plants and a lamp.  I thought that was some cutting edge stuff, friends. :)

What Burgess is talking about here is much more intentional and explicit.  Let's dig in! :)

THE INTERIOR DESIGN HOOK

Beth Newingham's Third Grade

This hook is all about how to recreate your classroom space into something that enhances the lessons.  I can not think of a better example of this than Beth Newingham's U.S. Regions Lessons.  I don't know if you guys have ever heard of Beth Newingham before, but...she is an AMAZING teacher out of Michigan! :)  I was so inspired by how she taught her kids about the regions of the country!  For this set of lessons she and the students 'flew' to different states within the region! Check out how she changed her room arrangement to create an airplane in the classroom by clicking on the link below the picture!

THE BOARD MESSAGE HOOK

This is a neat hook too!  Use your white board, or smart board to engage students before you even start talking!  Why not put up a picture that will get the students talking about the content before the day even begins?  Burgess even mentioned putting up a QR code!  Way to integrate technology there! :)  I once saw a blog post from someone who used this technique with her students.  She had a program that put pieces of a puzzle together for her students before the lesson.  The puzzle had a picture of something that would stimulate discussion.  She also did something where she'd put up only a piece of a picture to get students to guess what the whole picture was...to work on critical thinking! :)

THE COSTUME HOOK

Katie & Lori during Thanksgiving week!  Wish I had their pilgrim outfit pics!  Just adorbs! :)

When Burgess uses this hook in his class, he calls it a 'guest speaker day'!  Why NOT get dressed up as a character to illustrate what the lessons will be about?  The best example I have of this are two dear teaching pals of mine...Katie & Lori.  They have this hook down pat! :)  I can almost always tell you what their kids are learning because they have a hat or an outfit for every major standard or holiday they teach!  They love to get their kids to dress up too! :)  Folks like to stop and ask them what they're learning and it gets the kids talking about how these fun ladies get them to remember all kids of important things! :)  Kudos to them for inspiring me to take fun chances! :)  I've learned a lot from watching the freedom that they have to have fun! :)  And when I taught third...got the benefit of having their second grade learners in my room! ;)  Love those gals! :)

THE PROPS HOOK

This hook is simple.  What could you bring in that the students could touch and hold?  Using pictures and artifacts in a lesson will help students to really engage their brains in what you're teaching and help them to remember the lesson, long after you've taught it.  My parents are Panamanian, and often when I teach about cultures, I bring in some mola art to show the students.  Indigenous indians in the Panamanian mountains make these out of small scraps of colored fabric and teeny tiny stitches.  It's all hand made!  So beautiful!  The picture doesn't do it the same justice!  The kids love to feel the art and SEE the small stitches!

THE INVOLVED AUDIENCE HOOK

I liked reading about this hook! :)  It's something that I used in a lesson last fall! :)  This hook is all about getting the kids to be consistently involved in what you're teaching.  Can you cue them to make certain sounds during the retelling of a story?  Can you do a call and response?  Can you get them to come up and volunteer for helping you teach the lesson?  In my economics unit, I have a mini play called "The Best Pizza I Ever Ate".  In it, I call several students up to the front of the room and ask them to hold cue cards for the types of toppings on the pizza.  When I say certain things in the story, the students have to respond with a certain noise or phrase.  It was a very successful lesson and one that my kids wanted to do again and again!

THE MYSTERY BAG HOOK

This was a super fun one as well!  You can build excitement for a lesson by keeping a part of it a secret!  Why not hide a key component of the lesson in a bag and talk 'around' it, to build enthusiasm?  Or how about make a hole in the bag and have students touch the items in the bag to guess what they are??
Burgess says this works the same way that Christmas and birthday presents work.  You want to see it because it's hidden! :)

Well, that's all I've got for you in this chapter! :)  I did want to mention to you that I'll be starting my one year bloggerversary giveaway on Sunday! :)  There will be different prizes and goodies each day of the week!   I hope you'll come by and celebrate with me! :)  I'll post about Word Nerds next week, since its the Fourth and I'll be barbequing it up all over town! :)

STARTS ON SUNDAY!
MAKE SURE YOU COME VISIT!