In the last post, we discussed the traits of Passion, Immersion and Rapport. Here we discuss Ask and Analyze, Transformation and Enthusiasm.
4. Ask and Analyze
As Albert Einstein said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
Burgess makes an important point in the chapter where he discusses the myth of the blind flashing light. This means that most people think that there are two types of teachers (or people) in the world: those that are creative and those that are not. So when he is asked by people how to make their lessons more creative and his responses often have people responding to him, “but I am not a creative person.” Burgess argues that this premise is faulty. He says that for starters, having that attitude will keep many people from creating engaging lessons. Secondly, he says it is an insult to the people who are considered creative to suggest that these creative gems just flow from them like a river. They have to work hard to bring creative ideas to their lessons and classrooms.
A teacher has to engage a creative process. This means asking the right questions because the type of questions we ask ourselves dictate the types of answers we receive. If you consistently ask questions that lead to creative and outside-the-box thinking, your mind will provide you with creative and outside-the-box answers. Burgess compares asking the right questions to turning the radio to the correct frequency. Most people go through life listening to static, not realizing they have the ability to be creative and tune to the creative channels. One good example of this is where Burgess gave a presentation to teachers and mentioned some ideas of lessons he conducts outside of the classroom. Afterwards he was approached by a teacher who said that he himself was not creative enough to think of those ideas. Burgess responded, “When you are designing your lessons, do you ask yourself ‘Is there a way I can get my class outside of the room for this lesson?’ Or have you asked, ‘Where is the best place on campus to deliver this lesson?” If you ask the latter, you might find that the best place for a lesson is not in the classroom. But you will never know if you don’t ask. Burgess explains this with a great analogy. As his family grew, they needed to purchase a minivan. Until that point, he did not know a thing about minivans. After doing some research and buying a Honda Odyssey, he started noticing thousands of minivans all around him on the streets. Did magic happen and in one day thousands of minivans were purchased that were never there before? Of course not; but until now, he never cared about them and so he didn't notice them. Now that he cared about them, he began noticing them everywhere. So too, with creative ideas. They are all around us, all of the time. Creative inspiration is constantly at our disposal, but we will never see it unless we actively and consistently attempt to create.
Never say the six words: “It is easy for you. You’re creative.” Don’t think people just have it or don’t - you have to work on in and that starts with asking the right questions. Don’t ask “how can I make this lesson bearable for my students today and keep them awake.” Rather, ask “how can I make this lesson outrageously entertaining, engaging and powerful so that my students will never forget it and will be desperate to come back for more?”
Finally, do not be afraid of failure; failure is how we grow. As T.S. Eliot says, “only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” Similarly, Robert F. Kennedy said, “only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
5. Transformation
The idea in this chapter is that too many students go through a school experience that is boring, monotonous and painful. Teachers lecture too much, focus only on content and miss the opportunity of having an audience that has to be there. Burgess argues that every teacher should aim to remarkable. Aim to be teacher that all the students talk about and want to learn from. The role of an effective teacher is an actor and entertainer. Obviously, we are not looking to entertain, but if we entertain then we can teach.
There are two questions that we should ask ourselves to raise the bar of our teaching:
- If your students didn’t have to be there, would you be teaching an empty room?
We have all been to colleges where no attendance is required and no consequences for missing class. All that you need to do is take the tests. If that was your classroom, would your students come anyway? Is there something about your experience that would draw them in? Do you have students who are constantly leaving to go to the bathroom because they are too bored to stay in class?
2. Do you have any lessons you could sell tickets for?
2. Do you have any lessons you could sell tickets for?
This is a high standard, but it means do you have lessons that are so engaging that you could sell admission tickets? Realistically, no teacher will have these kind of lessons every day, but the best teachers have lots of these types of lessons. The argument here is that our kids have access to so much information, so much technology, so much more of everything external than we had as kids that we have to work harder and harder to draw them in. We need to attract them to learning. This is the transformation that Teach Like a Pirate is trying to accomplish.
6. Enthusiasm
Excellence in the classroom starts with having a passion for what you do in life and is driven home with your enthusiasm. Burgess makes the baseball analogy that enthusiasm is the closer that comes into the game in the 9th inning and finishes the game off. You will have days where students are tired or not as interested in the subject matter, but it will be your passion and enthusiasm that engages them and pushes them through the lesson. If you want engaged students who will want to learn from you, there is one rule to follow: Be enthusiastic every day, no matter what else is going on and your students will be engaged. “Bring it” with you every day. Unlike passion, enthusiasm can be faked; make sure your students see your enthusiasm every day!
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