Teach Like a Pirate - Part 5

Here are the final 10 hooks that Burgess presents in Teach Like a Pirate. If you are reading this post, I imagine you are not overwhelmed yet by the list of hooks he discusses. Each of us will be more inclined towards certain types of hooks. While that is normal and you should use the ones you gravitate towards, I challenge you to choose a few of the hooks that will take you out of your comfort zone. If you do that today and again in a few days, you will be teaching like a pirate. I challenge each of you to commit for one week to use at least one different hook each day. Let me know how it goes!

1. The Mime Hook

• How can I use the mesmerizing power of silence to spark interest and engage?
• Can I use nothing but written messages to deliver my lesson or opening hook?
• Can students be asked to get their messages across without words?

2. The Teaser Hook

• How can I spark interest in this lesson by promoting it ahead of time?
• What can I do to create a positive expectancy in advance?
• If I were creating a movie trailer or preview for this lesson, what would it include?
• If I were planning a marketing promotion for this lesson, what would I do and when would I begin?

3. The Backwards Hook

• How can I gain an advantage or increase interest by presenting this material out of sequence?
• Can I show them an end product that will make them want to learn the skills to get there?

4. The Mission Impossible Hook

• How can I design my lesson so that students are trying to unravel and solve a mystery?
• How can I incorporate clues that can only be decided by learning or researching the relevant subject?
• Can they be provided a treasure map or a sent on a scavenger hunt through your content?
• What type of entertaining plot can I use as an overlay or backdrop for this unit?
• Can I chance this from a standard assignment to a daring and impossible mission?

5. The Reality TV Hook

• How can I design my lesson to take advantage of the popularity of reality TV?
• Can I create a Survivor-style challenge and divide the class into tribes?
• How can I incorporate a Fear Factor type of challenge?

6. The Techno Whiz Hook (notice how far down the list technology was placed)

• How can I tap into the technological talents of my students?
• Can I give the students an option to do the assignment digitally?
• Can I create a paperless lesson, unit or class?
• How can I take advantage of my students having cell phones in this lesson?
• How can technology help to connect my students to people from all over the world and help them gain a global perspective?
• How can I utilize the latest apps to create a more powerful and interactive presentation?

7. The Contest Hook

• How can I include a contest in this lesson to build excitement and motivation?
• What type of review game can I design to ramp up the entertainment level of my class?
• What type of in-class challenge can I create that would take advantage of their competitive instinct?

8. The Chef Hook

• How can I enhance this lesson by adding food or drinks?
• Can I cook something for the class?
• What type of food would be a perfect match for this lesson?

9. The Mnemonic Hook

• Are there key bits of information I want my students to know cold?
• Is there a pattern to point out?
• Can the point of the lesson be tied to previous knowledge?
• Does a mnemonic exist for the material?
• Can I design my own mnemonic to help them remember this material?
• Can the students create their own mnemonic?
• How can I embed a mnemonic theme throughout my presentation to aid retention?

10. The Extra-Credit Hook

• What high interest and motivating challenges can I create that relates to this unit?
• What intriguing mission can I send students on to allow them to extend their learning in a unique way?

Links to Interesting Articles:

1. 10 Ways to Engage Students With Tech

2. Classroom Redesign: Students Take on the Challenge
3. A Place for Learning: The Physical Environment of Classrooms
4. 101 Teachers to Follow on Twitter

Links to Interesting Web Tools:

1. Heidi Jacobs - Curriculum 21
2. Free Primary Judaic Sources Online
3. Cites and Apps to Create Timelines

Quote of the Day:

1. “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” -- Anonymous
2. “The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle.” -- Pierre de Coubertin
3. "Stay committed to your decisions; but stay flexible in your approach." --Tony Robbins