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BOOK  REVIEW  Teach  Like  a  Pirate:  Increase  Student  Engagement,  Boost  Your    Creativity,  and  Transform  Your  Life  as  an  Educator  By:  David  Burgess  Published:  September  2012  Reviewed  By:  Holly  Chesser,  SAIS  Review  Published:  May  2013    Avast  ye,  maties!    There’s  a  new  book  that  may  just  cause  you  to  give  the  heave  ho  to  your  current  method  of  instruction:  Dave  Burgess’s  Teach  Like  a  Pirate:  Increase  Student  Engagement,  

Boost  Your  Creativity,  and  Transform  Your  Life  as  an  Educator.        What  does  teaching  have  to  do  with  piracy?    Burgess,  an  award-­‐winning  U.S.  History  teacher,  explains  that  all  great  teachers  should  embrace  the  spirit  of  the  buccaneer.  Pirates  exist  outside  the  law,  sail  the  unchartered  seas,  denounce  conformity,  and  seek  adventure.    Dismayed  by  students’  apathy  and  disconnection,  Burgess  argues  that  innovative,  passionate  teachers  need  to  boldly  wave  their  Jolly  Rogers  in  defiance  of  the  present  system  and  reengage  students  with  his  Teach  Like  a  Pirate  guide.    Eager  to  gain  your  attention  through  passion  and  persuasion,  he  proclaims,  “In  these  challenging  and  changing  times,  our  students  need  leaders  who  are  willing  to  venture  forward  without  a  clear  map  to  explore  new  frontiers.    We  need  mavericks  and  renegades  

who  are  willing  to  use  unorthodox  tactics  to  spark  and  kindle  the  flame  of  creativity  and  imagination  in  the  minds  of  the  young.    We  need  entrepreneurial  innovators  who  are  capable  of  captaining  the  educational  ship  through  waters  that  are  rough  and  constantly  changing.    In  short,  we  need  pirates…we  need  you.”    Writing  “part  inspirational  manifesto  and  part  practical  roadmap,”  Burgess  divides  his  book  into  three  parts:  how  to  maintain  student  curiosity  and  engagement,  how  to  develop  lessons  that  will  hook  students,  and  how  to  recognize  what’s  holding  teachers  back  from  letting  go  and  setting  sail.      In  part  one,  Burgess  highlights  acronymically  the  elements  of  PIRATE  teaching:  passion,  immersion,  rapport,  ask  and  analyze,  transformation,  and  enthusiasm.      Passion  An  avowed  showman,  Burgess  claims  that  students  are  not  motivated  by  mediocrity  or  monotony.    Instead,  the  single  greatest  means  of  engagement  is  modeling  passion.    He  advises,  “Light  yourself  on  fire  with  enthusiasm  and  people  will  come  from  miles  around  just  to  watch  you  burn!”    Granted,  Burgess  admits,    there  are  moments  when  every  teacher  does  not  feel  passion  for  his  or  her  subject,  but  he  urges  teachers  instead  to  find  the  places  where  their  content,  professional,  and  personal  passion  merge  in  order  to  tap  into  that  energy  every  day  of  the  year.  

 

   

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 Immersion  Burgess  illustrates  the  power  of  immersion  in  teaching  by  highlighting  the  distinction  between  a  lifeguard  and  a  swim  instructor.    The  lifeguard  sits  in  an  elevated  seat  and  observes  the  pool,  making  sure  no  one  is  drowning.    Conversely,  the  swim  instructor,  at  least  if  he  or  she  is  a  good  one,  jumps  in  the  pool  alongside  the  learner,  plunging  into  the  action.    As  Burgess  explains,  “An  instructor  who  is  fully  immersed  in  the  moment  has  a  special  type  of  intensity  that  resonates  with  great  power  in  the  classroom,  regardless  of  the  activity.”        Rapport  Since  engagement  lies  at  the  heart  of  great  teaching,  Burgess  encourages  teachers  first  to  learn  who  their  students  are,  to  discuss  group  dynamics,  and  to  teach  learning  styles.    Intent  on  creating  the  right  atmosphere  from  the  start,  on  day  one  he  doesn’t  lecture  students  on  class  rules  for  using  the  restroom  or  sharpening  one’s  pencil.    Instead,  he  gives  the  students  each  a  can  of  Play-­‐Doh  and  asks  them  to  mold  shapes  that  tell  stories  about  themselves.    On  day  two,  he  engages  them  in  a  group  exercise  to  determine  who  among  a  list  of  characters  should  receive  a  spot  on  a  life  raft  after  surviving  a  plane  crash.    Who  the  students  choose  is  irrelevant.    The  process  of  learning  how  to  listen,  how  to  collaborate,  and  how  to  reach  a  consensus  is  the  focus  of  the  lesson.    On  day  three,  he  teaches  the  students  about  learning  styles  and  brain  research,  helping  them  explore  the  silent  question  he  knows  many  of  them  are  thinking:  How  can  I  be  successful  in  this  class?    Ask  and  Analyze  A  regular  presenter  at  conferences  and  workshops,  Burgess  is  accustomed  to  hearing  six  words  voiced  over  and  over  by  so  many  fellow  educators:  “It’s  easy  for  you.    You’re  creative.”    The  obvious  insinuation  from  the  speaker  is  that  he  or  she  is  not  and  therefore  incapable  of  teaching  like  a  pirate.    However,  Burgess  challenges  the  belief  that  creativity  resides  innately  and  cannot  be  developed.    He  encourages  teachers  to  understand  that  the  creative  process  depends  on  fostering  inquiry  both  in  themselves  and  in  their  students,  on  developing  a  system  to  capture  ideas  as  they  are  formulated,  and  on  understanding  that  failure  is  only  feedback  in  disguise.      Transformation  Burgess  acknowledges  a  fundamental  reality  for  many  students:  “Too  often  school  is  a  place  where  creativity  is  systematically  killed,  individuality  is  stamped  out,  and  boredom  reigns  supreme.”    He  advises  teachers  that  they  can  blame  the  students  for  their  apathy  or  create  an  environment  that  challenges  that  statement.    He  believes  teachers  should  ask  themselves  two  questions:  1)  If  your  students  didn’t  have  to  be  there,  would  you  be  teaching  in  an  empty  room?    2)  Do  you  have  any  lessons  you  could  sell  tickets  for?    The  plain  fact  is  that  there  are  many  images,  sounds,  voices,  and  products  fighting  for  our  students’  attention.    Educators  who  seek  to  engender  love  of  learning  in  their  students  cannot  do  so  with  a  “medicine  approach,”  telling  students  to  pay  attention  because  it’s  on  the  exam,  will  get  them  into  college,  or  help  them  later  

 

   

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in  life.    As  Burgess  frankly  states,  “If  you  can’t  explain  why  someone  should  pay  attention  to  what  you’re  saying,  maybe  you  shouldn’t  be  saying  it.”    He  argues  that  students  find  math,  history,  and  reading  boring  not  because  those  subjects  are  inherently  uninteresting.    Rather,  the  manner  in  which  they’re  taught  makes  them  appear  to  be  so.    Burgess  advocates  reframing  the  subject  by  providing  relevance,  real-­‐world  connection,  and  creative  opportunities.    Enthusiasm  Believing  first  and  foremost  in  fervent  teaching,  Burgess  states,  “If  you  apply  nothing  else  from  this  book,  but  you  consistently  ramp  up  your  enthusiasm  level  in  the  classroom,  you  will  be  far  ahead  of  the  game  and  a  dramatically  better  teacher.”    Teachers  may  resist  the  notion  that  they  must  perform  and  capture  their  audience’s  attention,  but  Burgess  argues  that  the  power  of  passion  cannot  be  denied.    Quoting  Emerson,  he  reminds,  “Nothing  great  was  ever  achieved  without  enthusiasm.”    In  part  two  of  his  book,  Burgess  offers  suggestions  on  how  to  create  engaging  lessons.    Too  often,  Burgess  argues,  teachers  focus  on  content  and  technique  but  miss  the  critical  element  that  brings  both  alive  –  presentation.    Offering  the  analogy  of  a  chef  expecting  his  guests  to  enjoy  plates  

heaped  with  colorless,  flavorless  food,  Burgess  underscores  an  important  point,  “It  doesn’t  matter  how  much  material  you  teach,  it  only  matters  how  much  is  received.”    In  short,  a  teacher  needs  to  develop  the  appetite  of  the  students  by  providing  inviting  and  delicious  offerings.        Working  off  the  premise  that  no  content  standard  is  more  important  than  developing  a  love  of  learning,  Burgess  presents  a  series  of  

presentational  hooks  that  any  good  pirate  should  keep  under  his  sash.    Describing  the  power  of  the  kinesthetic  hook,  he  explains  how  his  students  “have  flown  like  Charles  Lindbergh  across  the  Atlantic,  roped  cattle  (or  a  stool  in  this  case)  on  a  cattle  drive,  flown  paper  airplanes  during  the  Berlin  Airlift  lesson,  boarded  a  Montgomery  bus,  played  intense  games  of  Trench  Warfare  on  the  floor  behind  desks,  and  fit  into  a  box  like  Henry  ‘Box’  Brown  did  to  mail  himself  to  freedom.”    Burgess  decries  the  outdated  notion  that  the  classroom  experience  can’t  be  fun.    Instead,  he  is  primarily  interested  in  creating  a  memorable  framework  for  the  learning  to  stick.    To  that  end,  he  will  use  the  arts,  music,  dance,  drama,  excursions  outside  of  the  class,  current  events,  costumes,  storytelling,  frankly  anything  to  get  and  keep  his  students’  attention.    As  Burgess  forthrightly  states,  “Promote,  market,  and  sell  are  three  business  practices  that  belong  in  the  classroom.”      The  book’s  final  chapter  begins  with  a  question:  “Do  you  want  to  be  great?”    Burgess  explains  that  posing  that  question  generally  causes  teachers  to  squirm  in  their  seats.  A  great  teacher  possesses  a  mighty  purpose,  he  argues,  but  he  or  she  must  decide  to  be  great.    Explaining  that  the  

 

   

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etymology  of  the  word  “decide”  literally  means  to  cut  off,  he  encourages  teachers  to  “cut  off  all  other  options”  and  commit  to  greatness.  He  catalogues  what  might  be  holding  a  teacher  back,  what  “options”  need  excising:  “fear  of  failure,”  “believing  you  have  to  figure  it  all  out  before  you  begin,”  “perfectionism,”  “lack  of  focus,”  fear  of  criticism  or  ridicule.”  Burgess  reassures  teachers  that  the  potential  rewards  of  teaching  like  a  pirate  should  outweigh  any  fears.    He  counsels,  “You  have  to  have  the  intestinal  fortitude,  self-­‐confidence,  and  personal  power  to  press  on  and  do  what  you  know  is  right  for  your  students.”    An  engaging  read  that  invites  highlighting  and  annotation,  Teach  Like  a  Pirate  may  be  just  the  perfect  summer  book  for  teachers  seeking  re-­‐invigoration,  a  new  focus,  or  just  flat-­‐out  encouragement.    Like  Johnny  Depp  aboard  the  Black  Pearl,  you  may  just  find  yourself  proclaiming  next  year,  “Life’s  pretty  good,  and  why  wouldn’t  it  be?    I’m  a  pirate  after  all.”