"Something remarkable is worth talking about. Worth noticing. Exceptional. New. Interesting. It's a Purple Cow. Boring stuff is invisible. It's a brown cow."
I want my class to be a Purple Cow.
I have just finished reading Teach Like A PIRATE, by Dave Burgess - one of the most inspiring 'teaching' books I have ever read. This treasure map of inspirational ideas on how to ignite your passion, creativity and role as a teacher through being daring, adventurous, and transforming your classroom environment was pure gold!
Essentially, the PIRATE system explores:
Passion - how to feel passionate, even when teaching your least favourite subject or topic.
Immersion - how to be involved in the lesson to really engage your students.
Rapport - how to really connect with your students.
Ask & Analyse - how to ask the right questions to help you come up with creative ideas.
Transformation - how to reframe your subject to overcome roadblocks with your students.
Enthusiasm - how this is the most powerful tool in the classroom.
As well as the philosophy behind the PIRATE system, the book also provided a practical guide on how to craft engaging lessons, by offering a trove of presentational 'hooks' to use in your teaching. Burgess has convinced me that "any teacher who is willing to put in the time, care and effort can transform their classroom and their life as an educator using these methods."
And so begins my adventure to transform my classroom into that Purple Cow - relentlessly search for what engages students in my classroom, have the guts to try these new ideas and teach like a PIRATE.
To begin your quest to find the treasure, join the conversation and follow @burgessdave
on Twitter (don't forget the hashtag #tlap) or his blog http://daveburgess.com/
