Why a pirate?

"Pirates are daring, adventurous and willing to set forth in uncharted territories with no guarantee of success. They reject the status quo and refuse to conform to any society that stifles their creativity and independence."

The first part of the book reviews the essential components of becoming a true pirate!

P - Passion

I - Immersion

R - Rapport

A - Ask and Analyze

T - Transformation

E - Enthusiasm

Tell others about a lesson that you are passionate about teaching and could sell tickets for attendance.Remember to focus on content (not just a "fluff" lesson).

Pause and reflect:

If your students didn't have to be there, would you be teaching in an empty room?

Do you have any lessons you could sell tickets for?

Your task:

Create ONE slide in the following slide show..the link is below.

Please remember not to delete anyone else's slide.

Use your creativity...the slide is yours...share your ideas however you wish on the slide.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1yJ5tQGItQZiXWy5q7uX0X29wb0ReEe4qz7efgbVozbs/edit#slide=id.p

Complete and be ready to share December 21st 7:45AM Staff Meeting

Pause and reflect:

Look outside "teacher help books for lesson ideas. Have you visited a museum,or a grocery store? Ideas can come from anywhere!

If you haven't failed in the classroom lately, you aren't pushing the envelope far enough. Safe lessons are a recipe for mediocrity at best.

The types of questions we ask ourselves determine the types of answers we receive.

An enthusiastic teacher can learn technique, method, and strategy, but it is almost impossible to light a fire inside the charred heart of a burned-out teacher."

Position your content as if it's amazing!

Your task:

Please complete the questions on the following Google form.

https://docs.google.com/a/wcps.k12.md.us/forms/d/1wjgBT5PRIY58_LGXG0bujxgq7hxWLlZuhRT2vsyYmzo/edit

Complete and be ready to share December 21st 7:45AM Staff Meeting

Pause and reflect:

A good teacher, like a good entertainer, first must hold his audience's attention. Then he can teach his lesson."

If you don't have the content element of your lesson in place, you are either just entertaining or babysitting."

Welcome to the Educational Barbecue

Teaching is just like a barbecue. You can't hand a student a raw slab of meat (the content) and expect them to swallow it whole! Let's take a look at the necessities for an Educational Barbecue.

Meat - This is your content and standards. You can't make a lesson without knowing.

Seasoning and marinade - These are your presentation strategies. Unseasoned meat is edible but not tasty, tempting or generally pleasing. Your students are counting on you to marinate your content so it goes down easily.

A working grill - This is the heat and energy needed to fire up the students. "Just like meat needs to be turned and basted, you have to continually add engaging twists and turns and changes of pace throughout the lesson." (Burgess, pg 78)

Side dishes and desserts - the activities, games, projects that add "flavor" to the lesson. These are not time wasters! These things add to a student's experiences and help with content comprehension.

Your task:

Use your creativity to create some type of an mind map analogy of what makes a successful lesson as described by Burgess in his BBQ analogy.

Think about incorporating a presentation hook (kinesthetic hook or people prop hook or safari hook or Picasso hook or Mozart hook, dance/drama hook or craft store hook or real-world application hook or life-changing lesson hook or student-directed hook or opportunistic hook)

Complete and be ready to share February 15th 7:45AM Staff Meeting

Pause and reflect:

You are the director, producer, stage manager and lead actor in your classroom

Can you incorporate gestures and motions that students could do from their desks in your lesson?

Could you use a game that incorporates movement and action to enhance the lesson?

Could you incorporate a "brain break" as a transition?

How can you tap into the technological prowess of your students?

Some take aways:

Students will do amazing things if you can design a class and environment that is positive and empowering. (pg 138)

Using technology can enhance the effectiveness of a lesson, increase engagement, and even strengthen relationships between your students. (pg 128)

Don't stand and deliver...move around (pg 119)

Your task:

Pick a short poem that you absolutely love or a stanza or two of a longer poem and be prepared to present your poem and "Wow" the audience with you presentation. BE CREATIVE... the sky is the limit..think about the kind of "hook" you will use!

Complete and be ready to share April 19th 7:45AM Staff Meeting

Pause and reflect:

Do you want to be safe and good, or do you want to take a chance and be great? Jimmy Johnson

Mediocrity does not motivate.

Creating and presenting engaging lessons takes time, energy and effort but you do not get extra pay..so why do it? "YOUR STUDENTS, YOUR SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY WILL BENEFIT! Ultimately the world becomes a better place because of your greatness"! (pg 146)

Everyone who got to where they are had to begin where they were" Richard Paul Evans

"Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It's quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. Thomas J. Watson

Your task:

Please complete the two questions on the following Google form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1PNhY4DMTBmkVG2Gtga1Eg90pcbX0NbaZKPhekewV-hM/edit

Complete and be ready to share on May 17th 8:30AM Staff meeting