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Обучение как приключение: Как сделать уроки интересными и увлекательными
Все мы знаем, что в школе работают энтузиасты. Преподаватель должен быть страстно увлечен своим предметом, вдохновлять, воспитывать, направлять, находить подход. И все это в жестких рамках учебного плана, огромной методической работы и зачастую скоромного вознаграждения за свой труд.
Эта книга призвана вдохновить тех, кто сам обязан вдохновлять каждый день самую сложную аудиторию – детей. Дейв Берджес создал уникальную методику работы с учениками. Он утверждает, что любой педагог способен сделать так, чтобы учащиеся не просто полюбили его предмет, но ждали его с нетерпением как праздника. Он раскрывает конкретные приемы, которые не оставят равнодушными ни одного ученика. Эта книга не только о том, как создавать уникальные занятия, она о том, как научиться творчески подходить к подаче любого материала и самому получать удовольствие от того, что ты делаешь.
Эта книга призвана вдохновить тех, кто сам обязан вдохновлять каждый день самую сложную аудиторию – детей. Дейв Берджес создал уникальную методику работы с учениками. Он утверждает, что любой педагог способен сделать так, чтобы учащиеся не просто полюбили его предмет, но ждали его с нетерпением как праздника. Он раскрывает конкретные приемы, которые не оставят равнодушными ни одного ученика. Эта книга не только о том, как создавать уникальные занятия, она о том, как научиться творчески подходить к подаче любого материала и самому получать удовольствие от того, что ты делаешь.
238 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2012
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5294 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 776 reviews
August 5, 2013
This book was a letdown for me. I had seen so much buzz about it on Twitter, so I bought a copy to see what all the fuss was about. The main point of the book is to be passionate. Get it? I think that's all well and good, but as a teacher, you need to have content knowledge too.
I thought the title seemed promising. Teach like a pirate? But guess what? PIRATE is an acronym standing for Passion, Immersion, Rapport, Ask and Analyze, Transformation, and Enthusiasm.
Dave uses the book to inspire educators and to share some stories and lessons from his high school social studies classroom. Guess what? Dave is wild and wacky and outrageous! And guess what? I'm totally not that personality type. I can be funny and witty sometimes, but I'm not going to thrash about on the carpet in front of my students pretending to be a crashed airplane, all to just set up an activity that involves choosing 5 characters to rescue from a list of 10. I feel sorry for any first-year teacher that ties to implement all these strategies because their classroom management problems will probably be through-the-roof.
To be fair, I have acted out Shakespeare scenes for my students, and I have come to school in costumes before. A lot of what Dave advocates for is just good, engaging teaching. There's some good stuff here (including his list of questions to consider when designing a lesson), but it was nothing mind-blowing. Also, I wonder why he self-published this book. Were no publishers interested? Or does he just make more money this way? And also: he claims his activities could be adapted for any subject, but he only focuses on social studies. There's not even a bulleted list of ideas for English or science or foreign language.
Very few educators are cited in this book. Dave references marketers and talks about getting students engaged. I wanted to know what educational theories / experts had to say about his methods. Also, Dave always seems to focus on delivering a lesson, but in my English classroom, I rarely lecture because I want my students to have dialogue with one another in more of a Socratic approach.
His book also would also have been stronger if he had included photographs of all his wackiness and engaged students.
I thought the title seemed promising. Teach like a pirate? But guess what? PIRATE is an acronym standing for Passion, Immersion, Rapport, Ask and Analyze, Transformation, and Enthusiasm.
Dave uses the book to inspire educators and to share some stories and lessons from his high school social studies classroom. Guess what? Dave is wild and wacky and outrageous! And guess what? I'm totally not that personality type. I can be funny and witty sometimes, but I'm not going to thrash about on the carpet in front of my students pretending to be a crashed airplane, all to just set up an activity that involves choosing 5 characters to rescue from a list of 10. I feel sorry for any first-year teacher that ties to implement all these strategies because their classroom management problems will probably be through-the-roof.
To be fair, I have acted out Shakespeare scenes for my students, and I have come to school in costumes before. A lot of what Dave advocates for is just good, engaging teaching. There's some good stuff here (including his list of questions to consider when designing a lesson), but it was nothing mind-blowing. Also, I wonder why he self-published this book. Were no publishers interested? Or does he just make more money this way? And also: he claims his activities could be adapted for any subject, but he only focuses on social studies. There's not even a bulleted list of ideas for English or science or foreign language.
Very few educators are cited in this book. Dave references marketers and talks about getting students engaged. I wanted to know what educational theories / experts had to say about his methods. Also, Dave always seems to focus on delivering a lesson, but in my English classroom, I rarely lecture because I want my students to have dialogue with one another in more of a Socratic approach.
His book also would also have been stronger if he had included photographs of all his wackiness and engaged students.
February 20, 2014
Inspirational in many regards . . . But, sigh . . . I leave this book feeling sad. It feels a bit out-dated and certainly naive. So much of what it talks about: creative hooks, out-of-the-box teaching, critical-thinking building are why I got into teaching. And, it's exactly what I feel is missing from my classroom today. So, simple fix, right? Just take a page out of this book and bring it back to my room. But, in the world that I teach in, the world of standardized testing, data tracking, teacher accountability and school system grades, it's not that simple. As much as I would like to disregard the testing as Burgess suggests, it would be negligent and irresponsible. I can't do that to my school, my community, and I certainly can't do that to my students. I can't set them up to fail on those tests, regardless of how I feel about them. The pressure is enormous and stifling. And this book didn't give me the solutions I was looking for. But what book could?
October 22, 2015
So much hype surrounds this book, and its been rated highly by many educators whom I respect, so I thought it would be worth a look.
Author Dave Burgess shares a great deal about his teaching practice, and to that end, its a great read. I always love hearing about how other teachers go about their work. He has a great emphasis on creativity and engagement, and provides many great tips that I'm sure many teachers will find useful.
He repeatedly reminds his readers that education needs to be more than about what is on the test, and one of the points of difference between his class and many other classes, is that he provides far better reasons for his students to engage in learning than telling them they need it for the test. Perhaps this is one of the reasons, the book didn't really resonate with me. Burgess works in the US school system, which is increasingly dominated by high stakes standardised testing. In my system, that's not the case. We aren't test driven, and I know of no teachers who use the 'test' as a justification for any of the learning their students do.
As an Australian primary school teacher, I found nothing new. We already take a creative, cross curricular approach to our work. Dress up days, theme days, magic, cooking, outdoor lessons, simulation games, role play, are all common and familiar.
I found it troubling that Burgess frequently wrote as if he was the only teacher using these practices, and his aim was to make his class stand out from all the others that students in his school attend. He went so far as to suggest that the rest of the school experience for his students was dry and boring. He wanted his students to know that as soon as they entered his room they would have a different and superior experience to what they would experience in any other classroom. As a school leader I found this problematic. I'd like to see teachers working less in isolation and more in collaboration. We all improve as we draw upon each others strengths and expertise. Setting out to convince our students that our class is a special experience is fine, but setting out to convince our students that our class is a superior experience to the classes of our colleagues is toxic and undermining.
Teach Like a Pirate includes some great tips for people who are having trouble being passionate about their subjects or engaging their students. However, I don't believe it deserves the bandwagon hype that it has received. This is not a book that every teacher should read, or that will transform their work. It's a book about one teachers practice with a few good tips, particularly for inexperienced teachers or perhaps those who are feeling jaded and need some inspiration.
Author Dave Burgess shares a great deal about his teaching practice, and to that end, its a great read. I always love hearing about how other teachers go about their work. He has a great emphasis on creativity and engagement, and provides many great tips that I'm sure many teachers will find useful.
He repeatedly reminds his readers that education needs to be more than about what is on the test, and one of the points of difference between his class and many other classes, is that he provides far better reasons for his students to engage in learning than telling them they need it for the test. Perhaps this is one of the reasons, the book didn't really resonate with me. Burgess works in the US school system, which is increasingly dominated by high stakes standardised testing. In my system, that's not the case. We aren't test driven, and I know of no teachers who use the 'test' as a justification for any of the learning their students do.
As an Australian primary school teacher, I found nothing new. We already take a creative, cross curricular approach to our work. Dress up days, theme days, magic, cooking, outdoor lessons, simulation games, role play, are all common and familiar.
I found it troubling that Burgess frequently wrote as if he was the only teacher using these practices, and his aim was to make his class stand out from all the others that students in his school attend. He went so far as to suggest that the rest of the school experience for his students was dry and boring. He wanted his students to know that as soon as they entered his room they would have a different and superior experience to what they would experience in any other classroom. As a school leader I found this problematic. I'd like to see teachers working less in isolation and more in collaboration. We all improve as we draw upon each others strengths and expertise. Setting out to convince our students that our class is a special experience is fine, but setting out to convince our students that our class is a superior experience to the classes of our colleagues is toxic and undermining.
Teach Like a Pirate includes some great tips for people who are having trouble being passionate about their subjects or engaging their students. However, I don't believe it deserves the bandwagon hype that it has received. This is not a book that every teacher should read, or that will transform their work. It's a book about one teachers practice with a few good tips, particularly for inexperienced teachers or perhaps those who are feeling jaded and need some inspiration.
February 11, 2020
3.5 Stars
August 5, 2014
I agree with a few of the main points that are the foundation of what Dave does. I agree that great teachers make it look easy, because they work hard, not because it IS easy. I also agree that building rapport, getting to know your students, creating a safe environment and being passionate are all very important to successes in the classroom. However, I don't agree that teachers are entertainers. We do want our lessons to be engaging, because they are thought-provoking and relevant, not because we use gimmicks in the delivery. I'm sure Dave is a great teacher, but I don't think his way works for most. It's authentic for him, which is why it is effective for him. I'm afraid most who follow in his footsteps would look phony and silly.
April 8, 2014
Author's tone is condescending and he does not seem to take in to consideration the amount of time we as teachers are forced to be conducting some type of standardized teaching. Furthermore, every day life is not presented in dog-and-pony show fashion so to think every lesson should be structured as such is pure nonsense. Lastly, the fact that I'm being forced to read this book, document my reading by answering various discussions, and then spend my very limited planning time discussing it with other members of my department, really irks me.
November 15, 2021
Dave Burgess presented to our teaching staff and I found him to be a salesman. He remined me of the guy at the State Fair who sells me a set of pots and pans I'm not sure I need, but I'm convinced to try anyway, probably for too much money.
As an instructor, his tactics seemed a bit like trickery and a lot like entertainment; as a high school English teacher, I am not sure I believe it's my job to entertain my students. Of course, they should enjoy their time in my classroom, but I want them to choose to engage and not just watch me perform on a stage for them.
Back to his presentation: Burgess had a quote on the board as I walked in about the secret to being a better lover. I asked what it was and Dave refused to tell me; he said the answer was in the book. So then I trudged to the library and checked his book out. Here is what I found: "The secret to be coming a better lover--and a better teacher--is total immersion. Your ability to completely give yourself up to the moment and fully 'be' with your students is an awesome and unmistakably powerful technique." So, that's it?! I feel duped! Of course I'm mindful and present. Aren't all good teachers? How can I not be fully in the moment with a class of 33 kids holding cellphones and laptops?!
Overall, I thought Mr. Burgess had good things to think about; I'm just not sure I want to buy what he's selling.
As an instructor, his tactics seemed a bit like trickery and a lot like entertainment; as a high school English teacher, I am not sure I believe it's my job to entertain my students. Of course, they should enjoy their time in my classroom, but I want them to choose to engage and not just watch me perform on a stage for them.
Back to his presentation: Burgess had a quote on the board as I walked in about the secret to being a better lover. I asked what it was and Dave refused to tell me; he said the answer was in the book. So then I trudged to the library and checked his book out. Here is what I found: "The secret to be coming a better lover--and a better teacher--is total immersion. Your ability to completely give yourself up to the moment and fully 'be' with your students is an awesome and unmistakably powerful technique." So, that's it?! I feel duped! Of course I'm mindful and present. Aren't all good teachers? How can I not be fully in the moment with a class of 33 kids holding cellphones and laptops?!
Overall, I thought Mr. Burgess had good things to think about; I'm just not sure I want to buy what he's selling.
October 3, 2017
Describing this book as beneficial is a wild overstatement. Describing it as condescending is a gross understatement.
December 1, 2013
This awesome book can help any teacher put the spunk back into their career. I was totally reinvigorated by the ideas that Dave Burgess shared in his book. My only wish is that I could gather even more ideas and detailed tools to use for my own teaching.
Dave shares his classroom successes and tips from his presentations on how to be a more active teacher and how to "hook" kids into the narrative that makes up life long learning. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart or the teacher who is only in it for June, July, and August. You have to become 100% dedicated to the profession of teaching in order to gain the full potential that Mr. Burgess asks all of us to strive for.
Dave shares his classroom successes and tips from his presentations on how to be a more active teacher and how to "hook" kids into the narrative that makes up life long learning. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart or the teacher who is only in it for June, July, and August. You have to become 100% dedicated to the profession of teaching in order to gain the full potential that Mr. Burgess asks all of us to strive for.
September 4, 2018
Some great ideas for hooks. Nothing in this book was earth shattering or something I hadn’t heard before but great reminders for all teachers. It also reinforced how important creativity in the classroom is and how it can’t all be about the tests.
March 5, 2016
While I liked a lot of what he said, I felt like it was all pretty obvious. I didn't walk away with any blinding insights, but it was very validating to read about someone else sharing some of my teaching philosophies and putting them into practice. It also made a great conversation starter at Parent/Teacher conferences: every conference I went to holding it, the teacher immediately told me that they'd read it or were planning to.
August 13, 2016
This book did not provide any new learning for me. It seemed that the author's goal was to have everyone know what a great teacher he is. His style is not for everyone, as there are many outstanding teachers who do not embrace his style. I felt that his idea of "hooks" was pretty self-explanatory and something I learned very early in my career. There was not much substance to this book.
July 20, 2013
This is not going to be so much of an review of a book, but more of how I have applied the principles to my life. This is a MUST READ. If you have not read this book then you are missing out. This book is taking off like a pirate ship at sea going 50 knots. The buzz online via the #tlap hashtag on Twitter and the countless book clubs based on this book is insane. I am planning a book club in August and I feel like I won't have much of an audience because every teacher will have read the book already.
Here is why the book works. First, he is a teacher. He is not removed from the classroom and speaks to teachers. There is no talking down and there is none of the typical ideas that sound great on paper, but fail miserably in the classrooms of 30+ students. The ideas are classroom tested and student approved.
Second, he is not stuffy. He writes normal and at a level that makes sense. It is practical. I would not say that anything is particularly earth shattering in the book(this is not a slam), but the ideas are ones that any teacher at any level could use or modify to make their own. I did not need a dictionary pulled up to define every other word while reading.
Third, I was excited to mark in my book. I am reader who hates marked books. This book I highlighted everywhere and wrote notes in the margins. Great little taglines and thoughts to reinforce what many of us already do. As I was reading his examples and stories I was able to relate to projects I have done or stories of my own as a teacher. I was able to connect and we all know how important connections are when it comes to teaching and learning.
Last, it was just the right read at the right time. The material helped to reignite some excitement to teaching. As stated before his ideas are great and wonderful, but are nothing that we couldn't all do. The keys are his three ideas of passion for teaching. He loves what he does. Passion has been my big summer topic and therefore when I read the book and could feel his passion I knew it was going to be some great stuff.
This is a must read for any teacher. One of the better education books I have read. It has motivated me to create a poster with one of his sayings which you can see here that allowed me to connect with new educators I never worked with before and added augmented reality. It has inspired me to get ready to buy a bulk of these books to hopefully have a school book club to share and discuss as well as online on Twitter. It has allowed me through #tlap to meet so many amazing educators who have a passion for what they do. The book has gone beyond just reading, but impacting my PLN and what I continue to learn beyond the reading. When that happens you know have something special and that is what Dave Burgess has been able to create. If he can do that with a book, then I can only imagine what he does with the minds of his students.
Here is his link on Twitter: https://twitter.com/burgessdave
Join and follow the hashtag #tlap
And here is his website: http://www.daveburgess.com/
Here is why the book works. First, he is a teacher. He is not removed from the classroom and speaks to teachers. There is no talking down and there is none of the typical ideas that sound great on paper, but fail miserably in the classrooms of 30+ students. The ideas are classroom tested and student approved.
Second, he is not stuffy. He writes normal and at a level that makes sense. It is practical. I would not say that anything is particularly earth shattering in the book(this is not a slam), but the ideas are ones that any teacher at any level could use or modify to make their own. I did not need a dictionary pulled up to define every other word while reading.
Third, I was excited to mark in my book. I am reader who hates marked books. This book I highlighted everywhere and wrote notes in the margins. Great little taglines and thoughts to reinforce what many of us already do. As I was reading his examples and stories I was able to relate to projects I have done or stories of my own as a teacher. I was able to connect and we all know how important connections are when it comes to teaching and learning.
Last, it was just the right read at the right time. The material helped to reignite some excitement to teaching. As stated before his ideas are great and wonderful, but are nothing that we couldn't all do. The keys are his three ideas of passion for teaching. He loves what he does. Passion has been my big summer topic and therefore when I read the book and could feel his passion I knew it was going to be some great stuff.
This is a must read for any teacher. One of the better education books I have read. It has motivated me to create a poster with one of his sayings which you can see here that allowed me to connect with new educators I never worked with before and added augmented reality. It has inspired me to get ready to buy a bulk of these books to hopefully have a school book club to share and discuss as well as online on Twitter. It has allowed me through #tlap to meet so many amazing educators who have a passion for what they do. The book has gone beyond just reading, but impacting my PLN and what I continue to learn beyond the reading. When that happens you know have something special and that is what Dave Burgess has been able to create. If he can do that with a book, then I can only imagine what he does with the minds of his students.
Here is his link on Twitter: https://twitter.com/burgessdave
Join and follow the hashtag #tlap
And here is his website: http://www.daveburgess.com/
July 7, 2017
Well, this book deals with so many interesting and creative teaching ideas! I have already tried some of them, while others I can't wait to adapt for my students. :)
April 15, 2019
“You can’t grow, advance, and move forward without repeatedly stumbling and falling on your face. If, as toddlers, we went into the process of learning to walk with our adult mindset, we would still be crawling.” Love this quote and loved this book! Great practical ideas for engaging students more.
October 11, 2015
I keep looking for a better education book. I haven't found it yet.
February 12, 2017
A must-read for all teachers out there, especially those who are just starting to teach or those who feel their lessons lack passion, fun and excitement.
March 20, 2024
“When you have a high enough calling, it is much easier to commit yourself to doing whatever it takes to accomplish your life’s purpose. You have to decide if what you’re doing is worth your complete effort and full attention. If it is, don’t let anything stop you.”
Full of interesting philosophies about teaching that have inspired me to break the barriers of a traditional classroom in order to create more engaging and fulfilling lessons for my students.
Full of interesting philosophies about teaching that have inspired me to break the barriers of a traditional classroom in order to create more engaging and fulfilling lessons for my students.
December 29, 2019
I was looking forward to this book because I had read Play Like a Pirate, a subset book by a different author, Quinn Rollins. It was enormously helpful. Rollins give specific ideas on how to easily incorporate his strategies into any classroom. Though his ideas lean towards social studies, he is careful to help out other disciplines.
Dave Burgess does no such thing. A lot of people criticize him because they think they couldn’t fit in his outrageous teaching strategies in a culture of standardized testing. That is not my problem at all. I think that if you were able to engage students the way he does, they would have no problem on the tests. I have no doubt that he is an amazing teacher who gets superb results. My problem with this book is that very little of what he writes is transferable to other teachers.
First of all, he is condescending and seems to have no concept of different personality types. He implies that anyone unwilling to run around the room and roll on the floor to get students engaged in a lesson is lazy and doesn’t care about student engagement. He also talks a lot about having the “best” class that students look forward to. He compares his class to all the other boring classes his students attend. How awful for the other teachers in his building. It’s not so much that I refuse to do these outrageous things out of embarrassment, but I just know myself. It would come off as inauthentic because I’m a fairly serious person. I’m all for catching students off guard and being a little silly, but it has to be within the confines of being true to myself and not trying to change my personality.
Second of all, EVERY SINGLE specific example of how to use the strategies (and there weren't that many) is related to social studies. He mentions the fact that this book could be easily adapted to other subjects but he doesn’t bother to provide any direction there. It comes across as him being uninformed about what anyone else teaches. Sure, I can come up with ways to adapt his stuff for science, but sometimes a little push in the right direction can get my creative juices flowing better.
Third, he doesn’t really get that specific, even with social studies. For the most part, the book is a list of questions to ask yourself as you plan a lesson. This is pretty vague and unhelpful. The list itself has some good questions, but there are probably 400 of them, so it’s not a very practical list.
Fourth, some of Burgess’s ideas are so complicated, he must be at school until 10pm sometimes preparing for them. Who has time to cover their entire room in plastic sheeting multiple times a year? I know it’s not a popular thing to say, but I believe teachers are contracted for 8 hours a day, and that should be honored as much as possible. I love what I do, and I often put in extra hours, but I never want a new teacher to feel like they’re doing something wrong if they aren’t staying at school at least 10 hours a day. You do what you can, but at the end of the day, you still have a family to take care of and you deserve a life outside of school.
Overall, I’d say skip this one and just read Play Like a Pirate. It’s not that I got nothing out of it, but the condescension and vagueness overrode any positives I gleaned.
Dave Burgess does no such thing. A lot of people criticize him because they think they couldn’t fit in his outrageous teaching strategies in a culture of standardized testing. That is not my problem at all. I think that if you were able to engage students the way he does, they would have no problem on the tests. I have no doubt that he is an amazing teacher who gets superb results. My problem with this book is that very little of what he writes is transferable to other teachers.
First of all, he is condescending and seems to have no concept of different personality types. He implies that anyone unwilling to run around the room and roll on the floor to get students engaged in a lesson is lazy and doesn’t care about student engagement. He also talks a lot about having the “best” class that students look forward to. He compares his class to all the other boring classes his students attend. How awful for the other teachers in his building. It’s not so much that I refuse to do these outrageous things out of embarrassment, but I just know myself. It would come off as inauthentic because I’m a fairly serious person. I’m all for catching students off guard and being a little silly, but it has to be within the confines of being true to myself and not trying to change my personality.
Second of all, EVERY SINGLE specific example of how to use the strategies (and there weren't that many) is related to social studies. He mentions the fact that this book could be easily adapted to other subjects but he doesn’t bother to provide any direction there. It comes across as him being uninformed about what anyone else teaches. Sure, I can come up with ways to adapt his stuff for science, but sometimes a little push in the right direction can get my creative juices flowing better.
Third, he doesn’t really get that specific, even with social studies. For the most part, the book is a list of questions to ask yourself as you plan a lesson. This is pretty vague and unhelpful. The list itself has some good questions, but there are probably 400 of them, so it’s not a very practical list.
Fourth, some of Burgess’s ideas are so complicated, he must be at school until 10pm sometimes preparing for them. Who has time to cover their entire room in plastic sheeting multiple times a year? I know it’s not a popular thing to say, but I believe teachers are contracted for 8 hours a day, and that should be honored as much as possible. I love what I do, and I often put in extra hours, but I never want a new teacher to feel like they’re doing something wrong if they aren’t staying at school at least 10 hours a day. You do what you can, but at the end of the day, you still have a family to take care of and you deserve a life outside of school.
Overall, I’d say skip this one and just read Play Like a Pirate. It’s not that I got nothing out of it, but the condescension and vagueness overrode any positives I gleaned.
August 20, 2018
I was trying to find a way to talk about this book without seeming overtly angry with all of its contents. Because surely there must be SOMETHING worth this 176 page book of non-researched based unoriginal material. I thought “maybe this is where the ‘pirate’ thing comes in because I have to really look for the gold.’” And yes, some of the lesson plans, and hooks seem interesting however those could have been summarized in a small handout instead of this book.
One of the first chapters is about building rapport, however the whole book is written in a very condescending tone and not a relational one. The viewpoints are presented as fact, are very narrow minded, and come across like you are and idiot who couldn’t pour piss out of a boot with the directions on the bottom. I have no doubt that Dave Burgess is good at his job, of course a white American male may enjoy/be talented at teaching a curriculum that is largely his narrative. I was astounded by the fact that this book had a three page chapter on collaboration when it is such a large part of successful teaching, but then I saw that it was self-published under his own name, which is kind of sad because an editor would have been able to let him know all the words he was missing between his sentences.
Let me save you the trouble of reading this garbage; spoiler alert, if you want to be a good teacher: like your job, be passionate, and bring your lessons to life.
There are SO many better books out there that will make you a better teacher. Examples include:
The boy who harnessed the wind. What Every Body is saying. Fall down 7 times get up 8.
One of the first chapters is about building rapport, however the whole book is written in a very condescending tone and not a relational one. The viewpoints are presented as fact, are very narrow minded, and come across like you are and idiot who couldn’t pour piss out of a boot with the directions on the bottom. I have no doubt that Dave Burgess is good at his job, of course a white American male may enjoy/be talented at teaching a curriculum that is largely his narrative. I was astounded by the fact that this book had a three page chapter on collaboration when it is such a large part of successful teaching, but then I saw that it was self-published under his own name, which is kind of sad because an editor would have been able to let him know all the words he was missing between his sentences.
Let me save you the trouble of reading this garbage; spoiler alert, if you want to be a good teacher: like your job, be passionate, and bring your lessons to life.
There are SO many better books out there that will make you a better teacher. Examples include:
The boy who harnessed the wind. What Every Body is saying. Fall down 7 times get up 8.
June 23, 2013
The PIRATE pages were worth the cost of the book right there. Then the questions in the last section to ponder about your own lessons. I have already been asking some of them, but there are others I can start asking easily. (Others I won’t be employing, however, because I’ve gotten away from “extra” activities in my class, and I believe students have gotten a lot out of our close-reading activities... some seem engaging enough!) There are myriad ideas here that I will be keeping in mind - I took copious notes and have highlighted those notes I want to go back to time and time again! (I love how easy it was to read, too!)
My big take-away? Keep using the passion I use. ALL THROUGH THE DAY. Don’t let my last class be the class that doesn’t get my best. It is totally unfair. I need to be “ON” each minute - immersed in the goal of my lesson, and sharing my passion for the subject and the students each minute.
The author is very available for questions or comments - through Twitter, email, and his website.
My big take-away? Keep using the passion I use. ALL THROUGH THE DAY. Don’t let my last class be the class that doesn’t get my best. It is totally unfair. I need to be “ON” each minute - immersed in the goal of my lesson, and sharing my passion for the subject and the students each minute.
The author is very available for questions or comments - through Twitter, email, and his website.
August 18, 2013
I was really disappointed in this book. I have no doubt that Burgess is as devoted, engaging and original of a teacher as he claims, but I couldn't help but feel I was listening to one big ego trip. His goal is to always be the best, most memorable teacher his students have ever had...I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if other teachers in his building caught up with him, or surpassed him in that regard.
I also was surprised to not get that many new ideas from the book. I have read a lot of books about teaching English as a Foreign Language, and a lot of Burgess's "hooks" are very familiar in TEFL literature.
Finally, the book is not that well-written -- it sounds like just the written version of his oral presentations, which perhaps it is.
I am sure Mr. Burgess is a great and inspiring speaker, and certainly a fabulous teacher, but his book didn't rev me up the way I had hoped it would.
I also was surprised to not get that many new ideas from the book. I have read a lot of books about teaching English as a Foreign Language, and a lot of Burgess's "hooks" are very familiar in TEFL literature.
Finally, the book is not that well-written -- it sounds like just the written version of his oral presentations, which perhaps it is.
I am sure Mr. Burgess is a great and inspiring speaker, and certainly a fabulous teacher, but his book didn't rev me up the way I had hoped it would.
June 28, 2016
I’m not really certain how to rate this slim how-to guide for teachers by Dave Burgess, social studies teacher and hyperactive wizard. The book’s messages are very important: life lessons are more important than standardized tests, enthusiasm is infectious, and dare to be different — and even crazy!
Still, I didn’t get why some of my colleagues are agog at the Teach Like a Pirate™ method. Perhaps something gets lost from the in-person teaching conferences to the page. Still, the book is definitely worth reading — although I would recommend getting it from the library or Kindle Unlimited.
Still, I didn’t get why some of my colleagues are agog at the Teach Like a Pirate™ method. Perhaps something gets lost from the in-person teaching conferences to the page. Still, the book is definitely worth reading — although I would recommend getting it from the library or Kindle Unlimited.
January 24, 2018
A good review of the basics and a call for enthusiasm in teaching. However, I had a very negative reaction to the author and how he presented the information. This isn't a human being I would feel comfortable asking for help in person.
June 8, 2018
Science matters and there isn't any in this book. There is a difference between entertaining and engaging students and teaching for retention and higher order thinking. Any teacher following this book's advice would lack time to prepare for such higher order thinking.
November 8, 2021
This book is extremely unrealistic. The author pretty much makes you feel like you are a terrible educator and will never measure up to him. However, in the world we live in now, these practices are not possible.
December 16, 2023
I want to say that this book is very American. But of course, I know very little about American schools, so that wouldn't quite be fair. It just has this foreign expressiveness to it, that is hard to imagine adapting to the Norwegian system.
Although I don't follow all the arguements and won't adapt any of the concrete examples, I finished the book feeling inspired and wanting to create classes that engage my students. So while not so practical, this was a nice little read to fire me up about teaching.
Although I don't follow all the arguements and won't adapt any of the concrete examples, I finished the book feeling inspired and wanting to create classes that engage my students. So while not so practical, this was a nice little read to fire me up about teaching.
March 14, 2024
Really great!! Helpful tips and advice - and validating as I realized I already use pirate techniques!! 😂😂
July 12, 2025
Amazing! Definitely recommend for all educators and anyone who works with children!
May 5, 2022
Drăguța, dar nu atat de practica cum ma așteptam. Știam deja aceste idei si sunt extrem de importante pentru orice profesor, dar cred ca mai mult ajutor in a le pune un practica ar fi fost util- lucruri concrete, strategii si tehnici, ca teoria e usor de inteles.
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