Many of Dave's suggestions are similar to things I have done in the past. Although, I must confess, that even as a veteran teacher, who strove to be a PIRATE in the past without knowing it, I learned dozens of ways to improve upon the techniques I was already using. Nevertheless, there are a few ideas that seem really out there, especially "The Costume Hook." Dave writes, "I know that of all of these techniques, this is one I most often have people, especially men, say they wouldn't be able to pull off, but you won't know until you try it."
Even though I am not a guy, the thought of dressing up and teaching class in costume is far out of my comfort zone. I will occasionally dress up for Halloween to be a good sport, but am always very uncomfortable doing so. Nevertheless, I went for it yesterday, and the results were phenomenal!
1. The challenge: Teach the French Revolution to my 9th graders in 1 day! Somehow this topic appears nowhere in the history curriculum in my district. In the past I have included it anyway--but the curriculum demands are already extensive, and as my students were assessed last year as among the lowest 12% in the state, I shouldn't be adding (too many) topics. There are common assessments my students will take, and while I do not overload them with trivia, and focus on just the most crucial skills and content, it is still usually more than my students can handle.
2. The plan: Give the students a two page handout reading that summarizes the events leading up to the French Revolution and the Revolution itself, invite "guest speaker" Marie Antoinette to class to answer students' questions about the French Revolution, spend last 20 minutes of class close reading primary sources on the Reign of Terror, for homework students write a short essay that either defends or condemns the Committee of Public Safety.
3. The execution: The lesson came in the midst of a unit on Europe in the 1800s. We have been examining SPRITE conditions, one factor at a time, and the French Revolution lesson came under the umbrella of politics. I began class by informing the students that every political event of the 1800s was inspired, influenced, or responded to as a result of the French Revolution. I explained that this topic was not really part of our curriculum, but that it will help them understand future political actions if they have some understanding of it. I told them that to help them today, I invited a special guest to come to class to answer their questions. I said I was going to leave them for a few minutes to get the guest, and while I am gone they are to read the handout summary, and each student was to write down one question. I then opened the door between my classroom, and a colleague's who kept an eye on the students while I was gone. About 4 minutes later this is who returned:
I am not exaggerating when I say that jaws dropped. I introduced myself to the "American students" and asked them if they had any questions. And they did! Some classes were more on the ball than others, and if questions lagged, I told them stories about "my" life. But basically, the students were pouring over the reading looking for things to ask me! AND, when I was speaking, they were riveted. In two of my classes a student asked why I looked like Mrs. Buell, to which I replied that I am Austrian, and Mrs. Buell has some Austrian relations so that must be why there is a resemblance. But, that was really the only off-topic question I was asked. I was able to "lecture" in the form of stories and Q+A for 10-15 minutes, and I had every student's undivided attention. Actually, out of the four 9th grade classes I teach there was 1 student who was not engaged--and that is a tell-tale sign of some bigger issues I will need to address with this student. As Marie Antoinette I was acting over-the-top, and the stories I was telling about the things I did and said, were meant to help explain the causes of the French Revolution, including telling the students they should be thanking me because they would never have been able to defeat the British in the American Revolution without our help. I could see the lightbulbs going off in their brains!
I did not stay too long. Once there were no more questions, and I was satisfied that the students had an understanding of the causes of the French Revolution, I again opened the door to my neighbor's classroom and I left--getting out of the wig and long skirt took only a minute (I pulled the long skirt over the short skirt I was wearing that day, and wore a sweater over the corset, so changing was pretty quick). The last half of class was the challenging work of reading primary sources and ultimately being able to make a claim about the events of the Reign of Terror. Amazingly, the students remained engaged. And, while I have not finished reading all of their homework essays, most students wrote a fairly extensive amount. I had given them a paper with the prompt, and expected them to complete one side of the page. Often I get barely a few sentences from them on assignments like this, but this time I got full pages, and many went onto the back side of the page as well!
4. Advice and Conclusions: Just do it! I came very close to backing out of it right up until the second I crossed the threshold of the first class....I had moments of anxiety before I walked into every class....but inspired by Dave Burgess, and the #sstlap crew, especially Matt Barry I gave it a try. Based on some of my earlier shtick (I chug a bottle of Sprite when I introduce SPRITE conditions, and we "travel" to an exotic beach in Spain where the students have to decide whether to visit the textile or non-textile side of the beach so they never forget what a textile is), my students know I will do whatever it takes to help them learn. Not only was this a terrific technique for student engagement, but it was a bonding moment between myself and my students, and the students with each other, We had an unforgettable experience as a class. The students know I am working hard, and going out of my comfort zone for them, how can they not return the favor?
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