I have been assigned a presentation for my Professonal Learning Community at my school. My presentation is from a book entitled Teach Like a Pirate by, Dave Burgess. First let me say, I love the book! I also love pirates!!
I am assigned a section called “All the World is a Stage”. I happen to LOVE this portion of the book because I am an amature actor/singer/performer. It is always a thrill to be able to bring my two worlds together to engage learners. One of the first things I thought about after reading this section was the episode of Glee with Gwyneth Paltrow. She plays a substitute teacher who dresses as Mary Todd Lincoln to teach her class. See a clip below, so funny!
This example of “hooking students with acting” excites me and makes me wan
t to do more it the same.
I have used music to set the mood for my media center lessons in the past. The Mission Impossible theme song plays when students enter the media center for a mystery where they are detectives solving a crime. Each student gets to put on a badge and be a sluth trying to figure out who done it while using reference tools to research facts. The students absolutely LOVE this activity!!
I have been in several plays and musicals in my community. I use my background to bring what could be very dull lessons to life, much the same as Mary Todd Lincoln is brought to life in the clip above. Students won’t easily forget innovative ways they are taught. Give it a try!
This is me as Glinda in the Henry Players version of The Wizard of Oz!
