"A lack of immersion in the present sends a clear message that this moment is somehow less important and not significant enough to be worth undivided attention." (Burgess p.14) Have you ever had a bad day at work and gone home to your significant other, called a friend, or talked to a lovable pet, and you can tell that you do not have their full attention? You need to vent about your upcoming observation, the test your students bombed, or even the fact that report cards are due tomorrow, and no one will give you the attention you deserve? Burgess gives the illustration in the book by using a lifeguard analogy. FOCUS vs. IMMERSION (p. 14-15)
Now, the same person is asked to be immersed in the water. What would that look like?
Being a teacher means being more than just being focused on your students. An effective teacher is immersed in his/her students' learning; this is especially important when delivering the first lesson on a new concept. "I'm suggesting that when delivering first instruction, especially to struggling learners, you need to leave the comfort of the lounge chair or lifeguard tower and jump into the water with your students." (Burgess p.15) "It's OK to surrender your structure in the pursuit of something far more valuable in the moment." (Burgess p. 18) DISCUSSION QUESTION: What are 2 things you can do in your classroom to truly be immersed - or to switch from focus to immersion?
55 Comments
Debbie Paskill
7/9/2018 09:10:04 am
Love this book & who wouldn't want to teach like a pirate!?! But of course as is anything that produces the fruit of our efforts, it takes effort on our part. The effort will be worth it! So,ship ahoy! As a former lifeguard and competitive swimmer, I appreciate the analogy our captain uses here. First, it is helpful to know a bit about your students' interests and learning styles and if not (beginning of the year scenario) address as many modalities as possible). Since I have worked with my future students on several projects, I know they love to dance and play games, some like magic, many are fascinated with history. These are all helpful tools for creating an interactive lesson that will be fun for all. Of course, there will always be that timid swimmer who needs to test the water or perhaps have me jump in with her to get started and show her the ropes. In any case, I am not afraid of getting wet. I look forward to immersion into new waters that my students and I can chart together using a variety of activities that are designed to engage all!
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Angela Marshall
7/9/2018 12:16:11 pm
Have you ever used dance or magic to create interactive lessons? These methods would certainly seem to draw many children in.
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Vicky McCann
7/9/2018 03:22:29 pm
Debbie, thanks for sharing. Getting to know the interests of your students and being able to incorporate these themes throughout the year is great way to 'hook' your class.
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Angela Marshall
7/9/2018 12:13:51 pm
My comment doesn't answer the prompt so much as address my self-evaluation of total immersion.
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Ashlee
7/9/2018 01:44:29 pm
Are you allowed to house the materials you need in these classrooms?
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Angela Marshall
7/9/2018 01:56:30 pm
No. I have to bring everything with me.
Vicky McCann
7/9/2018 03:28:44 pm
Angela, thanks for sharing! Having to travel between classrooms is always a challenge. If possible, maybe consider getting a student to be your morning helper. Have him/her deliver some supplies to the classrooms that you are using that day.
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Liz Orlandi
7/10/2018 08:03:42 am
Angela,
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Shannon Norris
7/13/2018 09:11:55 am
Wow Angela, that has got to be exhausting. Perhaps that is something your Principal could work on. Being able to have a space/science lab for your students a) to get out of their own classroom b) for their classroom teachers to be able to have planning time in their own classroom space and c) to be able to dive deeper into their science experiences would be so much more beneficial not only to you (who has to lug everything around) but to your students as well. Thank you for sharing!
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Ashlee
7/9/2018 01:40:05 pm
One of the things I like to do with my students to feel fully immersed is to sit with them on the floor and read together. I teach 4th grade and my students loved when I worked with them on the floor. We were all eye level versus me standing looking at them. I do the same when they are doing independent or group work. If they're at the standing stations, I stand with them, if they're on the floor I get down on the floor, if they're at desks, I pull up a chair and sit with them. I can be immersed in their discussion or their thought process. I try my best to let them know I am fully there for them and with them.
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Erin
7/9/2018 01:52:11 pm
I love that you sit on the floor or at a desk with the students -- I do the same thing. One day we were "popcorn" reading, and a student asked if they could choose me? I said of course, and the children loved that I was included in the reading. :)
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Vicky McCann
7/9/2018 03:16:33 pm
Ashlee, I love that you physically put yourself at the same level as the students. Like Erin, you both are jumping in the pool which allows you to see the lesson from the student perspective.
Shireen Canada
7/9/2018 01:54:31 pm
Way to go with the self assessment and future integration of a new technique! :-)
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Angela Marshall
7/9/2018 01:58:41 pm
I love the idea of flashlight Friday and taking the time to interact with a few students!
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Debbie Paskill
7/9/2018 11:54:03 pm
I love that you physically immerse yourself at the student level. I try to do the same & find that my students like it also. It creates a sort of trust or bond with them. I also love the flashlight/lantern reading time! Thanks for sharing!
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Barbara
7/10/2018 01:39:45 pm
Ashlee,
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Julie
7/15/2018 10:30:05 am
The Book Whisperer is a game changer. I highly recommend that book and following Donalyn on Twitter. #bookaday is another way to immerse oneself in childrens literature and be able to connect students to new books
Lauren Casserly
7/11/2018 04:38:33 pm
I agree wholeheartedly that getting on the student's level physically can help you jump into their pool. I am a music teacher working with every student from K-8 so responding to their age group means changing my physical space to fit their world. When I present a new song I let them experience it first with me outside of their circle, but actually learning that song means I am in the activity right there with them to model. Usually this means a lot more fun for me and a faster learning pace for my students.
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John Meehan
7/13/2018 07:19:56 am
That flashlight reading idea is money. And I can totally see it working in my classroom! Even at the high school level: whenever we need to pause for a close reading activity, whip out the flash lights on your cell phones and scour that text for clues! Such a simple trick, but it will work wonders.
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Shireen Canada
7/9/2018 02:01:54 pm
I completely agree with the method of full immersion. I teach middle school Language Arts, and one way I immerse myself is by getting to know my students: finding out what kind of books they like to read, what they are interested in outside of class, the music they listen to, the sports they play! I can then use this knowledge to make connections with my lessons and help them love reading by suggesting material they will like. A second way I immerse myself in the classroom is by my pronoun use- I choose to use “We” instead of “you” or “I.” It’s a simple technique that I find sets the tone that we are all in this together, and we will all learn from each other! I do not talk at my students; I talk with them!
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Liz Orlandi
7/9/2018 03:01:37 pm
I love your attitude of trying to connect with your students and using that knowledge to help them make connections to the lessons. Simple changes, like you suggest with the pronouns, are subtle but powerful.
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Vicky McCann
7/9/2018 03:18:41 pm
Shireen, I love the idea of using the pronoun "we". This allows the students to also see you as a learner as well.
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Judy Jenkins
7/10/2018 11:56:12 am
YES - careful selection of those pronouns can set the tone for sure!
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Pat S
7/9/2018 09:53:02 pm
Maybe 25 years ago our school had a team-building seminar based on the book FISH! (Lundin, Christensen, Paul) that spoke creating a positive, inclusive working/learning environment based on "being present" to each person. For me "being present" included discovering their interests, listening to their stories.and sharing some of their concerns. This is something I attempt to do with all of my students during the five years that I teach them, usually with very positive results.
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Vicky McCann
7/10/2018 09:01:27 am
Pat, I am so glad you brought up FISH! I, too, received this training about 18 years ago when I worked at Watermark cruises in Annapolis. (The tour boat that many 4th grade students enjoy.) Teach Like a Pirate reminds me so much of FISH. Remembering to play at work and choosing your attitude can make all the difference when teaching.
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Barbara
7/10/2018 01:44:42 pm
Pat,
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Cindy Z
7/9/2018 11:12:34 pm
Oh my goodness I loved and could totally relate to the lifeguard analogy. As a Kindergarten teacher I literally jump in the water on the very first day. I find it’s almost a necessity to get right down on their little level which I have found through the years is the best place to get to know them and make them feel comfy in their new home away from home. I have found myself doing this more in more each year. This particular year it was very helpful as I had a little larger group and it felt good to be so close during different lessons.
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Katie Sague
7/11/2018 07:35:14 pm
Yes - I love this analogy as well! Early childhood classes certainly require our time to be spent in the water. With so many demands on our attention, it can be quite difficult to be fully present to students. If you are sharing the learning experience with them (in the water), it helps develop empathy. "Your ability to completely give yourself up to the moment and fully "be" with your students is an awesome and unmistakably powerful technique." (Burgess p.14). Taking time to allow students to develop thoughts out loud or return to a previous response (no matter how recorded) and affirming the process, increases both comfort and confidence. As we think about immersion, it is wonderful to think about the high impact being fully present can have on the learning.
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Liz Orlandi
7/10/2018 08:20:09 am
I, too, love this analogy of being the lifeguard or bystander vs. jumping in with the students. Just before school began last year, I was asked if I would like to become a Library/media teacher for two days a week. Talk about being thrown into the deep end! Although I have taught for many years and have a solid background in language arts and research, I have never had the pleasure of actually running my own Library.
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Barbara Ryba
7/10/2018 02:05:09 pm
Liz,
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Liz Orlandi
7/13/2018 06:59:31 am
Thanks, Barbara.
Carie Ptack
7/12/2018 03:19:31 pm
What a great idea!! I love that you asked your students and integrated their ideas. I am sure they felt important every time they entered the library. I am constantly looking for a better way to organize my classroom books. I have always organized alphabetically with the titles but sometimes it gets overwhelming when I'm in a hurry.
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Liz Orlandi
7/13/2018 07:05:06 am
Hi, Carie.
Judy Jenkins
7/10/2018 11:53:57 am
Here we go ... sailing into that sea of immersion! Lots of interesting ideas have been shared. I especially like the Friday Flashlight and the attention to shifting pronouns so that the discussion is centered on "we" rather than "I" or "you." That can affect the climate in the classroom which might create a more welcoming environment that looks more like immersion.
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John Meehan
7/13/2018 07:34:48 am
Shout out to fellow ELA and writing teachers!
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Sue Trouba
7/10/2018 10:51:41 pm
As a kindergarten teacher, enthusiasm is a must! From day one, if you have enthusiasm for school (you can never be over the top), your students will respond. Show your students you care and listen to them and it will be the start of a positive year. Yes, I agree that using the "we" pronoun get the students to buy into the feeling that the classroom is our community and that we all want to succeed. Acting as a community makes the students feel safe and that it is okay to make mistakes. The mistakes are a part of learning.
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Andrew
7/11/2018 09:10:42 pm
I loved reading everyones reflections and comments on everyones' posts. I agree with everyone that the immersion and getting into the water with the students is a great technique and reminder of how we can make connects with our students. I enjoy getting on the same level as them, whether that is when they are at their desks and I am kneeling next to it, or they are in small groups and I get on the ground with them to join the discussion.
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Carie Ptack
7/12/2018 03:42:22 pm
I love this book! I also love the analogy of the lifeguard versus a person immerged in the water. I can totally see me as both in my classroom. I do a lot of observation at center time. In kindergarten, social skills are so important. I find myself immerging the most in our circletime. This is were we mainly do our classroom jobs: prayer person, weather person, calendar helper, gardener, fish feeder, read story, etc. We talk about what we did the night before or the weekend before. The stories sometimes can go on and on but we share about ourselves and get to know each other from day one. I mostly sit on the floor and stay at their eye level. We learn songs using gestures.....I could go on and on. I also greet them in the morning at eye level as they come through the door with a high five or fist pump and a big welcoming smile. The analogy also made me think about our time on the playground. As I'm watching, I sometimes swing, teeter totter, and play soccer with them. I always find that when I act like them they respond better:)
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7/13/2018 07:12:05 am
Really enjoyed reading TLAP, and it sent my mind reeling down all of the things I see and try to make happen in my classroom in order to create that immersive sense of wonder, exploration, and JOY in my high school classroom. As an instructional coach, I have the unique benefit of working with about 35 different teachers each month, and so I get to spend a lot of time in other teachers’ classrooms in addition to my own. I was struck by Dave’s comment about being able to spot a lifeguard from a swimmer within minutes of setting foot in their classroom. The education game has changed, and it is imperative that we change with it as educators in order to spark relevance, inquiry, and innovation in our classrooms accordingly. This made me think of two other great books by Dave Burgess Consulting — The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros, and eXPlore Like a Pirate by Michael Matera — both of which are outstanding “playbooks” of how to transform theory into practice for immersive, high-energy student-centered classrooms. Highly recommended.
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Pat
7/13/2018 07:18:29 pm
John, The Dream Rush site is inspiring...did I repeatedly see a pirate map in the video? I will continue to explore your site as the summer continues. Mr. Couros and Mr. Matera seem to have inspired you to embark on this pirate voyage before this current book study even began. I can see how this approach has great potential to keep the students fully engaged.
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John Meehan
7/14/2018 07:55:27 am
Thank you! Happy to brainstorm further and to share any resources you might need.
Kerry Stone
7/14/2018 11:52:24 am
John,
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Ashlee
7/14/2018 07:58:11 pm
Thanks for sharing your ideas and this site! Such a rad idea!
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Lisa Case
7/13/2018 05:54:19 pm
Ahoy - so many amazing ideas - thanks to all for the book references, video ideas and weblinks. As a resource teacher I usually have smaller groups with me where student confidence and engagement is a major issue. One of my staple activities is partner reading of previous books or passages during the first 5-8 minutes of class. Immersion for me has meant that I am someone's "partner" - and we stick with the same partners for about 3-4 weeks. Selfishly it affords me the opportunity to really get to know how a student is progressing day to day. But it has also helped me see students' self-regulation skills (or lack there of). So I am able to model correcting errors as well as comprehension fix-up strategies with my partner.
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7/13/2018 10:33:54 pm
I’m loving this book even though I’m pretty already a bit of a wacky, pirate teacher.
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Vicky McCann
7/16/2018 09:25:45 am
Kerry, you are an awesome Pirate teacher! It is great that you learned from your Teacher for the Day experience.
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Chris Bliss
7/13/2018 11:00:35 pm
I am a math resource teacher, so immersion in the student experience is expected and generally easier to fulfill because the student-to-teacher ratio is small. When I am the assisting teacher in a classroom, I have always struggled with the feeling that the students perceive me as hovering over them, like the lifeguard in the chair. Sometimes they seem defensive if I approach them, as if I my proximity implies they are targeted as needing my help. This past year, I discovered a simple way to connect with students that reminds me of the flashlight reading many of you referenced in your comments. Instead of sitting on the floor with the students, I find an empty desk and sit among the students. I take notes as the lead teacher lectures. I work through the sample problems with them. When seat work (skill practice) begins, I look around at the students working near me to see how they are doing. If they are doing the work correctly, I comment positively on the steps they have done well, intending these steps to be overheard by others who may need more scaffolding. If some students are making mistakes, I can discretely work with anyone who is one desk away, which covers up to 8 students. If all who are nearby are doing well, I get out of my seat and move around the room looking at the work of each student. As often as I can, I try to sit when I am helping a student. Over the years, I have discovered that the part of a math class that can be the most destructive to learning is the time of independent practice, if the student is repeatedly doing the work incorrectly and that work is unchecked by the teacher for ten minutes or so. Habits form when mistakes are repeated again and again. I have heard that unlearning faulty information is more difficult than learning new information. Too often, teachers use the independent seat work time to do other things. This is the time a teacher needs to be most vigilant, moving around the classroom, checking in with each student, checking work, and stepping in to explain or reteach. I believe this is true for all academic subjects. Some might claim that this does not offer a true independent learning experience, but I will counter that a student who is doing the work incorrectly is not ready for independent work.
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Debbie Paskill
7/17/2018 12:36:48 pm
Chris, I love your immersion techniques! This past year I had twelve third graders. To be honest they were a challenging group, more so than any I have taught in my entire career in teaching.This was also my first year at my school. I kept trying to find hooks or ways to get to know them better in order to address their individual needs. I changed our class seating chart more times than I care to admit. In the second semester, it became a "u-shaped" configuration with me in the center at one of their desks. We had open class discussions while doing work. They became more familiar with me and I with them. For those children who we more timid to join in class discussion I created a box where students could drop in a note to me with their needs or concerns. I read their notes and addressed their concerns privately, but daily. In the beginning that box was filled with notes but as time went by the students became more comfortable with just coming to me to talk. Several of my "timids" joined the discussions.They liked the seating arrangement and didn't want it changed for the remainder of the year.
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Kathleen McGinnis
7/14/2018 10:02:32 am
Immersion is key for developing a team atmosphere in the classroom; I often use the analogy of a coach that is helping the group as a whole move to the goal of becoming life-long learners. Sometimes the coach has to get off the sideline and jump into the activity in order for the team to realize their potential. As a middle school Social Studies teacher I have students complete reading assignments at home, take notes on their reading and be ready to discuss the topics in class the next day in small groups. The idea of immersion became relevant when I recognized that my students were waiting for me to feed them information instead of discussing and even challenging what they had read. One technique I used when I needed to move discussions along were sitting with the students at their table. Sitting with the kids took me out of the director role that they expected when I sat at the front of the room; I could ask a lead off question and get the talk started. Another immersion technique I use is admitting I do not know everything; like my students I am constantly on the pursuit of knowledge. I especially utilize this with technology. Students can submit hints for using their chromebooks, teach the skill to me and potentially the rest of the class. When a student asks a Social Studies question and I cannot answer it, I will tell him or her to look it up, which generates the opportunity to discuss resources, valid sources, and so on. Immersing yourself in your class opens the door for students to take ownership of their learning and become more active participants in the class.
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Kerry Stone
7/14/2018 12:08:52 pm
Good morning,
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Angela Marshall
7/14/2018 03:02:42 pm
You can't underestimate the power of a brain break!!
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Judy Jenkins
7/14/2018 03:04:29 pm
Yes Kerry I agree completely - tired students are not the best students even with a fantastic lesson plan! We do “Willy Walks” at SJB - which is a short break to run or walk out the classroom door down the playground and back. Sometimes that little break provides more physical and mental energy.
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Vicky McCann
7/16/2018 09:13:24 am
Thanks for sharing, Kerry. I know summer is a time to refresh, which is why Teach Like a Pirate is perfect for this time of year!
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Ellie Tehan
7/14/2018 04:19:57 pm
I really loved the section on immersion because it reminded me about what I know is important, but is easy to lose as I go throughout my day and year.
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CaptainVicky McCann is the Director for Curriculum & Instruction for the Archdiocese of Washington Catholic Schools. |