How To Teach Like A Pirate

Any teacher who has found themselves fishing for ideas to keep students engaged will find this book helpful. In his book Teach Like A Pirate, Dave Burgess has developed a catchy methodology that uses PIRATE as an acronym.
This short book (less than 200 pages) is divided into three parts. The first defines the philosophy of Passion, Immersion, Rapport, Ask and analyze, Transformation and Enthusiasm. The second part lays out practice applications for building lesson plans that will hook students' interest. The final part gives instructions and encouragement for educators to keep growing and learning.

What I appreciated was the practical nature of the book. Burgess does not preach down but tries to encourage and excite teachers to passionately pursue their craft. He gives personal experience and practical examples for teachers to borrow, adapt and use. While I don't think this book alone will transform the American education system, teachers can find ways to increase student engagement.