HOOKed On Learning

But one of my favorite takeaways from my visit was the idea of creating hook boards. Fulton Middle School's principal, Beth Houf, wrote about them in her book, Lead Like a Pirate, and they are a common attachment in #fmsteach tweets (see below for examples).

I love the idea of the hook boards: engaging your students at the door in the content/lesson/experience that you have for them that day. Are you working on inequalities? Your hook could say something like "You must be 3'10" to learn today" (disclaimer: that was actually a hook that FMS teachers used). 

The hook boards connect with a larger notion that runs throughout most of the Like a Pirate books that points out the need for teachers to create more learning experiences. As Dave Burgess says, "which of your lessons could you sell tickets to?" 

As I look forward to getting into the classroom, I love the idea of incorporating a "hook" into my planning. It's a simple idea that pays of in student engagement and excitement about learning. 

After all, learning is fun and our students should be excited about it.