Teaching Content Outrageously

Outrageous: most often defined as very bold, unusual or startling. These words, when associated with teaching, usually hold a negative connotation. But Stanley Pogrow has integrated the term outrageous with teaching objectives for students in all grade levels in the article Teaching Content Outrageously. Throughout the article, Pogrow discusses how teachers should transform lessons into learning experiences that are fascinating and intriguing. Outrageous teaching links the specific learning objectives to the students’ sense of imagination and their views of the world. The article discusses how the outrageous teaching techniques help to reach out to the most disaffected and withdrawn students. The issue of students being extremely unmotivated is one many teachers try to constantly, and often unsuccessfully, attend to. Pogrow believes that using an invented storyline, teacher dramatics, suspense, and a bit of bravery, a lesson can launch a strong foundation for a unit or even the school year. The students who are usually sleeping, unprepared, looking out the window, or talking become ready to demonstrate their talent, ability and creativity, once the teacher begins a learning experience that is very much unlike a typical lesson.

Traditionally, dramatic techniques are used for those students interested in theatrics, or used as a reinforcement or enrichment activity. I often have conducted Reader’s Theater in my middle school language arts class for those students interested in drama. However, when I have attempted to involve all of the students, I experienced resistance from those who were more introverted. Reader’s Theater places the student on the role-playing side of the theatrics. Many students aren’t willing to put themselves out in front of their classmates for criticism in that way. Pogrow, and his outrageous teaching method, switches it around and has the teacher launch the lesson with a skit/role-play to engage and create suspense for the students. This is a great spin on the concept! Modeling is a best practice that all good teachers use; why shouldn’t the teacher model imaginative thinking to introduce an objective. Pogrow states that the students are intrigued by the teacher’s ability to “play” with them. All the while, the teacher doesn’t have to hear moans and groans and deal with multiple delays in trying to begin his/her lesson.

Teaching content that uses an outrageous method is highly effective and highly efficient according to Pogrow. He has observed many outrageous lessons since training teachers to add this type of teaching to their “teaching toolbox.” He states he has never seen a behavior problem and has witnessed the typical “lounging” student participating and following directions after becoming caught up in the dramatics and suspense of the teacher’s presentation. From a teacher’s perspective, I would love for my class to run this way. I could also see how a lesson like this with students who are engaged could help with not only behavior management, but also time management for transitions between activities. Outrageous teaching snatches the students’ attention and maintains it until the end of the class. The other piece of outrageous teaching that I found untraditional is the idea of not revealing the learning objective to the students until the last 5 minutes of class. Teachers in my district are instructed to share the objectives with the students through Essential Questions so the students are aware of what is expected of them as they enter the lesson. However, after reading this article I don’t believe that it’s necessary to do so with outrageous teaching. The students are engaged at such a high level that objectives are being achieved through teacher’s role-playing.

As a middle school teacher who has taught in a variety of regular and special education classes, I am excited to find an opportunity in my curriculum to transform one of my existing lessons to an outrageous lesson. I welcome the opportunity to further my technique and experiences in the classroom. However, I would like to recognize a downfall in this method. The planning for an outrageous lesson seems daunting. Planning and preparing materials would require significant time invested. Pogrow counters this argument by stating that the time saved during your class is worth it because you don’t’ have to worry about activity transitions, behavior management, and students staying on task. I also believe that if a teacher teaches their content outrageously too often, it will no longer be effective and as engaging.

My goal for next year is to integrate at least two outrageous lessons into my language arts class. As per Pogrow’s advice, I plan on choosing a critical lesson that is low interest to the students, however, one that I am enthusiastic about. I think forming a group of peers that I work closely with in my content area will be most beneficial for all involved. Working together we can begin forming a portfolio to pull from for years to come.