Search
Close this search box.

“Why Do I Need to Learn This?”

It always takes me longer than I plan when I do anything with my books. I look for one book and see another I haven’t looked at for a while. I look for something in a book and find something else of interest. Case in point: I’m unpacking my books after a recent move, and Don Finkel’s Teaching with Your Mouth Shut (2000) emerges.

To continue reading, you must be a Teaching Professor Subscriber. Please log in or sign up for full access.

3 Responses

  1. Every academic discipline was invented to answer a group of compelling questions. If those questions are made compelling for this generation of students and answered in satisfying ways through an appeal to powerful ideas (not stale un-prioritized content), the desire to learn will typify students in the course.

  2. So often we answer the question “Why do I need to learn this?” based on wishful thinking, or with answers that convince us as experts in the discipline. But our answers are unconvincing to our students. Knowing the life narratives of our students, and having them discuss possible ways in which their narratives might connect with the content, will inevitably change our approach to the subject.

  3. In my course syllabus I do not begin with the Learning Outcomes (which are generally the outcomes I as instructor desire), but with a “Purpose Statement” – why this course may be important for the students in their life and/or work. This statement is generally constructed in close dialogue with the students themselves. When I do this well, student engagement is notably higher.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

I have two loves: teaching and learning. Although I love them for different reasons, I’ve been passionate about...
In one of the most memorable courtroom scenes in cinematic history, Tom Cruise is Lieutenant Junior Grade Kaffee...
I don’t usually gasp while reading how-to books for new professors. But then, I don’t often encounter revelations...
Physical training involves two fundamental phases: a stress phase, where muscles are exercised to fatigue, and a rest...
The goal of a liberal arts education at the college level is to imbue students with a broad...
Students often underestimate how much study time is required to master course concepts for an exam (Chew, 2014)....
Education once came through the total immersion technique. The apprentice worked with a master within the profession to...

Are you signed up for free weekly Teaching Professor updates?

You'll get notified of the newest articles.