DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m a high school history teacher, and I am struggling with getting my kids to focus on what I’m teaching. They always seem uninterested in the topic I am lecturing on, so I need some advice on how I can grab their attention. I’ve tried different techniques, but nothing seems to be working. I don’t want to be a mean teacher who calls the student’s home -- that is not why I became a teacher -- but I fear that this is the only way to get the students to take me seriously.
Do you have any advice on how I can get my kids to give me the respect that I had at the beginning of the school year and keep them interested in the material? -- Boring History Teacher, Dayton, Ohio
DEAR BORING HISTORY TEACHER: One way that students can engage with what seems to be boring subject matter is for the teacher to bring the content to life. Think about the subject matter that you are teaching and how it relates to their lives today. What are the correlations? What projects can you give them to do that show connections between history and current events? Invite them to debate two sides of a topic or research news articles that argue points that draw out details of your lesson plan. Even consider taking a field trip to visit an historic site that may bring a history lesson to life. (But be sure to get permission from the school before taking students off-site.)
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)