One aspect of teaching, which can be quite difficult, is how to make what we teach relevant to students today. Kids seem to think they cannot possibly connect the writings of yesteryear with the hectic, technological, global lives led today; however, creating relevance need not be too difficult.
I teach English and one of my favorite pieces to read (an excerpt anyway) with the kids is Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Not only do the students love the ideas of independence and questioning authority, but they also can quickly apply the principles to their daily lives or to pop culture.
One example right now which fits in quite nicely with Emerson’s teachings is the sports story centering on Brett Favre. I might give a quick rundown about how Brett Favre has decided he does not now want to remain retired and how he would like to return to the NFL as a starting quarterback. I could give a short article from a sports page as well, which wouldn’t be a bad idea, and then give the students this question: “How would Ralph Waldo Emerson feel about Brett Favre’s decision? Use lines from Self-Reliance to support your answer.” Read the rest of this entry »
