The Relevancy of Learning by James

The Relevancy of Learning by James - January 2015 Scholarship Essay

The advice that I would give a teacher to improve my ability to learn is to make each lesson relevant. Often when I am sitting in the classroom listening to a lecture, I ask myself, "How is this useful?" Most of the time the answer is obvious. I need to learn English so I can express myself clearly. I need science so I can understand how the world around me works. I need history to understand where I come from. I need math because math is the language with which the world operates. And even though I know all this, I still find myself asking, "Why?"

No matter how much planning goes into a lecture if real world applications are not made then what's the point? Students will learn better if they can understand how each concept is used in the post high school world that they are about to enter into. As I progress through my senior year I more and more prioritize my assignments and activities. Things which I rank as unimportant get shuffled aside as I make time for things that interest me or will help me in college. The reality is, everything that I am learning in school is important and can be used. The teachers that are able to give examples of how the information that they are teaching can be utilized out in the world are often the teachers that are able to hold my attention for the whole lecture. The classes in which teachers teach in this way are usually the ones I'm most successful in because I pay attention and give more effort because they have made the information important to me.

Whether the class is an American Literature or a European History class, associations with the world outside of the classroom can be made. There is not a single class that these associations cannot be made. The fact that a subject is taught means that it is still applicable. It is the job of the teacher to take the information taught and turn it into a lesson that is relevant to the students. Some examples could be explaing how an architect uses geometry to design a building. Or how a cartoonist uses American literature to draw witty cartoons. Or even possibly a lawyer using historical examples in an opening statement. Many professionals draw on a variety of subjects to be successful in their chosen professions. It has often been said 'Knowledge is power' with the understanding that it is the use of knowledge that power is derived from.

In closing, my advice to a teacher is to strive to make and continue to make their subject that they teach relevant. As a student it is hard to sit through lectures and classes where, although I learn, I cannot find a use for the knowledge learned. I know that it is useful, but in what manner should I use or what situation will I need it? These are questions asked by students every day. The teachers that are able to make the connection or help students realize the connection of the information they are learning to the world outside of the classroom, these are the teachers that will be the most successful and have the most successful students.