What would you say if a student asked...."Why do we have to learn this?"?

Answer 1

I read them the story of "The Magic Pepples" by John Wayne Schlatter... here it is... enjoy!

"Why do we have to learn all of this dumb stuff?" Of all the complaints and questions I have heard from my students during my years in the classroom, this was the one most frequently uttered. I would answer it by recounting the following legend.
One night a group of nomads were preparing to retire for the evening when suddenly they were surrounded by a great light. They knew they were in the presence of a celestial being. With great anticipation, they awaited a heavenly message of great importance that they knew must be especially for them.
Finally, the voice spoke, "Gather as many pebbles as you can. Put them in your saddle bags. Travel a day's journey and tomorrow night will find you glad and it will find you sad." After having departed, the nomads shared their disappointment and anger with each other. They had expected the revelation of a great universal truth that would enable them to create wealth, health and purpose for the world. But instead they were given a menial task that made no sense to them at all. However, the memory of the brilliance of their visitor caused each one to pick up a few pebbles and deposit them in their saddle bags while voicing their displeasure.
They traveled a day's journey and that night while making camp, they reached into their saddle bags and discovered every pebble they had gathered had become a diamond. They were glad they had diamonds. They were sad they had not gathered more pebbles.
It was an experience I had with a student, I shall call Alan, early in my teaching career that illustrated the truth of that legend to me.
When Alan was in the eighth grade, he majored in "trouble" with a minor in "suspensions." He had studied how to be a bully and was getting his master's in "thievery."
Every day I had my students memorize a quotation from a great thinker. As I called roll, I would begin a quotation. To be counted present, the student would be expected to finish the thought.
"Alice Adams - 'There is no failure except ..."
"In no longer trying.' I'm present, Mr. Schlatter."
So, by the end of the year, my young charges would have memorized 150 great thoughts.
"Think you can, think you can't - either way you're right!"
"If you can see the obstacles, you've taken your eyes off the goal."
"A cynic is someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing."
And, of course, Napoleon Hill's "If you can conceive it, and believe it, you can achieve it."
No one complained about this daily routine more than Alan - right up to the day he was expelled and I lost touch with him for five years. Then one day, he called. He was in a special program at one of the neighboring colleges and had just finished parole.
He told me that after being sent to juvenile hall and finally being shipped off to the California Youth Authority for his antics, he had become so disgusted with himself that he had taken a razor blade and cut his wrists.
He said, "You know what, Mr. Schlatter, as I lay there with my life running out of my body, I suddenly remembered that dumb quote you made me write 20 times one day. There is no failure except in no longer trying.' Then it suddenly made sense to me. As long as I was alive, I wasn't a failure, but if I allowed myself to die, I would most certainly die a failure. So with my remaining strength, I called for help and started a new life."
At the time he had heard the quotation, it was a pebble. When he needed guidance in a moment of crisis, it had become a diamond. And so it is to you I say, gather all the pebbles you can, and you can count on a future filled with diamonds.


from A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul
Copyright 1995 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

Answer 2

I feel that the worst thing you can do is tell the student that it's required or part of the curriculum. This doesn't tell him or her why it's something he or she should really know.

What I always do is show them how it relates to the world. In other words, the student needs to make a connection between material in the classroom to the world. Perhaps a news event where this topic appears would be helpful because it shows that it's not simply something for a classroom, but something for life.

Answer 3

Reading some of the answers given to your question really brought up some unpleasant memories. I used to ask the same question. Teachers who didn't have or want to make a satisfactory explanation would give me the same pat answers. I didn't like them then and I don't like them now. If a child questions the validity of learning something, the teacher has an obligation to respond with a valid answer as to why its important and how it will fit into his overall knowledge base in the future. If they can't do that, then they ought to be questioning why they are teaching it in the first place.

Answer 4

About ten years ago I had a student, Susan, who on the first day of my class (US History 8th Civil War to Present) ask "What does this have to do with me?" From that day and for the next 180 days I would start class with showing Susan how that days particular lesson related to her everyday life. It was really rewarding for everybody and a real learning experience. Sort of a Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.

Answer 5

Explain to the student why it is necessary. It has been proven that we should make it clear to children why they are learning the things they are learning. For example, you learn numbers because you use them for counting money, to measure, to find channels on your t.v...........etc. There are some cases where we have to learn something because somebody in authority has said that we have to or because it is required to pass a course. It is also important to learn that sometimes we do something just because we have too.

Answer 6

Because it's required. Sometimes you have to do things you do not want to do, or do not think you need to do. It's part of life. You will learn this better when you grow up and get a job.

Answer 7

Simply explain why they have to. Usually, one lesson leads to the next, so tell them they have to learn that so that they can learn the next lesson.A leads to B which leads to C. So, ultimately you must understand A before you can learn C.

Answer 8

Tell them they may not understand now why it is relevant but some day they will. It's important to learn concepts because they can be expanded into real world scenarios.

Answer 9

Okay I give up! You tell me why?
1) Learning is soon going to allow me freedom (to watch T.V whenever I want, play whenever I want etc) to take control of things instead of others taking control of me.
2)Learning makes my parents happy and more happier when they announce my results with pride
3)Learning will slowly transition my "why we learn?" to "learn why we...."
4)My teacher will explain 'why do we learn this' and I am going to listen to her patiently.

Answer 10

What is the topic? I used to teach Math, and I was able to tie Math skills into every day life.