Relate to the Real World

There are so many lessons that I think students need to learn. Yes, they need to learn the basics of reading and math, and writing but how we teach these skills is also important.

Just learning facts and memorizing things won’t help students retain the information.

It is important that all learning is related to how the skills will be used in the real world.

There are tools that my grandparents may have used in school that are no longer relevant to skills needed today. There are also tools that are important to learn how to use today that were not even invented during my grandparents’ time.

I like to think about the skill that I’m wanting to teach and then list all the ways that I use that skill currently. I also like to think about what occupations may use these skills on a daily basis. That is a great way to introduce a lesson. It is important for students to learn why they are having to learn something because this helps keep them engaged. By knowing the purpose helps students know that it isn’t just busywork. At the end of the lesson or unit, I might invite a speaker in that specific career who could tell about their occupation and how they use these skills in the workplace.

Reading is a skill that everyone uses every day whether it is reading a newspaper, road signs, or directions on how to do something. The better a person can read, the more opportunities that are available to them.

Many math skills are needed in everyday living skills. Counting money, Budgeting, paying bills, savings, paying for recreational activities all involve math skills. Cooking and measurement go hand in hand.

Writing is necessary for communication. Many forms require personal information and signatures. People leave notes for others when face-to-face communication is not available. Texting on phones or sending emails are commonplace activities now.

As long as I can show my students how they will use a certain skill in their life right now, students are more engaged and willing to learn. If I can’t show a purpose for learning that skill, I need to rethink what I’m teaching. Am I just doing this for busywork? If so, I should be teaching something that they need to learn.

How do you relate your teaching to real life? Please share.

Photo by Carl Jorgensen on Unsplash