Response #5

Despite what some may think, children do not arrive at school as empty vessels to be filled with knowledge.  By middle school, and especially high school, students have already learned and experienced a great deal.  This prior knowledge can be used to help support your current lessons.  In some of my classes, I have even known more about the topic of the day than the teacher.  In the future, I'm sure some of my students will know more about something I am teaching than I do, or have connections to events or ideas not incorporated into the standard curriculum.  One effective way to engage students is to connect the current subject with something they have experienced, giving the subject meaning.  For complex topics, it is also helpful to refresh background knowledge so that new problems don't seem so overwhelming.