What if the Teaching Topic Isn’t Relevant to Me?
The class I teach at the local community college is an introductory freshman class that is required for the majority of students their first year. More often than not, I get several students that are irritated that they have to take the class. I think for many of them they think what they are already doing is working, that the topic isn’t relevant to them anymore, and that there really isn’t any reason or benefit for the class. They are operating under a false belief that they can’t learn anything new or that they already know all that there is to know about the topics we cover in class.
It’s hard to work with people who aren’t teachable. However, if they’ll adjust their mindset a bit and stick with the class, they usually find that they will get something beneficial out of the class, even if they are already familiar with some of the material.
Some strategies I use with my classes when they believe the topic isn’t relevant to them
To preempt some of the negative attitudes in my classes I’ve added a statement to my syllabus:
You will be expected to participate in this class with an open mind, a willingness to learn, and a realization that everyone has room for improvement. “Know-it-all” attitudes should be checked at the door.
Additionally, I try to share some strategies with them to combat the temptation to think that they aren’t going to learn anything new. First, I ask them to be open-minded, to never believe that they are above learning, and be willing to admit that they might have some room to learn more. Next, I will often share stories of other students who were also first agitated that they had to take this class but then were pleasantly surprised when they did actually gain some new and valuable information and strategies.
Then, I tell them to try to look at subject matter that they’ve already learned in a different light or from a different perspective. Finally, I tell them if they still think that they already know everything there is to know to approach the class as if they are learning how to teach this information to somebody else (i.e. a friend or family member).