In a similar vein, one of the effective tools for making your course meaningful is to create opportunities for students to hear their peers' voices. When you start a topic, ask students to discuss why the subject matter your are teaching is important. Have small groups list 3 ideas and report them to the others. Ask students who have had your course to visit your current class. Upperclass students can talk about their insights.
Recent graduates can relate their current experiences.
The topic does not have to be why the course is important. Talking about their experiences, they should be able to convey the value of their knowledge. Letters by young teachers have inspired many education students. Stephen Daedalus's reflections in Joyce's Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man have encouraged young literati. Read out loud or let your students read works in your field that reveal their peer's voice.