These award winning professors attempt to do this in a wide variety of ways. Many work to connect the goals of the course with the student's collective and individual goals and interests, no matter how banal or narrowly focused they may seem. Some provide specific examples of how the knowledge and skills gained in the course are likely to affect students' professional or personal lives. Some cite specific examples of how previous students have benefitted from the course. Most of these professors also attempt to focus their students' attention on the most intriguing or topically relevant considerations related to the course material.
Teaching draws on our emotional as well as our intellectual resources.