Finally, we must make our subject relevant to our students' future lives. Students will leave our classrooms believing that the subject will be significant only if we demonstrate how it will be useful. For example, research indicates that most American students know only one language while it is common for their foreign counterparts to know several. However, most students around the world live very close to the countries where these languages are spoken. American students live in a large country that speaks one language, so the opportunity for multiple-language usage may seem to be limited.
Teachers depend upon each other for fellowship, for encouragement, and for support.
One way we can support our colleagues is by reinforcing material that benefits their classes. As we plan our lessons, we should look for ways to refer to other subjects. When necessary, we can consult with other teachers who are often experts in their fields. Our initial focus, of course, is to know our own material. When students come into our classrooms prepared to learn the material we intend to teach them, we must build upon what they already know.