In my opinion, students enjoy and can gain experience from “real-life” stories.  I talk with students regularly about what they like/dislike about school.  Usually, their responses have to do with the lack of relevance (from their perspective) of the material.  Of course it is our job to teach content but sometimes the classroom needs an exciting “spark”, to accomplish this.  As a social studies teacher I have learned not to take offense from the phrase “social studies is boring”.  I often tell students, it isn’t, it is full of stories about adversity, persistence, underdogs, etc.  This is partly because of the individual stories that make history, not just timelines, facts and events.  Any teacher that is highly regarded by his/her students understands this and works hard to promote this in class, by using stories to inject needed content, life lessons, and experience.

I am a sports fan so I often use analogies and stories in class that relate to sports.  Believe it or not, many great people have drawn from their experiences in sports (regardless of athletic skill), to gain success in life.  I own a copy of the book, It’s How You Play The Game: The powerful sports moments that taught lasting values to America’s finest, by Brian Kilmeade.  The book consists of stories relating sports to life.  The characters in the book are real people and their stories aren’t necessarily about winning.  I often read a personal account from the book to my class.  These stories are also excellent opportunities to create writing exercises/journal entries.   Below is the description from Amazon.com about his book.

You don't have to be a star athlete to take away valuable lessons from the world of sports—whether it's learning how to get along with others, to never give up, to be gracious in victory and defeat, even knowing when to throw in the towel. Each interview conducted by Brian Kilmeade reveals personal stories of the defining sports moments in the lives of athletes, CEOs, actors, politicians, and historical figures. Men and women, pros and amateurs alike, explain how the discipline and rules they learned on the field prepared them to handle life and overcome adversity with dignity and sportsmanship.

Some of the world's greatest athletes share their insights learned through the sweat of competition, the tears of defeat, and the heady excitement of victory—from the elation of future NFL star quarterback Terry Bradshaw on the day he threw his first perfect spiral after weeks of trying, to the scary day a determined young model named Beth Ostrosky got her front teeth knocked out in a high school basketball game, and the unusual turn of events that kept her in the contest.

Surprising, entertaining, and always imparting an important life lesson, It's How You Play the Game features more than ninety anecdotes and vignettes from men and women such as wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and gymnast Kerri Strug, historical figures Abraham Lincoln and General George Patton, grassroots greats Rudy Ruettiger of Notre Dame and Coach Ken Carter, and many more. These recollections are sure to benefit any reader, whether an aspiring athlete or a sideline sports fan—it's the ideal gift for kids of all ages. As Kilmeade writes, "Regardless of who you are, what era you played, what sport you chose, or how much success you achieved, playing the game is all about getting you ready for life. Winning or losing has little to do with who you will become. Instead, it's how you prepared for the game that determines whether you'll be a winner or loser in life."

So while the games do count—in life as in sports, it's how you play the game that matters.

In closing, everyone learns from experience.  Students can lean from the experiences of others! 

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Be sure to check out the “idea of the week” and “website of the week” at www.energizetheclassroom.com . There is also a link to the above mentioned book and other books that you may find useful.

-Paul Richmond

 E.T.C.