Students' life experiences often contain elements that parallel class subject matter. Introducing the concept of electricity, one teacher asked "have you even walked across a rug and gotten a spark when you touched something metal?" Another teacher started a lesson on Taking a Patient History with the question: "What's the first thing you're asked to do when you go to a doctor's office for the first time?".
By linking coursework to student life experiences it not only involves them, but makes the class more meaningful.
