Sometimes, I see students dread the 'assigned chapter' everyday for their English classes... and believe me, I used to be just like them! Being forced to read a book can be really uneventful, even discouraging, to a student's interests in literature and History. This is why I am a firm believer that in order for students to succeed in their  classes, they have to be engaged! But, how do we do that amongst the clutter of 'key themes', 'dates', and 'timelines'? 

  Make it relatable! In my tutoring sessions, I like to get to know the student and their interests before beginning on their work. If they are struggling with key themes, connecting back to things they have experienced can not only engage them more with the text, but also prompt them to think more about its importance in their own lives! As a tutor, I cannot expect a student to be automatically enthusiastic about something they are forced into, so relaying back to familial experiences or their hobbies can make things far smoother. 

  Now, looking at some of my own struggles with this exact problem. (We aren't perfect here folks!)  I recently had to read an entire book on the Soviet economic system. Though I enjoy learning about Russian History, looking at lots of tables and graphs is not necessarily what I consider a fun Friday night. But whether I liked it or not, I needed to work through the information since it was useful for one of my theses. So I buckled down and began. After about two pages, it was as if I was reading the U.S Administrative Code manual... BORING!! I knew that if I was going to get through the text, I needed to make it more fun. So I made a game out of it. 

  Relating the different economic trends to my favorite video game, Red Dead Redemption, made my snooze-fest of a book become super important. The Soviet budgeting system, much like my transactions with the trappers on RDR, helped me understand the importance of allotting different amounts for different goals. The Soviet system was far from perfect, but relating it to something I understood and enjoy made getting through that book a breeze! 

   I love helping students find their interests and push to find ways in which they can apply what they learn to their own experiences. We can all find value in our experiences.