Why do I have to learn this?

When I read the Eisner article this week, it hit home with me and made me think about my students. In my FB post, I talked about how the article mentioned the need for us to "learn how to read them" (referring to the arts). I related it to film and how I feel I get more out of watching movies now, since I have taken classes where I learned how to read more into the film instead of staying on the top layer and simply enjoying it for the hour or so that it is on. Instead I ask questions and try to watch it from a different perspective. I know that my students wonder why they need to learn certain things because frankly they say, " Why do we have to learn this?" It is true, teaching is an art, and the concepts can be viewed as an art as well. I think that we need to take this into consideration when are kids ask questions like those because they haven't had the experience learning how to read the art of teaching. They wonder why we make them write when we are doing reading, or why they have to learn place value for math etc. I think it is important to take the time to explain to them why they are learning something. The school that I am at right now is strict, but it makes me do this on a daily basis with my kids. I have an objective for every subject every day, and I go over it with my students. They know what they will be learning and why, as well as how I am going to assess them. I think this is important to make the experience of the lesson compelling for them and hopefully they will get more out of it.