Students Not the Best Customers

It is still amazing to me that when giving the lecture of my life I look around the class and see a sea of blank stares and sleepy faces. It makes me wonder what they could be thinking -- if at all -- during class, even in classes designed to engage the students 100% in the learning. 

It is at those moments when I see the sea of disinterested faces that I ask them to consider the folloowing scenario.
You drive toWalmart.  You park your car.  Walk inside and look around.  On your way out of the building you walk up to the cash register and hand that person $50 and walk out with no merchandise exchanged for the purchase? 

They of course say, "Hell, nobody would do that!"  I then remark, "You are doing it right now and many have been doing it all semester!"  You are paying for an education and you are doing as little as possible to get your money's worth.  There is then a moment of reflective silence and the kids have a different perspective on their role as a paying customer and more focused for at least that class period.  Their interest will wane but there is always another question to ask to get them back on track with the learning

In fact, I had a boss who once said that "students are the one customer that complains the loudest when you give them what they are paying for!"  So the message for today is do anything and everything you can do to give the students what they are paying for, even if they do not see the value proposition at the time where the less they do in class they like you as a teacher.  Pedal to the metal all the way, baby!