I often annoy teachers by asserting that the main business of teachers is sales and performance art. It still startles me to talk with a frustrated teacher and discover that he/she does not have an answer to the most basic question a student will ask: “Why do we have to learn this stuff?” Often in discussing what is or isn’t working in someone’s classroom, I ask, “So, what is the point–why should your students put in the effort to master the skills you are presenting?”

In my Introduction to Teaching class, I keep pressing my students to explain their choices. Sometimes I sound like a two-year-old–why, why, why? If you think about it, that’s how the human brain works, “Why is the sky blue?”–toddlers come up with that on their own; it’s natural that our students will ask. Why should kids learn how to write, read, memorize facts, compute, create, sing, act, speak another language? The answer we teachers give is all important and sets the tone for the class. The students will run it through their crap detectors and either buy into our curriculum or mentally check out.

I’m convinced our response to this question and our ability to sell our answer is at the root of most discipline problems, student engagement and progress, and overall job satisfaction.

When we’re brainstorming with our colleagues, seeking authentic answers, our eyes should shine with passion and we should be swept away with the thrill of the possibilities. And that’s what we sell.