--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With my students, I always have to sell…" description: "\"With my students, I always have to sell my subject because I know when you're 19, 20 years old, you've got other things on your mind besides American h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/h-w-brands-5491_american_with-my-students-i-always-have-to-sell-m_524776.jpg" --- # With my students, I always have to sell my subject because… ![“With my students, I always have to sell my subject because I know when you're 19, 20 years old, you've got other things on your mind besides American history. What I have to do is make this as compelling as possible.” quote by H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/h-w-brands-5491_american_with-my-students-i-always-have-to-sell-m_524776.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/h-w-brands-5491_american_with-my-students-i-always-have-to-sell-m_524776.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/h-w-brands-5491_american_with-my-students-i-always-have-to-sell-m_524776.jpg) > “With my students, I always have to sell my subject because I know when you're 19, 20 years old, you've got other things on your mind besides American history. What I have to do is make this as compelling as possible.” [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Teaching requires framing content to match students' interests and life stage, making it engaging and relevant. **In simple terms:** Make lessons relevant to students' lives. Key Takeaway Connect subject to their passions. Themes education engagement relevance Mood inspired determined Type instructional motivational When to use this quote - college seminars - high school classes - online courses Key Concepts Pedagogy Motivation Audience Awareness Questions to Reflect On - How can you link historical events to modern concerns? - What personal stories can illustrate the topic? A Different Perspective Students may still disengage if content feels forced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [American history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Make Compelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-compelling-2229321/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old/) [Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Sell Subject](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sell-subject-1482042/) [Students Sell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students-sell-4421481/) [Subject Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subject-know-347368/) [Years Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-old-232722/) ## Related quotes > [Ultimately the product that any writer has to sell is not the subject being written about, but who he or she is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/ultimately-the-product-that-any-writer-has-to-sell-is-not-the-subject/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [“If you can make a compelling argument, and win enough minds, and if you can transform various parts of our world sufficiently, then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-millman/if-you-can-make-a-compelling-argument-and-win-enough-minds-and-if-you/) [Debbie Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-millman/) > [If you have some magical chemistry that actually find the music you make compelling, that is a big bonus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geddy-lee/if-you-have-some-magical-chemistry-that-actually-find-the-music-you/) [Geddy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geddy-lee/) > [I always believe that a good story will find its audience and that it will attract different kinds of elements of creative people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-platt/i-always-believe-that-a-good-story-will-find-its-audience-and-that-it/) [Marc Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-platt/) > [It's a different thing with cable TV. You don't have to have your characters be lovely again by the end of the episode. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizzy-caplan/it-s-a-different-thing-with-cable-tv-you-don-t-have-to-have-your/) [Lizzy Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizzy-caplan/) > [If you make compelling television, they will come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/if-you-make-compelling-television-they-will-come/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [Let’s not talk about how I am. It’s a subject I know too much about to want to think about anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/let-s-not-talk-about-how-i-am-it-s-a-subject-i-know-too-much-about-to/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/mathematics-may-be-defined-as-the-subject-in-which-we-never-know-what/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Many introverts don't feel as if they know enough about a subject until they know almost everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marti-olsen-laney/many-introverts-don-t-feel-as-if-they-know-enough-about-a-subject/) [Marti Olsen Laney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marti-olsen-laney/) > [“All too often I write to find out what I think about a subject, not because I already know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/all-too-often-i-write-to-find-out-what-i-think-about-a-subject-not/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it. When we enquire into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/knowledge-is-of-two-kinds-we-know-a-subject-ourselves-or-we-know/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [There must be a subject to know the good and evil. Thatsubject is the ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/there-must-be-a-subject-to-know-the-good-and-evil-thatsubject-is-the/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [“I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/i-paint-myself-because-i-am-so-often-alone-and-because-i-am-the/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [“I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best. The subject I want to know better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oroma-elewa/i-am-my-own-muse-i-am-the-subject-i-know-best-the-subject-i-want-to/) [Oroma Elewa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oroma-elewa/) > [Knowledge is of two kinds: we know a subject itself, or know where to find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/knowledge-is-of-two-kinds-we-know-a-subject-itself-or-know-where-to/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) ## More by H. W. Brands > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [The Republican Party has moved substantially to the right of where Reagan was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/the-republican-party-has-moved-substantially-to-the-right-of-where/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Reagan gave essentially the same speech from the beginning to the end of his political career, which was always, 'The American people are great,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/reagan-gave-essentially-the-same-speech-from-the-beginning-to-the-end/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Presidents are evaluated not by what they did by the stroke of their own pen; it's what they persuade Congress to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/presidents-are-evaluated-not-by-what-they-did-by-the-stroke-of-their/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [In the business arena, the standard rules of morality don't apply. What we're really looking for is efficiency. It doesn't do anyone any good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/in-the-business-arena-the-standard-rules-of-morality-don-t-apply-what/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [There is a certain kind of sobering, civilizing effect that being president imposes on people. There is a certain kind of dignity with which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/there-is-a-certain-kind-of-sobering-civilizing-effect-that-being/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [The Founders were anything but demigods to themselves and their contemporaries, who recognized full well that the experiment in self-government had only begun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/the-founders-were-anything-but-demigods-to-themselves-and-their/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [The American political system is based on the president taking the initiative and Congress responding. With President Trump, it's been the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/the-american-political-system-is-based-on-the-president-taking-the/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [The president was not the most important political player in the 19th century. Besides Jefferson at the beginning, Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/the-president-was-not-the-most-important-political-player-in-the-19th/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [The Reagan Revolution has had no second act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/the-reagan-revolution-has-had-no-second-act/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [The shelf life of a seventh-year State of the Union address is about five minutes. Presidents can propose stuff. They're probably not likely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/the-shelf-life-of-a-seventh-year-state-of-the-union-address-is-about/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [When you look at the development of the American presidency, you see that the presidents who have had the greatest impact are the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/when-you-look-at-the-development-of-the-american-presidency-you-see/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [I'm the farthest thing from a bibliophile. I purge my collection regularly: If I haven't read a book in a couple of years, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-m-the-farthest-thing-from-a-bibliophile-i-purge-my-collection/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [If you wanted to, you could write history in Haiku.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/if-you-wanted-to-you-could-write-history-in-haiku/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [You can always find people, ordinary people, who will support your particular view, so it becomes a politics of personality, especially at the presidential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/you-can-always-find-people-ordinary-people-who-will-support-your/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) [Explore all 100 H. W. Brands quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) [Browse all 7,717 American quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "With my students, I always have to sell my subject because I know when you're 19, 20 years old, you've got other things on your mind besides American history. What I have to do is make this as compelling as possible.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "H. W. 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