As an instructor--from composition to history based courses--my goal has always been to engage the student on a fundamental level. A student can only be inspired if he or she feels that spark from the professor, in a genuine and tangible way. To be a tad cliche, the student needs to feel empowered. Empowerment from knowledge, skill, and understanding will take that student beyond the safe walls of a classroom and enable him or her to translate book knowledge into real-world products. Of course, capturing the students can be daunting, challenging, and a battle of persistence, but the most intellectually stimulating classes--and personally invigorating for me--have been the ones that force me out of my own comfort zone and when I push students out of theirs. Anyone who has ever taught a history course has heard, "I don't like history."? Of course, we can all regurgitate diatribes from students. Though, surpassing the barrier is tricky. What to do? I convey history as a multi-layered story, with deceit, destruction, and dismay as hooks per se. I tell the students that we are not looking at memorizing rote facts. Instead, the material needs to connect to the students on some level, in a tangible way, or them to connect, engage, and use elements of critical thought to make to come to life. I admit to students that I know they may not become a historian but they will need the skills I teach. A banker needs to understand balances, the value of documents, and how to layer material together to get a clearer, more accurate picture of someone requesting money. I remind students that just because someone has a large and steady income does not mean that person is reliable for payments. The last time I used this example in class, the group I had diverged into a comparison of politicians, and since we were looking at Yellow Journalism and Progressive Reforms they did a wonderful job of looking at documents for content value versus face value. I particularly enjoy using advertisements or drawing from the era to lure students into the story. The visual, and tangible, image works to help--and force--them to place that placard within its circumstances and create a story for it. This atmosphere, in general, creates a thriving sense of development while encouraging and demanding growth. Lecture components are key to the course, as they convey the material expected. Yet, as I integrate learning platforms as an extension of the material videos, news articles (current and older), and other multimedia aspects enhance the student's learning experience. The visual learner is stimulated with images and textured material that engages his or her core. Of course, the auditory material and written text round out the experience that connect the classroom as an extension of daily life in lieu of an aside to it. Though, to make the classes more dynamic discussion falls as another essential element.