The “dismal science.” Given the intense interest in today’s global economy, it’s hard to imagine that description sometimes was applied to economics when I started teaching 25 years ago.
Economics wasn’t my first choice, but I became passionate about teaching this subject that is alive, dynamic and relevant even when it’s not making headlines.
Relevance is the true value of economics. With implications in markets, government policies and international trade, economics bridges the sciences and arts to relate to business, social sciences of politics and history, and liberal arts.
Making lessons relevant and memorable is my goal in teaching college-level economics to high school students in International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. I use a combination of technology, multimedia and lectures sprinkled with humor and hyperbole to engage students in problem-solving simulations for real-world applications.
Jason Means teaches honors economics and is the 2020 Teacher of the Year from Riverview High School.