What Schools Get Wrong About Engagement
Superintendent of Schools, Lake Bluff Elementary School District 65, suggests that most of what is referred to as "student engagement" in schools is not actually engagement, but rather compliance.
Most of what we call "student engagement" in schools isn’t actually engagement at all. It’s compliance: neat tables, quiet voices, eyes on the speaker.
A well-behaved classroom may be easy to manage, but it does not necessarily mean that learning is taking place. The author reflects on their own experience, stating that they often followed directions and rarely got into trouble, but were not always engaged.
- They loved knowing exactly what their teachers wanted.
- They appreciated clear-cut rules and clearly stated expectations.
The author credits their mom, a voracious reader, with fostering their love of learning, starting conversations at the dinner table with topics from articles she had read.
Author's summary: Rethinking student engagement in schools.