Rules of Engagement: "Why Won’t They Just Participate?"

What looks like distraction, silence, or over-questioning might actually be a student engaging — if we know where to look.

GREGORY PETERSHACK
Professional Development Coach
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At a recent work event, my colleagues and I were asked to play a game to help us explore some concepts we had been reading about as a team. A variety of responses, from “Can’t wait!” to expressions that read “Do I really have to...” erupted as we went over to the area set up for play. We didn’t even make it through the very first rule before the designer was interrupted — “Wait I’m lost, explain it again?”

With each interruption, I grew more frustrated — why couldn’t they just listen and let us get through it once?! Wouldn’t that make it more understandable? Your questions might be answered later, why can’t you just be patient? Finally the game began, but the questions didn’t stop — “Am I doing it right?” chief among them.

The next week my mom visited, and I decided to ask her about that situation. I told her about my frustrations and concerns about how adults are afraid to engage. When I finally paused, she said “But what if that was what engagement looked like for them?”

As teachers we cannot help but bring our own ideas of what engagement can/will/must look like; not to mention admin, district leaders, parents! When those ideas, which become standards, are not met, we take action to fix that problem. But what if sometimes that problem behavior we think we see is actually the engagement we were looking for? While we cannot change the expectations put on us by other stakeholders of education, we can look for other signs that students are engaging and meet them there.

​Here are four types of students you might see engaging in your classroom and ways to connect with them. 

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The Traditionally Active

These students are exactly what many people think of when their hear “actively engaged.” They raise their hand to ask questions and answer questions you offer, diligently do their work.

Potential Pitfalls: They may end up dominating the conversation and your attention. They may disengage if they are bored or do not feel challenged. Ignoring their raised hands or ready answers may also cause them to shut down.

Tricks to Engage: When you see their hand raised, consider asking them to answer a part of your question rather than the whole thing. If you have the bandwidth, give them differentiated material at their level. Partner them with students that will challenge them, whether that is a student having difficulties that allows them to slow down and practice every step, or other engaged students who can go deeper into the material with them.

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The Questioner

These students may appear at first to be disrupting the flow of the lesson, asking unnecessary questions, or impatient to get to work. However, this type of student is engaging through asking their questions. They worry that they might not understand if they do not ask now; that getting through the whole lesson and then asking will leave them totally lost.

Potential Pitfalls: They may end up dominating the conversation and your attention by slowing down the flow of the lessons. They may also ask questions that you will get to later in the lesson. If their questions are not answered, they may eventually shut down and disengage.

Tricks to Engage: Encourage a spirit of questioning in your classroom. On days when you must get through the lesson for whatever reason, encourage these students to write down every question they have, offering to answer them when there is an appropriate time. Instead of the open-ended option, “Does anyone have any questions?” which may make students feel uncomfortable to ask because of peer pressure, consider posing “What are three questions you can think to ask about what we just covered?” to encourage questioning as engagement.

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The Quiet Student

These students may at first appear disengaged because of how little they speak in class. They do not raise their hand to volunteer answers or ask questions. They may not even have much to say when called upon. They may take active notes or they may not. Yet these students are engaged. They make active eye contact, and/or show other signs of active listening. They take time to think before responding, and may just need more time to process information before they form or share a thought.

Potential Pitfalls: These students may shut down if they are often forced to speak before they are ready. They may also shut down if they are repeatedly called out for disengagement despite knowing they are fully engaged.

Tricks to Engage: If you think a student might be disengaged in class, speaking to them privately to get a sense of what they are thinking about can be very helpful. Additionally, creating a ritual for sharing out can give these students time to prepare something to share. Encourage these students to write or talk out their thoughts so that you might follow along, especially if they are not yet taking notes.

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The Actively Disengaged

These students may be sneaking glances at their phone or openly watching videos. They may be talking with their neighbor or surfing the web when their laptops are out. They may be making jokes or otherwise trying to distract others as well. The reasons for this are myriad — it could be issues at home, boredom, not understanding why they should care, desire for attention, etc. Yet even these students are engaged in the learning process because they are present. They are learning from you and your responses as well as your peers, whether they realize it or not.

Potential Pitfalls: For one reason or another these students have already shut down, and may seek to get others to do the same. Additionally, the reasons for this disengagement may have little to nothing to do with your classroom.

Tricks to Engage: First, remember that everyone has bad days. Maybe they just didn’t get enough sleep or had too much sugar. Give them grace and do your best to try to bring people back to task. If this is habitual, ask them questions to get to the heart of the matter. If it becomes clear something is going on, refer them to the school counselor. If they check out because of boredom, ask them how to help them engage. While you may not be able to do everything, even the simple act of hearing these students often helps them buy back into the classroom.

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No student is ever just one of these — they might act one way in one class and differently in another. Sometimes they might switch between these roles in one sitting! Nor are these exhaustive categories that we should try to fit all of our students into. Rather, they can help us put our ideas of what engagement must be aside and recenter those who are right in front of us.

​My coworkers were much more engaged than I had given them credit for, and that has changed the way I view our time together. When we meet people where they are and make room for them to engage, we find that our classroom has room for everyone. We’re all playing the same game, after all!