Rebecca Winthrop, a leading authority on education and director of the Center for Universal Education, discusses disengaged teens in her new book. She explores the roots of disengagement, emphasizing that it predates the pandemic. Winthrop categorizes teens into four engagement modes and highlights the crucial role of parental involvement. She suggests shifting focus from grades to understanding interests, encouraging emotional support and personal exploration in education, ultimately guiding teens towards genuine fulfillment.
Engagement in education goes beyond grades, emphasizing genuine interest and relevance is critical for students' thriving and learning.
Recognizing the four engagement modes—passenger, achiever, resistor, and explorer—can help parents support teens in rekindling their curiosity and passion for learning.
Deep dives
Understanding Engagement in Teens
The concept of engagement is crucial for understanding how children learn and thrive. Many parents may mistakenly believe that good grades equate to engagement, but the reality is more complex. Research indicates that students can appear to do well academically while remaining disengaged from meaningful learning experiences. By shifting the focus from performance to genuine interest and relevance in their studies, parents can better support their children's educational journeys.
The Impact of the PISA Test
The PISA test, administered by the OECD, assesses the critical thinking and analytical skills of 15-year-olds across various countries. Recent results indicate a troubling trend: students are gradually learning less and struggling to grasp foundational concepts. While factors like the pandemic and social media may contribute to this decline, the underlying issues appear to be deeper, rooted in a lack of stimulating and engaging educational experiences. Addressing these foundational challenges is essential for fostering better learning outcomes in the future.
Four Modes of Engagement
Students typically display one of four engagement modes: passenger, achiever, resistor, or explorer. Kids in passenger mode may be physically present but lack motivation and interest, often coasting through their education. Achievers strive for perfection but may experience burnout from the pressure to perform. Meanwhile, resistors express their dissatisfaction through disruptive behavior, while explorers actively seek out and engage with their learning, demonstrating a profound sense of curiosity and passion for discovery.
Strategies for Re-engaging Teens
To effectively re-engage teens, parents can adopt a transformative approach by shifting conversations from monitoring performance to fostering a genuine love for learning. Instead of emphasizing grades, parents should focus on the learning process and encourage discussions about interests and curiosities. Providing opportunities for exploration outside of the classroom can also help ignite passion and curiosity in students. By allowing teens to take ownership of their learning experiences, parents can support them in discovering their paths and nurturing their individual passions.
Do you have a disengaged teen? Do you know one? In this episode we talk with Rebecca Winthrop about her new book, The Disengaged Teen, and more importantly how to help kids who are not thriving in our educational system. I highly recommend this episode for parents and non-parents alike.