“Just make it more engaging” is among the most common feedback teachers get...and the least helpful. You're basically asking the instructional equivalent of “have you tried being better?”😅

In this episode of The Edu20/20 Podcast, Courtney and Shannon unpack what “engagement” actually means, break down the 3 levels of student engagement, and explain why fun doesn’t always equal learning.

You’ll hear the real story behind Shannon’s student engagement trauma (including a full-on grammar triage situation with a doctor coat and a cow syringe… yes, really), and why fun doesn’t automatically equal learning.

In this episode, we break down the 3 levels of student engagement:
✅ Management (because if kids are on the ceiling, learning isn’t happening)
✅ Participation & compliance (they’re doing the thing, but can still opt out)
✅ Engagement for learning (deep thinking, real accountability, no hiding)

We also talk about how to collect real classroom engagement data (not test scores), why “hogs and logs” happen during turn-and-talk, and simple ways to level up engagement so every student owns the thinking.

🎓 Want more support? Check out our blogs, free courses, and resources on student engagement and monitoring student understanding.

Drop a comment: What’s one engagement strategy you use that actually leads to learning (not just chaos with glitter)?

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