The hottest Student Engagement Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Education Topics

AI Can't Fix Student Engagement

After Babel • 1412 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. Too many students are disengaged from school; only about one in three are highly engaged, and that lack of engagement undermines real learning and long-term outcomes.
  2. Engagement falls into four modes—Passenger, Achiever, Resister, and Explorer—with Explorer mode (curiosity plus agency) as the goal because it supports initiative, deep learning, and resilience.
  3. Parents and schools can move kids toward Explorer mode with concrete actions: model curiosity, give students choice and authentic projects, protect extracurriculars, manage tech, and use tools or workshops to make engagement visible and supported.

How is teaching going?

In My Tribe • 364 implied HN points • 11 Feb 26
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. Seminar-style paper discussions don't fit less-prepared freshmen, so classes often turn into lectures; assigning core concepts and short written answers before class would establish a common baseline for discussion.
  2. AI can be used effectively for grading and feedback, as practice exams with AI grading matched instructor judgments; building an AI teaching assistant for intro courses is feasible but would take several months to a year of development.
  3. Student engagement is limited by competing commitments and time constraints, so active projects have produced mixed results and early morning classes reduce participation.

The Cool Professor: When Your "Student Centered" Classroom is All About You

Freddie deBoer • 12035 implied HN points • 24 Jul 25
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. Teaching requires authority and responsibility, not just being liked. A good teacher needs to challenge students and maintain high standards.
  2. The 'Cool Professor' style can be misleading. It often disguises authority and creates confusion about expectations, which doesn't benefit student learning.
  3. Real teaching means being honest and helping students grow, even if it means being unpopular. Students thrive when they are pushed to meet their potential.

Bayes For Everyone

Astral Codex Ten • 14660 implied HN points • 30 May 25
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. Teaching needs to blend old and new learning methods. By mixing traditional storytelling with modern scientific methods, we can help students connect better and fall in love with learning.
  2. Bayes' theorem is best understood visually and emotionally. Using simple images and relatable examples can make this complex idea easier and more engaging for students.
  3. We should teach students why concepts matter in real life. Connecting topics like Bayes' theorem to their interests can make learning more relevant and impactful.

5 Actions to Reduce Smartphones in School

The Analog Family • 319 implied HN points • 30 Aug 24
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. Schools should encourage families to delay giving their kids smartphones until high school. This helps kids focus better on their education.
  2. Parents can help by communicating through school offices instead of texting their kids during class. This keeps kids from being distracted by their phones.
  3. Activities and teams should not require smartphones for participation. Schools can find other ways to share information that includes all students.
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AI has Educators Polarized

In My Tribe • 561 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. AI has split opinions in education, with some saying it helps and others claiming it harms learning. Understanding these views depends on how one sees the relationship between teachers and students.
  2. If you believe students resist learning, you might think AI makes education worse because it allows for shortcuts. On the other hand, if you see students as eager learners, you might view AI as a helpful tool that offers personalized support.
  3. Educators should consider the positive potential of AI. Instead of rejecting it outright, they should explore ways it can enhance teaching while also adapting their methods to address any challenges it presents.

✨🧠 Teaching students to think, not just scroll, in the Age of AI

Faster, Please! • 639 implied HN points • 02 Dec 25
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. AI can help personalize learning for each student, making education more effective. It aims to provide a tailored experience that meets individual needs and sparks curiosity.
  2. Instead of just giving answers, AI can help students build real thinking skills. This approach encourages deeper understanding and critical thinking.
  3. Schools need to adapt to new technologies like AI to avoid past mistakes made during the smartphone era. It’s important to teach students how to think critically in this new digital age.

How to teach science

The Bell Ringer • 219 implied HN points • 21 Jun 24
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. Learning science should be fun, but it's important to share the complete story behind science and math. This helps students understand its real value.
  2. Teachers should balance fun activities with serious discussions about scientific concepts. This approach encourages deeper understanding.
  3. Engaging students effectively means showing them how science relates to the real world. This makes learning more relevant and interesting for them.

This week in the science of learning, August 11, 2024

The Bell Ringer • 59 implied HN points • 11 Aug 24
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. Emily Hanford discusses the importance of effective reading strategies in schools. It's crucial for teachers to understand how children learn to read.
  2. Research shows that traditional methods may not be the best for teaching literacy. New approaches are needed to help all students succeed.
  3. The conversation around learning science highlights the need for continuous improvement in education. We should always look for better ways to teach and support learners.

On the transformative power of teaching first

Rebecca Birch - On Education • 687 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. Teaching directly at the start of a lesson can be more effective than starting with questions or exploratory methods.
  2. Using a structured approach like TAPPLE can help teachers ensure students understand the material and reduce workload.
  3. Approaches like TAPPLE can benefit all students, including gifted learners and those with anxiety, by providing clear direction.

Deep vs fast thinking

inexactscience • 79 implied HN points • 08 Jul 24
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. There are two types of thinking: fast thinking, which is quick and reactive, and deep thinking, which involves careful analysis and time. Both are important in different situations.
  2. Exams and job interviews usually test fast thinking, but this method can overlook those who excel at deep thinking. Just because someone isn’t fast at answering doesn’t mean they aren’t smart.
  3. We need to create spaces in education and workplaces that value both fast and deep thinkers. Not everyone fits into the same box, and that's okay.

On unproductive struggle

Rebecca Birch - On Education • 511 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. Productive struggle is a methodology in mathematics to enhance conceptual understanding.
  2. In the field of English, there are practices that lead to unproductive struggle, like cold writes and advising students to only write about what they know.
  3. Group work can be beneficial, but jigsaw teaching might hinder rigorous quality control or understanding checks.

Part I: How to Succeed in Business & Econ Teaching Without Sweating Too Many Bullets

Unsafe Science • 24 implied HN points • 22 Jan 26
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. Give students leadership of class activities so they become collaborators and drive engagement rather than passive listeners.
  2. Use simple routines like brief reviews or quizzes at the start, paired introductions, and a final feedback period to boost learning, speaking skills, and class rapport.
  3. Adopt an experimental, risk-taking mindset with the instructor as mentor and fellow learner so teaching becomes lighter, more fun, and yields unanticipated learning.

This week in the science of learning, April 28, 2024

The Bell Ringer • 59 implied HN points • 28 Apr 24
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. New approaches to math can help students understand concepts better. It's important to make math engaging and relatable.
  2. More homework in college may help students grasp subjects thoroughly. This suggests that practice is key to learning effectively.
  3. Student journalism plays a crucial role in education. It encourages critical thinking and helps students express their viewpoints.

Seminar has real content

In My Tribe • 121 implied HN points • 15 Jun 25
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. The seminar now has real content with six chapters that are in good shape.
  2. There's an interactive feature where you can ask questions and get interesting responses from an AI professor and students.
  3. The creator wants feedback from professors and curious students about using this instead of traditional textbooks.

Colleges have a boy problem

The Recovering Academic • 158 implied HN points • 11 Jul 23
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. Experts suggest that boys shy away from college due to issues like resistance to authority, feeling unwelcome, and societal pressures.
  2. Factors like socialization, lack of motivation for academic engagement, and fear of speaking up honestly in class contribute to the declining male enrollment in colleges.
  3. Alternative educational models, such as internships and direct links to employers, are being explored as potential solutions to engage young men in higher education.

Edu-Snippets

The Science of Learning • 159 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. Highly decorated classrooms can distract kids, making it harder for them to focus on lessons.
  2. Children tend to learn reading skills slower in open-plan classrooms compared to traditional ones.
  3. Using short instructional videos can help reduce the need for extra tutoring in online courses.

sunday school pool

bad cattitude • 142 implied HN points • 26 Jan 25
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. Modern education often lacks excitement and doesn’t focus on interesting topics.
  2. There seems to be a gap between what’s taught and what actually engages students.
  3. This lack of engaging content makes learning less enjoyable for many.

Coming soon

System Design Classroom • 39 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. A new system design classroom is launching soon. It's a place to learn about designing systems.
  2. You can subscribe to get updates and learn more about system design topics.
  3. Stay tuned for more information and resources that will be available in the classroom.

What Rodeo can Teach Academia

Unsafe Science • 39 implied HN points • 04 Jun 25
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. Academia should encourage taking intellectual risks instead of being overly cautious. It's important for students to be bold in their ideas and learning.
  2. The responsibility to avoid harm should fall on individuals rather than institutions. Everyone should take personal accountability for their actions in academic settings.
  3. Adopting a rodeo mentality could improve the learning atmosphere in academia. This mindset helps foster resilience and creativity among students.

AI Literacy For Educators

Teaching computers how to talk • 83 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. AI is already part of classrooms, and ignoring or fighting it will not benefit students. Teachers need to adapt to these changes instead.
  2. Critical thinking will be the most important skill for students in the future, as traditional education methods won't be enough anymore.
  3. A free handbook on AI literacy for educators is available to help them understand and teach about AI effectively, making sure they are prepared for its influence.

This Online Teacher Makes Millions of Dollars on Pornhub — Fully-Clothed

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 99 implied HN points • 08 Nov 22
🚌 Education Student Engagement
  1. An online math teacher from Taiwan is making lots of money by using Pornhub to share free educational videos. He targets male college students who already frequent the platform.
  2. This unique marketing approach has helped him attract up to 1,000 students a year, which is much more than the average for other tutors.
  3. His strategy has been very successful, leading him to earn millions over the years by converting viewers of his free lessons into paying students.