Today’s prompt was to take a buzzword from a profession and turn it into a metaphor, or flip the meaning, inspired by this beautiful poem from one of my favorites, Maggie Smith.
Student Engagement
The students stare into black mirrors
Reflecting photos, games, autoplayed clips
Engaged with empty electronic endeavors
I start the day’s lesson, remembering
The content must be engaging
I must be engaging
Assessments must be engaging
But lost in the engagement admonition
Is teaching them how to be engaged In life.
Engage, I want to tell them,
With nature
With people
With midnight conversations
With ideas and aspirations
What does student engagement look like?
It looks like a school raising money for flood victims
It looks like a senior befriending and comforting a freshman
It looks like a student holding open a door for a weary teacher
That’s the engagement I want to assess
Pass/Fail
With unlimited chances to learn
