What if we optimized for what lights students up?
Rather than developing worksheets and assigning reading, how might we make sure the student is activated first? We can still assign the reading and do the worksheets! But we just have to wait a little bit until they feel engaged in the learning.
In reality, it doesn’t have to change the entire class. It just has to change the approach in one tiny way: asking students what they care about. Theoretically, asking this question is a little tweak, but in practice, it catalyzes a massive perspective shift. It might even cause you to rethink everything.