Real Talk Friday: Playing The Game of School

Last week, we talked about the idea that just because everything looks like it’s going well… doesn’t always mean students are learning.

So let’s take that one step further.

What does it actually look like when students don’t understand?

Because it’s not always obvious.

Sometimes it looks like…

• Finishing quickly.

• Getting everything done.

• Looking busy the entire time.

Sometimes it sounds like…

• “I don’t know.”

• “I get it.” (but they can’t explain it)

• Repeating something you just said… almost word for word.

And sometimes, it hides as…

Students who have learned how to play the game of school. 

This is something I talk about with teachers and administrators pretty often.

They know the routines.

They know what to say and when to say it.

“a, apple, /ă/”

They can follow along.

They can mimic the students around them.

They can get through the task without really engaging with the thinking.

It’s like watching an actor who knows their lines.

Except this is a kid, in real time, figuring out how to stay under the radar.

It's confusion hidden in plain sight, masked just enough to keep the teacher from noticing.

And it works.

Until it doesn’t.

That’s the tricky part.

The students who need the most support are not always the ones raising their hands or asking for help.

They’re often the ones who have gotten very good at getting by.

So what can we do with that?

Not everything. Not all at once.

Just a few small moves that make thinking more visible:

• Ask, “How do you know?” instead of “Do you understand?”

• Have students explain their thinking to a partner before moving on

• Listen for who is explaining versus who is repeating

• Give students a sentence starter so more of them can attempt an answer

• Pause and ask, “What’s still not making sense?” and actually give time for answers

None of this requires a new lesson.

It just requires a shift in what you’re listening for.

And here’s the part that matters most:

We’re not trying to catch students not understanding.

We’re trying to find them in it.

So we can actually help them move forward.

If you try one of these this week, pay attention to what you notice.

You’ll start to see things you couldn’t see before.

And once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

That’s where the real work begins.