3 Radical Takes on Helping Disengaged Students from 16 Years in the Trenches
As an educator for over 16 years, I have worked with some of the most at-risk students in school boards across the province. My journey has taken me into section 23 classrooms for students living in group home settings, priority neighborhoods in Toronto, and alternative learning environments for those navigating mental health challenges, addictions, and housing instability.
While some cases were extreme, many of my students were just average kids who were struggling. They weren’t “lost causes”; they were young people who needed access to resources designed for their actual lives. In these specific programs, I had the luxury of engaging with them one-on-one. For some, it meant providing a safe space to build trust with a caring adult; for others, it was project-based learning tailored to their unique interests. However, the contrast between these specialized settings and our current “traditional” system is staggering.
The Support Crisis: A Tale of Two Classrooms
Since COVID-19 shut the world down, I have been teaching in traditional classrooms, and the shift has highlighted a painful truth: there is simply not enough support.
In alternative settings, the adult-to-student ratio was low and effective. We often had no more than 15 students paired with myself, an educational assistant, and a rotating team of child and youth workers or social workers. We taught as a team, making daily accommodations. We had the flexibility to allow a student having a rough emotional day to step away from a desk and do something to give them space, helping the E.A. make lunch for the rest of the class as a common retreat. This wasn’t “missing class”; it was maintaining engagement and school safety.
Compare that to my traditional classes, where I’ve had upwards of 26 students with incredibly diverse needs. In one of my classes, half the students had an IEP requirement for “close proximity to the teacher.” How does one physically place 12 high school students in close proximity to a single person for redirection and support? In a typical 75-minute class, three-quarters of the students might require one-on-one help, yet there is no E.A. in sight. The social worker might only be available once a week, often tied up in a crisis elsewhere. We are setting teachers up for burnout and students up for failure.
So, I’ve started Collaborative Pathways to support students and their caring adults navigate their educational journey. Until we address the lack of resources and forward thinking required to change the education system, we’re just going to see more and more students fall through the cracks. I’ve got some “radical” ideas on how we need to support students and how I intend to support students I work with through Collaborative Pathways…
Radical Take #1: Rethink the Ratio
The first radical take is simple: within our current system, every classroom should have a maximum of 15 students and a minimum of two adults. No matter the grade or subject, if we want students to receive the support they deserve from a teacher who isn’t trying to serve 75+ students a semester, this is the floor—not the ceiling. Period.
Radical Take #2: Break the Factory Model
Our public education system really hasn’t changed since its inception during the Industrial Revolution. Back then, it was designed to keep children out of dangerous factories, which was noble, but it was far too focused on creating compliant factory workers. Students still sit in rows, obeying a bell, preparing for a world that no longer exists.
We live in a time of exponential creation. Technology has made memorizing facts obsolete. We are preparing kids for jobs that haven’t been invented yet, in an economy where “success” often doesn’t even cover a full-time worker’s basic housing needs. When we label kids as “lazy,” we ignore that they are seeing a planet on fire and economic injustice at every turn. They deserve a system that values critical thinking over compliance.
Radical Take #3: The Power of Love and Connection
The final “radical” take—and the reason I started Collaborative Pathways—is love. This isn’t “soft” science; it’s an evolutionary necessity. When you really listen to disengaged youth, you realize their reasons for hating school aren’t excuses—they’re frustrations. They want to do things that matter.
They are hyper-focused on things they love: music, video games, tech, and new ways of expressing themselves. Instead of fighting these interests, we must embrace them. If we care about what they care about, it becomes easy to have honest conversations about success. Whether it’s through digital production or gaming strategy, these are the tools they use to navigate a tech-heavy world. They deserve to be accepted for exactly who they are, supported by adults who model self-love and compassion.
As we look to the new school year, I’m excited because when we work with caring adults, teachers, and the student as a team, disengagement disappears. They aren’t lazy; they are waiting for a reason to care. Let’s give it to them.
If you have a student who is disengaged, failing classes, absent from school regularly then I invite you to complete the Assessment Form to start building a positive pathway for you and your student.