120 | Why Student Apathy Isn’t Always Laziness: The Story of One Student Who Proved Me Wrong

Enjoy Teaching Again | Elementary, Teacher Burnout, Student Behavior, SEL, Classroom Management · Mar 20, 2026 · 12m

Have you ever looked at a student and thought, “They just don’t care”? In this episode, I share a story about a student in my math class who seemed completely checked out. He came in late, wandered around, asked for snacks and bathroom breaks, and eventually put his head down on the desk like nothing in class mattered. From the outside, it looked like student apathy. But what I discovered changed the way I approached him—and it slowly changed his engagement in class too. If you’ve been feeling frustrated by students who don’t participate, refuse to work, or seem like they’ve completely…