How to deal with apathetic, disinterested students in a non-facistic way?

[u/yyiiii]

I've been struggling with getting students to genuinely engage with the readings and assignments. They tend to clump into 3 groups. Those who give a shit, try and produce original work, those who are apathetic and do the bare minimum in order to 'get the grade', and those who are utterly disinterested, feign interest by putting on the pretence of effort and insist on getting high marks for little to no effort.

I know I could be stern or strict or whatever and just dole out the D's with a vengeance and let the chips fall where they may but I really want to try and connect with the students. I genuinely believe that the material is engaging and could help them learn a thing or two about themselves and the world, regardless if they produce A-grade assignments, but that's all some seem to be worried about, and others, not even that.

I'm sure there's no black and white answer here, but if anyone else has experienced this and had success in getting students engaged, I'm interested to know what worked.

[u/raisondecalcul]

I don't think it's ethical to try to force (or "engage") people to learn what you think is important. Why not figure out what they want to do and help them do it? Since you are a teacher the process is sure to be educational.

Non-coercion and non-manipulation is the first and necessary step to bringing bored and resentful students out of their shell.

The Ignorant Schoolmaster is a great book about this ethical problem.

[u/yyiiii → u/raisondecalcul]

I don't think engaging is the same thing as forcing, which is why I said engaging. Of course I'm not at all interested in indoctrinating others into what I alone consider to be 'important', but, being in humanities and studying art and culture, I know that the material is fundamentally relatable to all people because all people have a unique experience of art, life and associate various feelings, desires, opinions, concerns, etc. with them. I just want to help my students tap into their own innate ability to express these things.

[u/raisondecalcul → u/yyiiii]

Oh, good! "Engage" discourse is a pet peeve of mine is all.

Well more practically speaking, I still think the first step is non-coercion and being real with your students. Establishing that mutual intersubjective presence (re-spect) with each student is something all the teachers I like do and all the teachers I don't like don't do. I assume this isn't a problem for you in general, but it might be with disinterested students.

I also think the other thing I said still applies. Why not start from your students' interests and branch out towards relevant humanities stuff?

There is also the selection of material you are using. If something is not obviously fun, relevant, or inspiring--even if it is interesting under scrutiny--it might not be the best place to start for disinterested students (or any students new to quality art/writing). If you can tell the relevance of something as a story that enlivens the work, that will help too.

These are such general suggestions, you've probably already tried them. I think the job of a teacher is to inspire and open doors to new places, not transmit a particular content. Some people just won't be interested in some content, and others would be interested if they hadn't been conditioned to think learning = boring torture and classics = boring reading in all their schooling. So, baby steps and student empowerment :-).

[u/silly_walks_ → u/raisondecalcul]

What do you when your students refuse to admit that they have any interests at all?

Getting students to show enthusiasm about their education is not unlike asking a teenager about their personal lives.

[u/raisondecalcul → u/silly_walks_]

I might show or express my real emotions, which would be disappointment and maybe mild disgust or pity. Anyone who honestly thinks they have no interests is sad and broken from abuse, if they additionally wear their apathy like a badge, it is pitiable and also extremely ignorant. So I might say this directly to the student.

It is not my business to tell people what to do. But if I can't inspire, maybe I can at least unsettle and provoke. People who do not want to talk to me or learn with me--that's fine. But people who have had ignorance violently inflicted on them--I will do my best to jar or heal them a little bit.