Student EngagementInstead of teaching us how to do projects and essays, how to use the quadratic formula, how to understand the concept of war, instead teach us the art of persuasion. Teach us the ways to entertain an audience, the dilemmas the world faces. Teach us that there are a huge number of problems in the world and that they come with a multitude of solutions. Learning to engage an audience is learning how to teach it. Getting people, especially children, interested in school is the one and only thing that no one has really figured out yet. If you teach in a project-based learning program, you run the risk of kids falling into trouble. If you teach primarily using textbooks and lectures, you run the risk of kids jumping around and falling asleep. Is there really a way to entertain children while teaching them the necessities? A study done in Lincoln, Nebraska by Laura Parn states: “As teachers, we are so busy and overwhelmed by federal, state, and regional requirements that we forget to think about the emotional needs of our students. It is not often that we have the time to stop and think about what our students want or desire, but according to Damico and Roth (1994), it is necessary for our students' success and engagement” . This proves that challenges in the education system must be seen and addressed by the highest leadership before public schools can even think about making a difference. This really makes things extremely difficult, because we all know how long it takes top federal officials to make decisions. Laura also says that teachers tend to forget about students' emotional needs. Which is very unfortunate, because when a teacher helps you solve a math problem, or even the day before... middle of paper... its highs, and then once their ideas about education are put up to date, so can school systems, so can teachers themselves. Maiers’ “Keys to Student Engagement” shows the raw potential that school systems already have. It also shows that students need drive and ambition to succeed. Tristan's article on edutopia presents ideas already in motion. His ideas and advice have already begun to work in public high schools in his community. With the guidance and vision of these three authors, the problems in public schools could cease to exist. Although it is very complicated to involve administrators (and some teachers), it is possible, and in the near future it will become a reality. www.angelamaiers.com/2008/04/engagement-alph.htmlhttp://scimath.unl.edu/MIM/files/research/ParnL.pdfhttp://21stcenturyskills.org/