The Disengaged Teen: Expert Strategies Every Parent Should Know (April 23, 2026)

In this BigFuture Live, you’ll learn why teens become disengaged and how to better support them at home and in school.

Hear from education experts Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop as they break down the different learning modes teens tend to fall into, including resister, passenger, achiever, and explorer, and how each one shapes motivation, stress, and behavior.

You’ll walk away with practical strategies to communicate more effectively, reduce pressure, and help your teen re-engage in a way that works for them.

This video introduces student engagement through a personal story from education researcher Jenny Anderson, co-author (with Rebecca Winthrop) of The Disengaged Teen. Reflecting on her child’s experience during COVID-19, Anderson shows how traditional measures like grades can hide true engagement—revealing that some high-achieving students may actually be disengaged, while others flourish when pressure is removed. The video underscores engagement—curiosity, motivation, and agency—as the foundation of real learning, and highlights how difficult it can be for adults to accurately recognize it.

This video features Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, co-authors of The Disengaged Teen, introducing the concept of “Resister Mode”—a form of student disengagement where learners push back against school demands. Drawing on research and real-life examples, they explain how resistance is often misunderstood as defiance or laziness, when it can actually signal a mismatch between students’ needs and their learning environment. The video emphasizes that recognizing and addressing Resister Mode is key to re-engaging students by fostering autonomy, relevance, and a stronger sense of purpose in their learning.

This video features Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, co-authors of The Disengaged Teen, exploring “Passenger Mode”—a form of disengagement where students go through the motions of school without genuine interest or ownership of their learning. They explain how these students often appear compliant and successful on the surface, yet lack curiosity, motivation, and a sense of purpose. The video highlights why Passenger Mode can be difficult for educators and parents to detect, and stresses the importance of cultivating agency and deeper engagement to move students from passive participation to active learning.

This video features Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, co-authors of The Disengaged Teen, examining “Achiever Mode”—a form of disengagement where students are highly successful by traditional standards but driven primarily by external validation, such as grades and praise. They explain how these students can appear fully engaged while lacking intrinsic motivation, curiosity, and a genuine love of learning. The video highlights the risks of overperformance without purpose and emphasizes the need to help students develop internal motivation, resilience, and a stronger sense of ownership over their learning.

This video features Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, co-authors of The Disengaged Teen, introducing “Explorer Mode”—the most engaged state of learning, where students are driven by curiosity, purpose, and a desire to understand the world around them. They describe how Explorer Mode reflects deep, intrinsic motivation, with students taking ownership of their learning and embracing challenges as opportunities to grow. The video emphasizes that fostering this mode requires supportive environments that prioritize autonomy, relevance, and meaningful learning over performance alone.

This video features Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, co-authors of The Disengaged Teen, outlining a healthier approach to supporting student engagement across different learning modes. They emphasize the importance of shifting away from a narrow focus on performance and toward nurturing curiosity, autonomy, and purpose. Drawing on their research, they offer strategies for helping students move out of disengaged states—like Resister, Passenger, and Achiever Modes—into Explorer Mode, where learning is meaningful and self-driven. The video highlights the role of adults in creating environments that foster trust, relevance, and intrinsic motivation.