In this episode of Educate to Self-Regulate, I'm joined by my friend and co-host Nidean Dickson to explore an important question for today’s classrooms:

How do we move from thinking routines and good questions to genuine self-regulated learning and authentic engagement?

Many classrooms appear engaged on the surface. Students follow routines, raise their hands, and complete tasks. But this visible participation can sometimes become ritual compliance — behaviour that looks productive but lacks cognitive depth.

In this episode, you'll learn:

✔️ The difference between compliance and authentic engagement
✔️ Why engagement depends on metacognition, interest, and self-control
✔️ How thinking routines can become transferable learning strategies — and avoid “strategy stripping” by teaching students how and why to use them
✔️ The NEMO-T Framework — Name, Explain, Model, Opportunity, Time for reflection, and Transfer

True engagement comes when students can understand and regulate their own learning.


Listen on Spotify and Apple podcasts
Watch the full episode on YouTube


Resources & Mentions

• Zaretta Hammond and Dr Ron Ritchhart Interview 
• Dr Amy Berry — The Engagement Model
• Wong et al. (2021) — Predictors of engagement in mathematics

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