Reconnect: Building School Culture for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging

by Doug Lemov, Hilary Lewis, Darryl Williams, Denarius Frazier

Introduction: What's the Problem?

The introductory chapter of Reconnect: Building School Culture for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging addresses the issue of young people increasingly socialising online rather than in person. This shift has resulted in a variety of consequences, both positive and negative.

On the positive side, fewer young people are engaging in risky behaviours such as drinking, using drugs, and having sex. However, the negative impacts are significant. The chapter cites a 2019 report by Common Sense Media, which found that the average teenager spent more than seven hours per day on screens. This extensive screen time has contributed to insufficient sleep among young people and, more critically, has led to unprecedented levels of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and even suicide.

The authors argue that young people have substituted in-person social relationships with virtual ones, but at a substantial cost. They highlight that virtual interactions on social media are manipulated by app creators to foster dependence rather than genuine connection.

As a solution, the authors cite a 2017 study by Twenge, which found that the most effective remedy for the adverse effects of social media and extensive screen use is sustained, in-person social interaction, away from phones and involving direct engagement with others.

Summary

• Young people increasingly socialise online instead of in person.

• Negative Consequences:

  • Increased screen time: the average teenager spends more than seven hours per day on screens.

  • Insufficient sleep among young people.

  • Sharp rise in rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and suicide.

• Young people have traded social relationships for virtual ones, resulting in dependence on social media.

• Virtual interactions are engineered by app creators to foster dependence, not true connection.

• Proposed Solution: Sustained, in-person social interaction is the most reliable antidote to the negative effects of social media and extensive screen use.

Chapter 1: How We're Wired Now

In chapter one of Reconnect: Building School Culture for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging, the author argues that to help young people thrive, be fulfilled, and maintain psychological health, schools must ensure that their activities, including classroom instruction, make students feel a sense of belonging. The author stresses the importance of creating environments within schools that promote both the learning and well-being of students.

The chapter highlights the detrimental effects of screens, noting that they degrade attention, learning, community, and mental health. To counteract these negative impacts, the author advocates for ensuring extended periods during which students are completely screen-free. This means not just refraining from using screens, but ensuring that screens are not present at all. Such measures are seen as necessary for rebuilding attention, optimising learning, and maximising social well-being.

Additionally, the author suggests that schools should establish a shared vocabulary for the values and goals they aim to instil. This shared vocabulary helps make these values and goals clear and understandable for both students and parents.

Summary

• Importance of belonging:

  • Schools must ensure activities, including classroom instruction, make students feel like they belong.

  • Creating environments that promote both learning and well-being is essential for student fulfilment and psychological health.

• Negative impact of screens:

  • Screens degrade attention, learning, community, and mental health.

  • Extended periods of being completely screen-free are necessary to rebuild attention, optimise learning, and maximise social well-being.

• Establishing a shared vocabulary:

  • Schools should develop a shared vocabulary for the values and goals they aim to instil.

  • This makes these values and goals clear and understandable for students and parents.

Chapter 2: A Great Unwiring

Chapter two of Reconnect: Building School Culture for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging delves into the pervasive issue of mobile phones, particularly their impact on schools and broader society. The chapter discusses how phones, especially when combined with social media, have become highly addictive. This addiction is partly attributed to the introduction of the "Like" button in 2009, which provides a small surge of dopamine, making users feel a brief sense of euphoria. This biochemical response to social approval is deeply rooted in our evolutionary need for group formation and connection.

The chapter cites Twenge's research, which indicates that teens who spend 6 to 9 hours a week on social media are 47% more likely to report being unhappy than those who use it less. Furthermore, the more time teens spend on screens, the more likely they are to exhibit symptoms of depression. Twenge notes that heavy social media use by eighth-graders (13-14 year olds) increases their risk of depression by 27%. Between 2000 and 2012, teenage loneliness remained relatively stable, with fewer than 18% reporting high levels of loneliness.

However, in the six years following 2012, when smartphones became ubiquitous and social media began incorporating approvals and "Like" buttons, rates of loneliness increased dramatically.

The chapter also discusses how the advent of smartphones has transformed peer relationships, family dynamics, and daily life for everyone, including those who do not own a phone or have social media accounts. It has become more challenging to engage in casual conversations in settings like cafeterias or after class, as people are often engrossed in their phones. Deep conversations are also hindered by constant interruptions from buzzing and vibrating notifications. Psychologist Sherry Turkle is quoted, noting that people are now "forever elsewhere," highlighting the persistent distraction caused by mobile phones.

Additionally, research suggests that merely having a phone nearby can distract users and those around them, as it leads to constant thoughts about what might be happening on the phone, further detracting from meaningful social interactions.

Summary

• Mobile phones and social media are highly addictive.

• The "Like" button, introduced in 2009, contributes to this addiction through dopamine surges.

• Dopamine is linked to the evolutionary need for social approval.

• Impact on teen happiness and mental health:

  • Those with six to nine hours of weekly social media use are 47% more likely to be unhappy.

  • Eighth-graders (13-14 year olds) with heavy social media use have a 27% increased risk of depression.

  • Teenage loneliness spiked dramatically after 2012, following widespread smartphone use and social media approvals.

• Broader social dynamics:

  • Smartphones have transformed peer and family relationships and daily life.

  • Casual and deep conversations are hindered by phone distractions.

  • Sherry Turkle: People are now "forever elsewhere," indicating persistent distraction.

  • Simply having a phone nearby causes distraction and thoughts about phone activity, impacting meaningful social interactions.

Chapter 3: Rewiring the Classroom: Teaching That Amplifies the Signals of Belonging

In chapter three of Reconnect: Building School Culture for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging, the author outlines the important role of culture within the classroom. The author argues that classrooms are primarily cultures where interactions among students must be deliberately orchestrated to create a sense of connection, belonging, and shared academic effort. 

The chapter provides practical strategies to engineer classroom culture, emphasising that this may be the most important action schools and teachers can take to address students' need for connection and community. Given that students spend the majority of their school day in classrooms, it is essential that these environments make them feel important, accomplished, connected, and successful.

The author identifies two pivotal habits that contribute to a positive classroom culture: habits of attention and habits of discussion.

Habits of Attention: Habits of attention, including practices like "tracking the speaker," are powerful tools for enhancing a sense of belonging in the classroom. Implementing this habit consistently can be challenging but is, according to the author, essential for creating an engaging and inclusive classroom environment.

Teachers can use specific language to encourage students to track the speaker, such as:

• "Make sure to show Vanessa your appreciation by tracking" or 

• "Check to make sure that your eyes are on Vanessa, please." 

Flexibility in language can help teachers feel more comfortable and authentic in making these requests.

Consistency is key, and while exceptions should be made for neurodivergent students or those with specific learning needs, the system must be universally applied to be effective.

Habits of Discussion: The second technique, habits of discussion, involves students routinely referring to or rephrasing previous comments, and referencing by name the person whose point they are addressing. Examples include 

• "I agree because..." or 

• "I'd like to build on what Vanessa said earlier..."

This habit sends constant signals of belonging, even in disagreements, reinforcing a sense of community and respect.

The author highlights the importance of the phrase "agree, disagree, or build", which is preferred over "agree or disagree", as it allows for a middle ground, encouraging reflection and participation without the need for immediate judgement.

Techniques such as Turn and Talk and Call and Response are highlighted for their ability to create vibrant, engaging, and inclusive classroom discussions.

Additional techniques:

• Props: A system allowing students to affirm each other nonverbally, such as through snaps or "sending shine."

• Turn and Talk: A method to energise peer-to-peer interactions, building confidence in discussing academic ideas.

• Call and Response: Creating opportunities for students to respond in unison, enhancing engagement and a sense of togetherness.

The chapter concludes with points for leaders to consider in defining and maintaining signals of belonging within their schools. These include how to teach and reinforce expectations of belonging, how to integrate these signals throughout the day, and how to address conflicting signals from students or teachers.

Summary

• Importance of classroom culture:

  • Classrooms are cultures where interactions must create connection, belonging, and shared academic effort.

  • Engineering classroom culture is crucial for addressing students' need for connection and community.

• Habits of attention:

  • "Tracking the speaker" enhances a sense of belonging.

  • Consistent implementation is key; flexibility in language helps teacher engagement.

• Habits of discussion:

  • Students refer to and rephrase previous comments, mentioning the original speaker by name.

  • This habit sends signals of belonging and respect, even in disagreements.

  • The phrase "agree, disagree, or build" encourages participation and reflection.

• Additional techniques:

  • Props: Nonverbal affirmation system (e.g., snaps, "sending shine").

  • Turn and Talk: Energises peer-to-peer interactions.

  • Call and Response: Enhances engagement and togetherness through unison responses.

Chapter 4: Wiring the School for Socioemotional Learning

In chapter four of Reconnect: Building School Culture for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging, the author explores the concept of virtues and their role in socioemotional learning within schools. Angela Duckworth, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, defines virtues as "ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that we [can] habitually do that are good for others and good for ourselves."

The chapter argues that a school grounded in character and virtue is likely to be a place where individuals feel valued, important, and connected. Character education, therefore, focuses on instilling virtues that enable both individuals and communities to thrive. The Jubilee Centre on Character Education’s "Character Education Framework" outlines three essential components for this process:

• Virtue Knowledge: Helping students understand what virtues are and why they are beneficial.

• Virtue Perception: Enabling students to recognise virtues as they occur in the world and understand their impact on the community.

• Virtue Reasoning: Supporting students in deciding when and how to apply virtues in their own lives.

The chapter emphasises that once virtues have been chosen, the next step is to integrate them into the fabric of the school. This involves reinforcing these virtues consistently throughout the school day, rather than confining the focus on virtues to a few specific sessions. For example, if compassion is a valued virtue, it should be recognised and appreciated in various contexts and interactions across the entire school day.

The author stresses that virtues should be taught, caught, and sought. This means that virtues should be:

• Taught: Providing definitions, examples, and applications to ensure students understand the virtues;

• Caught: Creating an environment where virtues are identified and praised;

• Sought: Encouraging students to actively seek and practice virtues in their daily lives.

By embedding virtues into the daily experiences and culture of the school, students are more likely to develop and internalise these positive habits of mind, ultimately creating a supportive and connected school environment.

Summary

• Angela Duckworth: Virtues are habitual ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that benefit both others and oneself.

• Schools grounded in character and virtue promote a sense of value, importance, and connection among individuals.

• Character education helps individuals and communities thrive by instilling virtues.

• Character Education Framework (Jubilee Centre):

  • Virtue Knowledge: Understanding what virtues are and their benefits.

  • Virtue Perception: Recognising virtues in the world and understanding their impact.

  • Virtue Reasoning: Making decisions about when and how to apply virtues.

• Integrating virtues into school culture:

  • Reinforce virtues consistently throughout the school day.

  • Virtues should be taught , caught , and sought.

  • Embedding virtues into daily school life fosters a supportive and connected environment, promoting socioemotional learning and well-being.