Engaged…or just involved? by Dr. Todd Freeman

I have a not-so-fond memory of my last high school football game against our biggest rival. One particular play, the running back was speeding toward me like a train. I made the foolish decision to be involved in tackling him; in other words, he ran over me. It would have been far more enjoyable to actually engage the runner using the form tackle technique that my coaches taught me. That was a life lesson on the difference in being involved and being engaged.

To be involved is to participate in something. To be engaged is to make a difference while participating. If I attend a football game on Friday night and sit in the stands without any emotion, I am a participant. If I join the chorus of cheers for the team, I am engaged. Church services are another great example. I have fond remembrances of summer revivals that seem to transform our congregation from just being involved in worship to being engaged!

A team, business, or organization with a high level of engagement will perform more successfully. This is most likely to happen when its members feel a sense of purpose in what they are doing. Students, teachers, support staff, administrators, parents, government leaders, and community members are all part of the organization we call school. Peter Senge defines this learning organization as one “where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together”.

Most citizens are involved in school simply by paying taxes. The emotional investment needed to have a high performing school, however, transcends money. Leadership author Simon Sinek distinguishes engagement from involvement this way: “When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute”.

Imagine the impact if we purposefully engaged in political decisions that impact our children’s classrooms. Imagine the opportunities for our students when we combine the expertise of teachers with the ingenuity of community members. Imagine the economic impact of our communities when schools engage the collective genius of our business and industry leaders.

A powerful example of engagement in Sylacauga City Schools is the Aggie Branch Heritage South Credit Union. The branch provides high school students with the opportunity to handle financial transactions such as opening a new checking or savings account, making a deposit or withdrawal, and receiving credit counseling.  Employed students work in the Aggie Branch during school and then at one of the branches after school. Heritage South Credit Union also offers courses for students to take while working in the branch which allows them to obtain credit union financial certifications.      

Engagement is not a spectator sport. It must have the emotion and excitement of a football game or a revival service. Imagine every student graduating high school with the skills to be ready for college and career choices. When the whole community engages in its schools, the possibilities are endless!