Is it natural for kids to sit quietly for an hour, listening? No, it’s natural for kids to want to do something, to be busy with work or play, to interact. Students are not naturally passive. Perversely, they need to be taught to be passive; the passivity then becomes a habit that makes them more tractable, perhaps, but less alert, less engaged in what they’re doing. This trade-off may be helpful for maintaining order in a jam-packed conventional classroom, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best way for students to learn.
