Flow and passion are where effort meets the joy of full engagement, where learning becomes its own reward. When schools and teachers help children and youth experience this joy, they don’t just learn — they come alive.

Engagement is the felt sense of being “all in.” It appears when tasks are meaningful, just-right challenging, and invite strengths and creativity. When both teachers and kids experience it, classrooms become places of vitality, creativity, and connection.

Engagement is being deeply absorbed in meaningful work; flow is that sweet spot where challenge meets skill. Classrooms spark it with relevance, choice, clear goals, immediate feedback, and a climate of safety and belonging—modeled by an engaged teacher.