Our image of a classroom community in secondary education is rapidly evolving. The experience of remote learning during a pandemic has altered our mental picture of students occupying rows of desks with a teacher nearby, closely monitoring their activities. But even when teachers are able to be in physical proximity to their students, the research is clear that students need to be empowered to take ownership of their learning in order to be fully engaged. The question this book explores is: How can teachers step back, stop micromanaging, and allow students more agency?

In this engaging guide, instructional specialist Miriam Plotinsky breaks hover-free teaching down into four sequential stages: mindset, deeper relationships, planning for engagement, and choice-based instruction. Her book shows how teachers can free themselves from helicopter habits and allow students greater control of their own learning, while still managing and maximizing classroom time effectively.