A crisis of mattering: A conversation with Angela Maiers

The lessons Angela Maiers has learned from her students prompted her to explore the importance of mattering. She discovered that being valued is not a socioemotional or mental health issue. It is rooted in biology. Maiers has written four books on the concept of mattering and unleashing individual genius in students, including Genius Matters and Classroom Habitudes. She spoke with Phi Delta Kappan about what schools get wrong about student motivation, how mattering interventions take little time but yield big results, and what gives her hope.