The average TikTok video gets watched longer than most students pay attention to math lessons. These are the same kids who can flawlessly reenact a 15-second Italian brain rot meme, but somehow forgets the Pythagorean theorem exists five minutes after learning it.
Schools aren’t competing with other schools anymore.
You’re up against the most creative content creators and algorithms engineered in the secret labs of Silicon Valley. But all is not lost.
Enter Michael Vilardo, our Subject CEO, who cracked the cheat code back when he was taking UCLA’s legendary $70,000 Zoom University post-Covid era.
“Students are playing video games 24 hours a day, watching TikTok 24 hours a day,” he says. “It’s not a biology issue… It’s an engagement issue.”
So, how do you solve this student engagement problem? Michael shares the CTRL + ALT + Teach method that does just that below.
Here’s what’s on the dashboard this week:
Today’s Deep Dive: CTRL + ALT + Delete your teaching problems
Reading Rainbow: The “Game of Phones” + when schools feel like danger zones
From Our Desk: Our first-ever student podcast guest talks music and genetics
Watch of the Week: Peacemaker becomes lesson maker
Show of Hands: Let’s chat school supply nostalgia
CTRL + ALT + Delete your teaching problems
Your students will stream ishowspeed barking non-stop for 50 hours without blinking, but acts like your history lesson loads slower than Limewire downloading a single Avril Lavigne song in 2003 (47 viruses included).
But while most educators understandably think the answer is teaching like TikTok with textbooks, try something else: the CTRL + ALT + Teach Method.
It’s a future-forward solution where technology does the grunt work, and teachers do the Jedi-level human stuff: developing actual humans, not just delivering PowerPoint karaoke.
You can implement the CTRL + ALT + Teach Method in five phases:
Phase 1: Accept Your New Competition
We love Bowling for Soup, but stop pretending it’s 1985. Your students expect content that adapts faster than your grandmother merging onto the highway.
Phase 2: Deploy Your AI Helper
Let AI handle soul-crushing admin while teachers focus on inspiring and coaching.
Phase 3: Track What Actually Matters
Measure voluntary engagement time, not only testing output. Subject students spend 35 minutes daily by choice on Subject—longer than most of us exercise.
Phase 4: Career Discovery Over Standards Worship
Help students explore what they actually want to do all day, not just memorize what happened in the War of 1812.
Phase 5: Equity Through Accessibility
Meet students where they are, not where bureaucrats think they should be. True equity means genuine accessibility.
The CTRL + ALT + Teach method isn’t humans vs. machines, rather it’s finally making them tag-team partners. Tech handles the zombie admin work while teachers do what they were born to do: inspire, connect, and remind kids that yes, the Pythagorean theorem is real and no, it’s not a TikTok dance.
Teachers Learn How to Teach Under “Hood” of AI Instead of Just Banning It
Two education professors argue schools need to stop treating AI less like Voldemort and start teaching students how these digital wizards actually work. Their "reverse quest" assignments have students start with wrong answers and work backward. It’s kind of like educational archaeology, but with more critical thinking and fewer dusty artifacts.From Makeshift Kitchen Classrooms to Dynamic Virtual Schooling
Homeschooling became the norm in 2020 in a way none of us could have anticipated. The start to virtual schooling was rough, but it still spurred on our founder, Michael Vilardo, to make it better. We’re honored to be featured in this article about how virtual schooling has developed to better serve students.Kids Create Their Own Literary Oscars (And They're Better Than Ours)
One teacher created the "Hallbery Awards" where students nominate and vote for their favorite books, complete with fancy ceremonies and doughnut-fueled acceptance speeches. Students became literary critics instead of passive readers, proving that when kids have ownership, magic happens.When Fear Keeps Kids Out of Classrooms
Immigration raids are causing 22% increases in student absences, with effects lasting beyond initial incidents. It’s a glimpse into how events outside the classroom can shape what happens inside it.Art Exhibitions That Build Confidence, One Recycled Frame at a Time
Students created coastal-themed artwork displayed in public galleries with frames made from beach debris and fishing nets. The most beautiful thing happened: kids who never shared their art at home suddenly saw themselves as real artists and environmental advocates.
On the Subject #62 – Our latest podcast welcomes our first-ever student guest: Leo Jimesanagnos, a gifted musician attending University High School in Fresno, balancing concert performances with innovative genetic research. It's proof that when education meets passion, students do more than learn—they become the future we all want to see.
Student Homecoming Giveaway ‘25 - Subject recently hosted a giveaway on our social channels giving one lucky student the chance to have their entire homecoming experience covered — from the car and outfit to photos and more. Our winner from Chandler, AZ will be celebrating in style, and Subject will be onsite on 10/18/25 to capture it all. Stay tuned next week for the full story!
Leaving School to Chase Sports | GForce Redefines Student-Athlete Pathways - These students left traditional school to chase their sports dreams, but they never gave up on getting a great education. That’s where GForce is redefining what’s possible; creating a space where education and athletics work together.
Our pick of the week: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Why We’re Obsessed: It’s the ultimate seasonal pivot story—Jack gets bored with pumpkins and rebrands himself for Christmas. Districts do the same thing every time they “innovate.” Pull the mask off, and it’s just another vendor promising their shiny new platform will fix everything that their last shiny new platform broke.
Recommended lesson integration:
Creative Writing Workshop: Study Jack's character development journey from bored Halloween king to disaster-prone Christmas wannabe
Psychology of Change: Analyze what happens when enthusiasm to fix problems outside their expertise meets "wait, how does this actually work?" in real life. Who hasn't had their Jack Skellington moment?!
Art & Identity: Explore how visual storytelling shows internal conflict better than most therapy sessions (or just this writer’s…)
World History: Compare Jack's hostile takeover of Christmas to actual historical power grabs. At least Napoleon knew what he was getting into…
Conflict Resolution: Role-play how Jack could have avoided international holiday incidents through proper communication skills… basically, Sandy Claws got CC’d after getting abducted.
Media Literacy: Analyze how Jack's Christmas marketing campaign went viral for all the wrong reasons. Even our Aunt’s Facebook feed has better quality control.
Last week’s question: What was your go-to "emergency" lesson plan?
Last week’s winning answer: Educational documentary + discussion questions
Now on to this week’s question!
What's one topic in education you want to hear more about?
Thank you for joining us for another edition of On The Subject. We’ll see you again in a week, with more stories from the hallways.
The Subject Team
Want to learn more about our curriculum offerings? Contact us today.
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