Pedagogical action is always a challenge: children and adolescents are systematically confronted with unpleasant, unwanted tasks, ideally with unfamiliar challenges. External prompts for self-activity are considered a central feature of pedagogical theory. However, self-activity cannot be assumed as a given in educational situations, as is often implicitly suggested. Michael Hecht examines how social actors can engage together in a situation that could also be understood as a challenge, and how confrontation can lead to active participation and engagement. Using video recordings from German and Canadian schools, he expands the pedagogical paradox of external prompts for self-activity with an empirical perspective.