Hello? Is anyone there?

Hello? Is anyone there? Sometimes, when I am talking to students and I notice that they are totally zoning out, I think to myself, "HELLO!? Is anyone there?" For instance, today I was working on a guided reading with a small group of students.  They were all distracted and wily from the recent Thanksgiving holiday.  Their fidgetiness was obviously contagious.  As we were reading together, I began asking them questions about the story, the characters, and some specifics about the vocabulary.  I specifically pointed out several compound words and explained what a compound word was.  Throughout this entire guided reading, one special student did not make eye contact with me at all.  I tried to get him engaged and each time I failed.  As we were wrapping up our story, I asked the students again, "What can you tell me about the vocabulary words we used today in our story?  I specifically pointed something out several times." After a silent 2 or 3 minutes, still not making eye contact, and at a barely audible volume, my special student says, "compound...compound words."

Hmm... I guess somebody is there, but the lights just aren't on on the outside.