Are YOU putting everything into it that you can?
I remember once being put in a group in school for a Chumash project. I was doing it with a friend of mine who is AMAZING. I did it with her and I understood everything, it was fascinating, etc. Then I did a different part of the project with someone else, and it just didn’t have the same geshmak to it.
I was really annoyed, and I wanted to switch partners, but then I realized- the other time, I’d kind of been coasting along with my friend. I’d been letting her do all the work, making it amazing and meaningful. Why couldn’t I do it this time? So I did. I won’t tell you it was the same, but it was still 100x better than before and, in the end, actually pretty darn incredible.
I’m not saying you’re not trying- how could I? I don’t know you or your situation- and I’ve never learned in a yeshiva-style chavrusa situation, but this may be something to keep in mind- if your partner isn’t the motivator for you, try being the motivator for your partner. Chances are he can use it just as much as you can, and you can explore what you’re doing in so many ways.