He that will enjoy the brightness of the sunshine, must quit the coolness of the shade.
—Samuel Johnson
Quitter’s Day
I recently learned that the second Friday in January is Quitter’s Day. It came about because in 2019, Strava (a social network for athletes) conducted a research study and found that around 80% of people who made New Year’s resolutions have quit by the second week of January.
This has made me think a lot about quitting. We’ve all heard the old adage “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.”
I’m not sure this is true.
Quitting certain things has definitely made my life better. I’ve been lingering in this idea and wondering what I should quit. It is only by throwing out some old things that we can make space for new. This is true for our closets and for life.
I’m thinking 2025 might be the year that I quit trying to get everything right. Maybe it’s the year I’ll give myself some grace for simply trying. Maybe I can quit feeling guilty when I fall short.
What about you? What might you quit this year?
This week we look at creative ways to show learning. Please don’t miss Gretchen Schroeder’s new article in the Classic Classroom section—we all will be better educators by reading it.
Shine on,
Ruth Ayres
Editor in Chief
An overload of information, initiatives, and issues fill our days, and it is easy to become disorganized and distracted. With a coach’s notebook, you can organize professional interactions and support your own well-being. Be productive and wholly present for the things that matter most in your school—teaching and learning. Click here for registration and more information.
Curious about Quitter’s Day? Learn more at the National Today website.
Becca Burk guides us in using self-portraits as an assessment tool for early writers. Becca shares a rubric, self-portrait samples, and practical next steps for her kindergarten writers.
Stephanie Affinito abandoned her usual routine for setting New Year’s intentions. If you are looking for a new way to set intentions, release pent-up emotion, and leave the page feeling like a better tomorrow is on its way, then listen to this episode of Get Lit(erate).
New members-only content is added each week to the Choice Literacy website. If you’re not yet a member, click here to explore membership options.
Choice Numeracy | Mallory Messenger shares a “best wrong answer” routine to help normalize mistakes while students think deeply about the math involved and help themselves look out for common mistakes to avoid.
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills offer an alternative to writing a literary essay for middle school students. Providing alternative ways to discuss and demonstrate understanding about reading can be a welcome break from an essay for both students and educators, with valuable learning still taking place.
Gretchen Schroeder invited her students to write personal essays inspired by the 2022 New York Times series “I Was Wrong About.” Gretchen shared with her students (and with us) the way she was wrong about her mammy collection.
New members-only content is added each week to the Choice Literacy website. If you’re not yet a member, click here to explore membership options.
Matt Renwick helps us consider a digital declutter. We all have limited time, and we have choice and agency. It’s up to us to decide what we want to commit our attention and time to today and in the future.
Ruth Ayres and Becca Burk share ways to strengthen our teamwork and help lower the stress levels of adults in the school when students exhibit dysregulated behaviors. This is the second installment of a two-part series.
Quote It:
If our children are to approve of themselves, they must see that we approve of ourselves.
—Maya Angelou
That’s all for this week!
