I always referred to February as the Dog Days of Education. The weather, at least for those of us who reside in the northeastern quadrant of these here United States, is pretty bleak. Any newness of the second semester is long gone. As the weather warms, at least just a bit, your opportunities for snow days diminish and even if it’s still frigid and snowy, perhaps you’ve already used your allotted quota. Spring break, that magical academic elixir, is still a ways off. Students, teachers, and even administrators are starting to get, as my mom used to say, a bit bucky. All of these factors make the topic of this episode a perfect antidote for the February blahs.

About a month ago, my publisher Mark Barnes tasked me to evaluate some of x10 Publishing’s books. One of my assignments was to assess Quit Point. As part of the review process, I first checked out the Amazon author’s page. I was floored to learn that Adam Chamberlin and Svetoslav Metijic live only 20 miles from me. My old school competes against theirs in sports frequently. Because of our proximity, I was immediately intrigued by these guys. I was further intrigued as I reviewed their book. 

Quit Point is all about how teachers can spot when students are about to give up and then what teachers can do about it. I cannot imagine any educator who possesses an ounce of empathy not being fascinated with this topic. And isn’t mid February a perfect time to take action when the symptoms of apathy are often acute? If you feel that way…and hopefully you do, please give this episode a try and then check out these guy’s book. As you listen to them articulate their ideas, I’m certain you’ll find them engaging, funny, and totally on point. 

To learn more, please visit Adam and Svetoslav’s website.   

Episode Template

The Problem:

Many teachers aren’t sure how to proceed when students are reaching their quit point. 

The Solution:

Teachers need to recognize this phenomenon and then take action to fix it. 

What you can do Tomorrow:

• Compose a list of kids who seem to be struggling.
• Reach out to colleagues who also have these students and see if they’ve spotted any dips in effort and attitude.
• Focus on building momentum in that first 5 minutes of your class.
• Closely monitor student’s reactions to your new approach, particularly those who’re on your concern list.
• Check out Adam and Sveti’s book.

You’re an empathetic educator. If you weren’t, there’s no way you would’ve listened to this podcast. Hopefully this episode gave you some ideas on how you can rescue students who’re on the verge of quitting.  

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