An idea that really struck me in the reading this month, was the practice and implementation of teaching effort. Many of us, myself included, are guilty from time to time of presuming that all of our students know how to put forth effort. We may make comments such as "I would like to see your best effort," however, we sometimes fail to wonder if the student knows what their best effort is. Do they know how to push themselves to do their best?


I absolutely love the idea of implementing effort rubrics as a way to create a distinct relationship between effort and achievement. I believe that it is essential for students to understand this relationship so that they become more equipped learners, ready to take on any task put in front of them. I truly believe that too many of our students feel that they are simply not smart enough to understand the material and even if they put forth effort it just doesn't seem to be good enough to make the grade. The question then becomes, how do we as educators help students develop the skills and confidence they need to attain success......