So I wanted to take a quick break on the teaching side of things and focus on how we can keep our resolutions. 

So I want to dive into the success and failure rates that I found on discoverhappyhabits.com. After the first week of January, 75% of the people who make a resolution are still successful in sticking with it. After one month, that number drops to only 3 in 5 people. After 6 months, that number drops to 4%. Overall, by the end of the year, about 9% of people feel successful in their resolution goals. 

Why do you think so many people fall short when it comes to their new year's resolution? 

LessonWriter is a website for teachers that creates literacy-focused lessons from any content of choice. Simply copy and paste into the platform, and in moments LessonWriter will analyze the text and generate exercises designed to help students improve comprehension and literacy skills. Check out the free option today at LessonWriter.com. 

So let's dive into our topic of the American grading system. In this episode, I want to answer this question: do you think that the traditional A - F grading system is outdated? But first, context! Matt, explain the A - F grading system to our listeners. 

But the dilemma comes from the role that male teachers fill. 1) male teachers are treated differently than female teachers in the class and by parents and staff. But, at the same time 2) male teachers are subject to higher scrutiny and extra-judicial circumstances than females.

So on the podcast today, I want to decide if these two claims are true. 

So let’s get this out of the way now: social media is and, for the seeable future, will be a part of our everyday life. That includes in the classroom. So we won’t be discussing whether or not it is a good or bad thing, but rather, what it looks like in the classroom and how we can better steer it in the right direction. 

What are some ways we can avoid this or deal with this when it happens?

Public schools are cool. 
So are private and charter. But we are here to decide which options benefit which types of students and teachers as we all try to understand what choices must be made in trying to best serve our children. 

So the original number came from a 1991 APA Psychology article by Barry Farber where he actually puts the number at “41% will depart in the first four years.” This later was cited by Ingersoll’s study in 2014, which is when I originally heard the number in college. Both studies were looking exclusively at New York Public Schools.

The number allegedly rose in the 2000’s, with some articles jumping as high as 58% leaving in inner city schools in Chicago and LA. 

But a 2019 blog article from “American University” comfortably settled between 19-30%. So I guess it's improving? 

This podcast delves into the struggles of a virtual classroom for teachers, parents, students, and districts who are facing the harsh reality of forming quality education in quarantine or at social distance.