In this Saturday Story, I share a Leadership Kit story focused on effort and what it means to keep trying. This week builds on the idea that effort isn’t always easy, and sometimes the hardest part is choosing not to quit.

I walk through the story “One More Rep,” where a student is ready to give up after repeated frustration but is encouraged to try just one more time. That small decision ends up making all the difference.

I also talk about how this connects directly to what we see in classrooms every day. Students often stop right before growth happens, and those moments are opportunities for us to step in, encourage, and help them push just a little further.

At the end of the day, this is about persistence—not pushing forever, but not stopping too soon. Sometimes growth is just one more try away, and that’s a message worth reinforcing with students every single day.

1. Leadership Kit: Effort
2. Skill focus: Keep trying
3. Story: One More Rep
4. Encouraging persistence in students
5. Reflection and discussion strategies
6. Connecting stories to classroom moments

1. Effort includes pushing through frustration
2. Students often stop right before growth
3. One more try can change the outcome
4. Persistence can be taught and reinforced
5. Small moments of encouragement matter