Whatever Happened to Trying? The Shift in Attitudes Toward Effort in School

This week on The Edumyseat Podcast, Josh sits down with Tim Daly, a former classroom teacher, founder of EdNavigator, and author of the Substack The Education Daly. Tim’s latest piece, “Bring Back the Try-Hard,” makes a compelling case that effort isn’t a personality trait or a punishment; rather, it’s the real engine of learning. And when adults remove too much friction, kids don’t rise to the occasion; they simply do less. In this conversation, Josh and Tim dig into why student effort has slipped, how schools and families can rebuild it, and what it looks like to strike the right balance between compassion and challenge. It’s a candid look at expectations, culture, and the simple truth that learning still requires work.