Happy 2016!
January is a great time to work with your students on reflecting and goal setting!
Here are some catchy and relevant video clips that you may want to use in your classroom in your discussion on setting goals.
My favorite assignment to give in January was called, "What a Year it's Been!"
Say it's this year- 2016. I'd tell my students, "Imagine that we are nearing the end of 2016 and we are planning for a party on the last day of the year- December 31, 2016. We are all gathering for a New Year's Eve party to ring in 2017 together. Everyone at the party is going to have the chance to share about the successes they had in 2016. Take some time and brainstorm- what do YOU want to accomplish this year? Remember that these need to be things that are do-able and that you have control over! Let's think of 3 big goals- one school, one home, and another of your choice. Now you're going to imagine that you worked really hard all year long, harder than you ever worked, and you achieved ALL of your goals! When you achieve something this great, you NEED to share it, right? Your chance to share your 2016 successes will be at our New Year's Eve Party. Each of you is going to share your three successes and the steps you took to ensure that you were successful. Remember that success isn't achieved alone- include the people along the way who helped you meet each of your goals, and stories about any struggles you faced and how you overcame them."
I set the party date for two weeks away and had the students write their "New Year's Eve" speeches during that time. We did lots of mini-lessons on goal setting and writing with strong ideas, organization, and voice during that time. They also got feedback from parents and their peers and revised their pieces, then practiced sharing their speeches with confidence and passion. Some even put together props to enhance their speeches.
Then, on a January Friday afternoon, I'd get bottles of apple cider and decorate the room with streamers. I'd post a large "Happy New Year" sign up in the room and the students would take turns reading their speeches (sharing their successes) from 2016. It was magical.
The whole idea of this assignment was to bring voice and life into the goal setting process. I wanted my students to imagine and feel the excitement and pride of accomplishing a personal goal, and the celebration that could happen because of it. I wanted them to really think about what would need to happen in order for their goal to become a reality, and then be motivated to put their plan into action. The experience for all was amazing, and it was another opportunity to celebrate and support one another.
January is a great time to work with your students on reflecting and goal setting!
Here are some catchy and relevant video clips that you may want to use in your classroom in your discussion on setting goals.
My favorite assignment to give in January was called, "What a Year it's Been!"
Say it's this year- 2016. I'd tell my students, "Imagine that we are nearing the end of 2016 and we are planning for a party on the last day of the year- December 31, 2016. We are all gathering for a New Year's Eve party to ring in 2017 together. Everyone at the party is going to have the chance to share about the successes they had in 2016. Take some time and brainstorm- what do YOU want to accomplish this year? Remember that these need to be things that are do-able and that you have control over! Let's think of 3 big goals- one school, one home, and another of your choice. Now you're going to imagine that you worked really hard all year long, harder than you ever worked, and you achieved ALL of your goals! When you achieve something this great, you NEED to share it, right? Your chance to share your 2016 successes will be at our New Year's Eve Party. Each of you is going to share your three successes and the steps you took to ensure that you were successful. Remember that success isn't achieved alone- include the people along the way who helped you meet each of your goals, and stories about any struggles you faced and how you overcame them."
I set the party date for two weeks away and had the students write their "New Year's Eve" speeches during that time. We did lots of mini-lessons on goal setting and writing with strong ideas, organization, and voice during that time. They also got feedback from parents and their peers and revised their pieces, then practiced sharing their speeches with confidence and passion. Some even put together props to enhance their speeches.
Then, on a January Friday afternoon, I'd get bottles of apple cider and decorate the room with streamers. I'd post a large "Happy New Year" sign up in the room and the students would take turns reading their speeches (sharing their successes) from 2016. It was magical.
The whole idea of this assignment was to bring voice and life into the goal setting process. I wanted my students to imagine and feel the excitement and pride of accomplishing a personal goal, and the celebration that could happen because of it. I wanted them to really think about what would need to happen in order for their goal to become a reality, and then be motivated to put their plan into action. The experience for all was amazing, and it was another opportunity to celebrate and support one another.