New Year...New Goals

With a new year comes new goals! 

At least it does in 6th grade.  After our restful holiday break, the 6th graders came back to school to face the task of writing new goals for themselves for the new year.  The task came with a slight twist...after deciding their goals, they were challenged to find a word that represented the goals they wrote for themselves. The #oneword challenge was trending on Twitter over the holidays.  The purpose..."To inspire you to narrow your focus, simplify, and live with more clarity, purpose, and passion." After taking on this challenge myself, I thought it would be fun to have the kids narrow their focus of the goals they had chosen for the new year. They were right on target with their one words. My hope is that if they lose site of the goals they made for themselves they could think of their one word and bring them back into focus. I was very proud of the effort they put into choosing their one word and the reasons for choosing it.

Being great goal-makers, a few days later Ms. Warner asked the 6th graders if they could help their Kindergarten Buddies make goals for the rest of the school year.  They gladly took on that request knowing the importance of goal setting even for younger kids.  It was great watching them help their buddy determine a goal for Math, Reading, and Writing...goals that the Kindergartners will share with their parents at conferences. At the end of this blog, two of our 6th graders talk about why it is important for Kindergartners to start making goals early in life.   

Creating goals is a powerful skill to teach children.  It helps them have a greater sense of self, self control, and confidence. Goals help kids know they have the ability to achieve whatever they want to achieve. Achievable goals can help our children go far in life!