Another year of making goals without follow through! I think Not! I refuse to not go into the new year with an intentional plan. As I develop my on intentional plan in the mist of this pandemic at its highest peak. I feel it is important for students to learn aobut the importance of goals vs dreams/ It is more important then ever if I want to make growth and reach my own dreams come true to create action plans annd turn them into goals that can be achieved. So during the holiday break my sister, eldest daughter and I got together and decided to make vision boards. We started off with brainstorming a list of 10 dreams that we have for our lives. We than thought what is a time line that we can make at least 3 of these dreams into goals with actionable plans. So I came up 5 years. We told ourselves to dream big, so I did.
Dream 1- Get a passpoart and take a cruise
Dream 2- Open up my own Reading conslutant and tutoring center
Dream 3- Reach my first TPT milestone of 25, 0000 dollars
Dream 4- To be debt free
Dream 5- Selfcare/health care-
Dream 6- To build an office/library in my home
Dream 7- To have over 100 products in my tpt store by this time next year
Dream 8- To have at least 3 streams of steady income
Dream 9. To start a podcast
Dream 10 To turn my E-books into a book
Dreams are just that dreams until you put some actions to them, so those 3 I picked , I then broke them into 3 mile stones--what are 3 must do things for each to come true. The last step was to come up with actionable steps I needed to take from one milestone to the next. Thinking of 2020 I was determined to be intentional with my dreams and goals. So I thought about what I really wanted to accomplish this year. I wanted them to be realistic and obtainable. I thought about SMART goals and went to work. I am determined to move the needle in 2021.
If you are wondeiing what 3 dreams I turned into goals and plan to work on this year. Follow me on FB at rhonda.educ8te.5 and my IG @mrsedu8te where I will be sharing my journey through post, images and stories. As I look at what I wanted to accomplish next year, I thought about my students and this school year. The first semester of Hybrid teaching was exhausting. My biggest frustration was getting students to complete task in a timely manner or to complete them at all. It seemed they all waited to the last minute to jump on the boat. We gave make up days and a full school wide day to allow students to try and catch up. Some did , others made progress others just didn't try. So my plan is to use my Goal setting activity to motivate students to set goals, create actionable steps and to monitor their progress. If you teach reading and want a read aloud to go along with the lesson. There is a list of the books included in the packet.
As a teacher, I feel it is important that after long breaks teachers do a reset in their classrooms, First start off with reflection on what went right and what went wrong in regards to the lessons and materials used in the first semester? You can include the reasons behind the entries on the chart.You may even want to create anchor charts. The thing to remember is that you have to be open minded to what the kids are saying and take it with a grain of salt. This will help you to go back and really think about instructional content, implentation of that instruction and what to do differently or the same.
As a teacher, we should lead them into a conversation about why we are reflection on last semester. Have kids to jot down things that went well and didn't go well with them last semester. Introduce the concept of Mindset matters. I talk to my students about the difference between having a Fixed Mindset vs having a Growth mindset. I model this by sharing my own experiences. I need students to know they are not the only ones's that struggle with staying motivated and encouraged. I work with the students to create anchor charts about what a fixed mindset looks like and a growth mindset looks like. We connect this concept to the idea of making goals.
During this new normal that we find ourselves in now, we also see not only adults but kids suffering with being motiviated and postitive about things. As a teacher, I try to pump them up using affirmations, and phrases that demonstrate growth mindset. I stop them in the mist of a sentence where they are using negative words and replace them with positive solution oriented words. For example if they say, : I can't do this! I rephrase it to say, I can't do this yet, but with practice I will be able to _______. They usually laugh and get the point after hearing me restate things often within a day.
I let the students make goals using various tools, we may use a goal post, the football field included in the resource, go to worddle, the book marks and mages of the brain also included in the product. If this was the beginning of the year we would do a different activity every day for a week in relation to MIndset and incorporate goal settting within this concept. I read aloud books that demonstrates perserverance, grit , mindsetiand goal setting. I set out books in the middle of desk for students to read as well. At the end of the week we talk about the purpose of the week and how a Goal is has to have a plan or it is just a dream. We reflect on the first semester of the year and identify what went right and what went wrong? We look at what we could have done differently. We even examine our grades and assignments and question the reasons for grades, the reasons for behaviors that kep them from being successful. I always do what I ask the students to do, because I want them to know that I value the task and think it is important to their success as students.
Take a look and grab the resource below in my store to help students make goal for the new year. It includes reflection forms, various goal setting and mindset graphic organizers, a list of read alouds and much much more.
Please hit the share button and share with your fellow colleagues. I Invite you to comment and follow me. Gearing up for a New Year and a New Me, Why not take the students along with me. Excited to see how they use these resources in January.
