Goal Setting With Elementary Students

Goal Setting With Elementary Students With the start of the new school year upon us, it is the perfect time to have your students begin school by learning how to set positive goals. Setting goals is an important life skill that all elementary students need to know. While the students may still be a bit too young to think about what college they want to go to, or the career they may want to have, its never too late to teach them the importance of setting, and achieving a goal. Here are a few tips to help your elementary students learn to set goals. Define What a "Goal" Means Elementary students may think the word goal means when you are referring to a sporting event. So, the first thing that you want to do is have students brainstorm what they think setting a goal means. You can use the reference of a sporting event to help you. For example, you can tell the students that when an athlete makes a goal, the goal is the result of their hard work. You can also have students look up the meaning in the dictionary. Webster’s Dictionary defines the word goal as â€Å"something that you are trying to do or achieve.† Teach the Importance of Goal Setting Once you have taught your elementary students the meaning of the word, now its time to teach the importance of setting goals. Discuss with your students that setting goals helps you become more confident in yourself, helps you make better decisions in your life, and gives you motivation. Ask students to think about a time that they had to sacrifice something that they really loved, for an even better outcome. You can give them an example if they are unsure. For instance, you can say: I really like to get a coffee and a donut before work every day but it can get really expensive. I want to surprise my children and take them on a family vacation, so I need to give up my morning routine in order to save money to do that. This example is showing your students that you have given up something that you really liked, for an even better outcome. It explains how powerful setting goals and achieving them can really be. By giving up your morning routine of coffee and donuts, you were able to save enough money to take your family on a vacation. Teach Students How to Set Realistic Goals Now that students understand the meaning of a goal, as well as the importance of setting goals, now its time to actually set a few realistic goals. Together as a class, brainstorm a few goals that you think are realistic. For example, students may say My goal is to get a better grade on my math test this month. Or I will strive to complete all of my homework assignments by Friday. By helping your students set small, achievable goals that can be achieved quickly, you will help them understand the process of setting and achieving a goal. Then, once they grasp this concept you can have them set even bigger goals. Have students focus on which goals are most important (make sure they are measurable, achievable, as well as specific). Develop a Method to Achieve the Goal Once students have chosen the specific goal that they want to achieve, the next step is to show them how they are going to achieve it. You can do this by showing students the following step-by-step procedure. For this example, the students goal is to pass their spelling test. Step 1: Do all spelling homework Step 2: Practice spelling words each day after school Step 3: Practice spelling worksheets each day Step 4: Play spelling games or go on the Spellingcity.com app Step 5: Get an A on my spelling test Make sure that students have a visual reminder of their goal. It is also wise that you have a daily or weekly meeting with each student to see how their goals are developing. Once they achieve their goal, its time to celebrate! Make a big deal out of it, this way it will want them to make even bigger goals in the future.

Get Some 411 on Growing Up With These Quotes

Get Some 411 on Growing Up With These Quotes If youre in the midst of some serious growing up stress boyfriends, girlfriends, friends, cliques, popularity, grades, sports, parents you might need a little life from those who have been there and survived.   Quotes About Growing Up The Wonder YearsGrowing up happens in a heartbeat. One day youre in diapers; the next day youre gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder whats to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been and look ahead to what would be. Other days. New days. Days to come. The thing is, we didnt have to hate each other for getting older. We just had to forgive ourselves ... for growing up. Alden NowlanThe day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself, he becomes wise. May Lamberton BeckerWe grow neither better nor worse as we get old, but more like ourselves. Walt DisneyToo many people grow up. Thats the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up. They forget. They dont remember what its like to be 12 years old. They patronize, they treat children as inferiors. Well, I wont do that. Christopher MorleyWeve had bad luck with children; theyve all grown up. Meredith GreyIve heard that its possible to grow up Ive just never met anyone whos actually done it. Dr. James C. DobsonSometimes, were so concerned about giving our children what we never had growing up, we neglect to give them what we did have growing up. Tom StoppardMaturity is a high price to pay for growing up. John J. PlompYou know children are growing up when they start asking questions that have answers. P. J. ORourkeYou know your children are growing up when they stop asking you where they came from and refuse to tell you where theyre going. Elizabeth TaylorI think Im finally growing up and about time. Elvis PresleyI was an only child, and Mother was always right with me all my life. I used to get very angry at her when I was growing up its a natural thing. Abraham LincolnYou have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was. J. M. BarrieGrowing up is such a barbarous business, full of inconvenience ... and pimples. Mary Beth DanielsonIf growing up is the process of creating ideas and dreams about what life should be, then maturity is letting go again. Ethel BarrymoreYou grow up the day you have your first real laugh at yourself. M. Scott PeckIt is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually. Sylvia PlathDoing all the little tricky things it takes to grow up, step by step, into an anxious and unsettling world. Casey StengelThe trick is growing up without growing old. Woody HarrelsonA grown-up is a child with layers on. Christopher AtkinsNow Im growing and I can see my faults. I can look at myself objectively and say I cant blame anyone else; it was my own damn fault. Beverly MitchellPart of growing up is just taking what you learn from that and moving on and not taking it to heart.