Make Your Goal Stick

by Thad Falkner, Head of School

Students often set goals at the beginning of an academic year.  Yet, the start of a new calendar year is an opportunity for parents and educators to teach, or revisit, the valuable skill of goal-setting.
 
It comes as no surprise that achieving success often is the culminating activity to a goal that was set previously.  Examples of this success can be found in all areas, whether it be in the business office, orchestra pit, laboratory, athletic field, art studio or writer's desk.  Helping elementary and early childhood students gain the life skill of productively setting and working to realize a goal is a very worthwhile endeavor.  

Give it a try:

• First, introduce the topic to your child by sharing that teachers gave input about all the things they have learned, about their effort, and about their cooperation.  Discuss that this is the kind of feedback from which a goal can be set.
• Then, give a very basic summary of highlights.  At this time, it is important for the parent to also give their own special comment, or view of positive aspects.  For preschool students, emphasize only one or two things for attention, and elementary students can consider three to five.
• Next, ask for your child’s comments on that topic.  This encourages self-reflection.
• Follow that by asking, “What might be the one or two things you might place more, or different, effort toward with the goal of improvement or reaching an even higher level?”
• Now make a simple plan.  For children this plan is most effective if it can be articulated in one phrase or sentence.  Write this down (or draw a picture) and put it somewhere that it will be seen regularly.  
• Conclude by explaining you are a person to help along the way.  This sets accountability and provides encouragement, both are necessary for the plan to be effective.

​Children have multiple traits which contribute to why they learn so very rapidly, and we should take delight that two of these are enthusiasm and joy.  By introducing the skill of goal-setting, you leverage those traits to prepare a child for a milestone circumstance - realizing a significant accomplishment.  

Happy New Year, and here’s to enthusiasm, joy, and success for our students in 2018!