Responsive Classroom makes it clear that we should not only be setting goals for each and every lesson, but for the year as a whole. We as teachers understand that we are working towards the ultimate goal of achieving certain test scores, meeting standards and benchmarks, etc. BUT what about students setting goals for themselves?
We can guide students to talk about what they wish to achieve and how they hope to be successful during the year. Once the goal is set, i.e. "Count to 100 and read level 1 books," they can illustrate it. I use their illustrations and type their words on pages of a class book, which I laminate and place in my Take-A-Break spot. It's a great reminder when students might be checked-out in Take-A-Break of our purpose at school!
I also write their hopes and dreams for a bulletin board. This year I wrote them on kites and read them to each Kindergartner before I hung them up. I sent hope cloud shapes for parents with a note explaining "Hopes and Dreams" so they too, could write one for their child to hang on the board.
Here's how it turned out:
We can guide students to talk about what they wish to achieve and how they hope to be successful during the year. Once the goal is set, i.e. "Count to 100 and read level 1 books," they can illustrate it. I use their illustrations and type their words on pages of a class book, which I laminate and place in my Take-A-Break spot. It's a great reminder when students might be checked-out in Take-A-Break of our purpose at school!
I also write their hopes and dreams for a bulletin board. This year I wrote them on kites and read them to each Kindergartner before I hung them up. I sent hope cloud shapes for parents with a note explaining "Hopes and Dreams" so they too, could write one for their child to hang on the board.
Here's how it turned out:
