Gecko Talks: Initiative
By: Mr. Whit
Last week, students in 5th through 12th engaged in our new student-led advisory program at Saipan International School. Starting in October, students in middle and high school are using one homeroom period a month to focus on social and emotional learning (SEL). These sessions, called Gecko Talks, are centered around the school virtue each month. This month we talked about initiative.
In our first advisory class, students talked about how to set and achieve goals. Our essential questions were:
What are goals?
What is the benefit of setting goals?
How do you achieve your goals?
The classroom representatives also identified and broke down students’ long-term goals into short-term goals that could be achieved as early as this week.
The ultimate goal of this lesson was to give students some motivation to set and achieve a goal this year that will lead them to larger accomplishments down the road. Positive Psychology says: goal-setting….gives meaning to our actions and the purpose of achieving something higher.
It is easy, as a student, to wonder why we are learning the skills that we learn in school if we are just focused on our long-term goal. For example, what job requires me to write a thesis statement? When will I ever be asked to solve an equation? How does knowing what a cell is matter for my future?
But just like cells, all of these skills we learn while studying are building blocks to something larger. Learning the essential elements of math, science, history, and other subjects ultimately give students the skills to think critically and communicate effectively in all aspects of their lives. Learning how to organize what they need to learn for class and understanding why they need to learn it will serve them well no matter what future they pursue.
I was very proud of the students who both led and engaged in this lesson. Students were challenged to teach, communicate, and think about what their purpose is and how to keep their purpose in view in their horizon.
Want to follow-up with your students at home? Ask them about their short- and long-term goals. How can you work together as a family to help them reach these goals?