Blog
Skill Building for Life
Teaching children how to set and achieve reachable goals is the greatest gift we can give to prepare them for success in life. When we are equipped with the ability to achieve what we set out to accomplish, suddenly anything seems possible. It is these possibilities that build hope for the future and a future worth working to reach. The ability to set and reach our goals can improve self-confidence and enhance academic performance. For younger children, the most attainable goals are those that can be realistically completed in a week or at least significant progress can be made in a short period of time. Examples of short term goals students can set to practice their skills include finishing homework for the weekend on Friday so that the rest of the weekend is free, reading a new book every month, or practicing a sport or musical instrument for at least 30 minutes per day. As children develop and mature, their grasp of the concept of time and planning for the future increases and they can begin setting more complex goals that may take much more time and involve many more steps to accomplish. Regular practice in setting and reaching goals and reflecting on the outcome of their efforts will strengthen their confidence and ability to assimilate this process into their everyday lives. It is within this framework of positive expectations for the future, that we make better, healthier choices. The most critical step in setting and reaching goals is to Name a goal that can be reached. You can help students develop their action plans by instructing them to identify what needs to be done, how it will be done, and what tools or assistance is needed to make the goal a reality. Reachable goals meet the following four criteria: Personal – Commitment to the goals we set is the strongest driver for success. The goals we set must matter to us. They must be our goals. Possible – The goals we set must be reachable. They must be possible to achieve with the resources, time, and access we have available. Is the goal realistic given your situation? Do I have the time to reach this goal? Positive – Goals should be positive things a student wants to achieve or improve. i.e. “I want to improve my spelling to an 85% on the test” rather than, “I don’t want to do badly on the spelling test.” Specific – A goal needs to be measurable. Without benchmarks or other measures of performance, how do we know when we have reached the goal? A goal must be set to be reached within a certain time. With benchmarks and a timeline, we have something specific to work towards. Once the goal has been named and we are confident it is reachable, we can set out to complete the rest of the process. The next step is to picture yourself reaching the goal. Setting an image in our minds of our future success imprints the expectation that we can achieve what we set out to do. Coupled with a personal affirmation that we can indeed do what we set out to do instills an internal encouragement to do the work and keep at it even if the process becomes challenging. From there we have to plan out how we will accomplish the goal we set. Practice one hour each day for four weeks? Ask for extra help or tutoring? Collect study resources? Once the plan is in place, go for the goal, and when you have reached it, celebrate your success. The celebrating part is critical. The good feeling that comes with this kind of self-driven success is the foundation for future efforts to reach for the challenging and avoid doing things that could interfere with future success. Guiding children in learning and mastering their goal setting skills presents excellent opportunities for educators to mentor and be a positive role-model. Encourage your students to practice setting goals and challenging themselves to try for the things they want from life. Remind them that reaching goals isn’t always easy and to not give up if they don’t succeed on the first or tenth attempt. Goal setting and modeling positive behaviors for kids of all ages represent a fundamental aspect of Too Good programs. Contact us online to learn more, or call us at (800) 750-0986.
Read moreBlog
Using Social-Emotional Learning and Prevention Education Skills during the Summer
It’s hard to believe, but summer is almost half over. While children and teens are still on vacation for the next several weeks, parents may be concerned about how their kids are preparing for going back to school. While there are ways to combat academic summer learning loss, what can be done to maintain the social-emotional learning skills that many children gained during the school year? How can children continue to practice these skills even when they are away from the classroom for an extended period? A growing body of research is driving interest in social-emotional learning as an essential component of student success. Without skills like the ability to manage stress, to empathize with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and to engage successfully in the small-group work required for deeper learning, students cannot be successful. The Mendez Foundation is committed year-round to ensuring children grades K-12 are equipped with and building and maintaining skills that go beyond subject-matter knowledge in English, math, and science. Our Too Good programs provide a framework of social and emotional skills that develop goal-setting, decision-making, and effective communication skills. Too Good also builds additional skills for peer pressure refusal, pro-social bonding, conflict resolution, and media literacy. However, practicing these critical skills may not be top of mind for children and teens during summer vacation. There are, however, a few creative ways kids can continue to practice the skills they learned during the school year including: Goal Setting Set a goal to wake up earlier than usual in the morning during the summer to work on a project or hobby. Make a plan to read a certain number of books during the summer months. Decision Making Contribute ideas to where your family will visit for summer vacation this year. Take the initiative on what movie to see with your friends. Express Yourself Keep a journal of all the fun and exciting things you do over the summer. Talk honestly to an older sibling about how you feel about them going away to college or a different school in the fall. Bonding and Relationships Try a summer activity with your friends that you have never done before. Use peer pressure refusal strategies in situations where you feel uncomfortable. Summer is a great time for children and teens to practice the skills gained through social-emotional learning and prevention education outside of the classroom. The Mendez Foundation encourages children, teens, parents, and families to utilize these skills on a regular basis to ensure a fun and safe summer season. This way, children can continue to make healthy, risk-free choices and stay on the path to a more positive and brighter future.
Read moreThe Benefits of Writing Down Goals
Children who set reachable goals for themselves make an investment in their future. As a result, they are more likely to make responsible decisions that will keep them on track toward their goals and resist negative influences that would deter them from reaching their goals. Six key steps can help students set and achieve their goals. Students must begin by naming their goals. And when students write down their goals it concretizes them. The results are so positive it is hard to believe something so simple can be so effective. According to Forbes Magazine writer, Ashley Feinstein, a Harvard University study compared a body of students who had not set goals, students who had set goals but not written them down, and students who had set goals and written them down. They followed up with the class ten years later and found that the “3% who had written goals were earning, on average, ten times as much as the other 97% of the class combined!” Furthermore, NPR recently featured a University of Toronto professor, Jordan Peterson, who conducted a classroom experiment with goal-setting and writing. Peterson began with the “’goal-setting theory’ [which] holds that writing down concrete, specific goals and strategies can help people overcome obstacles and achieve.” He asserts writing positively influences students’ motivations to meet their goals. Peterson designed an undergraduate course that moved students through a series of writing exercises related to their goals. The results proved positive, especially with at-risk students, to increase student retention rates and overall academic achievement. One student, formerly involved in drug use, even proclaimed it turned her life around. Peterson’s process encouraged students to “reflect on important moments in their past, identify key personal motivations and create plans for the future, including specific goals and strategies to overcome obstacles." Once students have chosen a goal, picturing the goal as it is reached will help students define what they are aiming for. A positive attitude goes a long way toward helping students reach their goals, so the next step is for students to say “I Can” to their goals. With goals in place, students must then think of how to do it. This, again, is a place where writing is beneficial. Making a checklist can help students tangibly keep track of their action steps. Which brings us to the next step—Go for it! Well-planned goals are ready to be reached. Once the goal is achieved, students can enjoy celebrating their success. Feinstein writes, “How will you celebrate once you’ve reached your goal? As we journey to the realization of our goals, it’s important to remember our vision.” Starting with a clear picture of the goal, as well as writing down the goal and writing the action steps in the process, keeps the vision alive. Learning these best practices in school encourages students to aspire to academic success as learning becomes a means to a greater end. Students not only have the satisfaction of meeting their goals but also the knowledge and confidence they need to keep setting and reaching increasingly complex goals as they grow older. With these goal-setting skills in place, students are emboldened to reach out to a galaxy of dreams.
Read moreThe Possible Dream
Goal-setting is a cornerstone to effective prevention education. When children set goals for themselves, they make an investment in their future. The firmer their resolutions, the less likely they are to make decisions that would deter them from reaching those goals. They in turn develop a stronger moral compass, and they are less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as substance use and violence. Setting age appropriate goals for children, and encouraging them to set their own, will foster foundational expansion. However, it is crucial to recognize the stages of children’s cognitive development; children move from concrete to abstract thinking over the course of elementary school. In order for children to reach their goals, they must strive toward goals that are set within their stage of development. Furthermore, children who are able to discern short-term from long-term goals may set and reach their goals with greater confidence. While aiding children in setting and reaching goals, we must consider the most beneficial learning environment. In a recent Huffington Post article, Dr. Gail Gross, Family and Child Development Expert, writes, “As we guide children towards their fullest potential, we teach them through bonding, observation, social learning and role modeling, how to delay gratification and reach goals and resolutions.” Children thrive in a learning environment that encourages bonding and social learning. They establish a sense of individuality in relation to others, which is necessary for both autonomy and healthy relationship building. Social learning activities may include interactive games, media, and role-plays. These activities simulate real life social constructs so children may tangibly apply what they have learned to their own lives. But how does a social environment circle back to goal-setting? Once a community is established, children are able to feel both a sense of individuality and a sense of belonging to a group. These feelings in combination relieve stress in children, which in turn frees them up to set reachable goals for themselves. And the more capable children are of setting reachable goals, the more likely they are to take responsibility for their own actions and behaviors. Children will develop healthy decision making skills that will secure for them a safe and flourishing future.
Read more