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Below are resources that I have found useful for Quarter 1. These would be great to use in community time. Links are colored coordinated: Below is also journal topics.

Pink- Growth Mindset Intro
Green- Goal Setting
Yellow- All about the Brain

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Lots of resources in this four week plan! 

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Lots of resources in this four week plan! 

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Look through this for ideas!

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How to Teach Growth Mindset to Children (The 4-Week Guide)

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We ALL have beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. How we understand and react to that world depends on our mindset. Discovered by psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck, mindset refers to the way we look at our abilities and intelligence as qualities we can change and grow.

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This article breaks down different aspect of growth mindset and how they relate to fixed mindset. Might be a great starting point for discussion and ideas!

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There's something that every child and adolescent needs to believe with every cell in their bodies. When they do, they will thrive. There is a powerful way that we, as the adults in their lives, can nurture this belief and set them up to learn, grow and flourish.

They need to know that their brains can grow stronger - measurably stronger - with time and effort. It sounds simple, but the effects of believing this are profound. Some children will have been born believing this, but others will be certain that they are as they are and that nothing will change that.

There is no doubt that encouragement and praise are vital for kids of all ages, helping to lift them to great heights - but not all praise is good praise. The research around this is robust, leaving little doubt that different types of praise, though given with the most loving intent, can potentially be harmful to our kids and teens.

'The wrong kind of praise creates self-defeating behavior. The right kind motivates children to learn.' - Carol Dweck

Carol Dweck is a leader in the field and according to an abundance of research conducted on children from as young as four, right through to adolescence, praise that focuses on intelligence ('You're so clever!') will ultimately undermine achievement and performance. One of the main reasons is because of the effect it has on their mindset.

Children generally tend towards one of two types of mindsets - a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. Praise that focusses on intelligence promotes a fixed mindset, which is the belief that intelligence cannot be changed in any meaningful way. Children with a fixed mindset believe that they are born with certain character traits and a fixed amount of intelligence and creativity, and that nothing they do will change that in any meaningful way.

In contrast, praise that focuses on effort ('You've worked really hard on that!) promotes a growth mindset, which is the belief that intelligence can grow and be strengthened with effort. Children with a growth mindset believe that they are capable of achieving what they want if they put in the time and effort to get there.

Fixed Mindset v. Growth Mindset. The Mind-Blowing Differences.

The effects of mindset are remarkable. Here are some of the big differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.

Giving Up (Fixed) v. Persistence (Growth)

A growth mindset fosters motivation, resilience and persistence. A fixed mindset kills it.

Children who believe that intelligence lies with the genetically blessed are quicker to give up, believing that if they can't do something, it's because they aren't smart enough, creative enough, good enough, whatever enough.

Children who have a growth mindset on the other hand, are more likely to keep working hard towards a goal, believing that all that stands between them and success is the right amount of effort.

Lack of Confidence (Fixed) v. Confidence (Growth)

Children with a fixed mindset are more likely to interpret difficulty as confirmation that they don't have what it takes. If success means they are clever ('You did it! You're so clever!'), then a lack of success means they aren't. Once children believe this, their lack of confidence spills into other tasks, eventually wearing down their motivation and their love of learning.

Praising children for effort will lift them above the times they don't do as well as they would like - which, let's be honest, happens to all of us. They will interpret a lack of success as a sign that they need to work a little harder or differently, rather than as evidence of a personal deficiency.

Avoid Challenge (Fixed) v. Embrace Challenge (Growth)

When given the choice between a challenging task or an easy task, children with a fixed mindset will be more likely to choose the easy task. If children believe their intelligence is fixed and impossible to change, it is understandable that they will choose easy tasks to prove themselves. This leaves very limited scope for the vulnerability needed to learn and grow. Learning is all about starting at the edge of our capabilities and pushing beyond them. That will mean sometimes failing, sometimes falling, and sometimes admitting that, for the moment, we haven't got a clue.

Children with a growth mindset will embrace challenge, seeing it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Failure: Personal Deficiency (Fixed) v. Opportunity to Learn (Growth)

Children with a fixed mindset will be more likely to interpret failure as evidence of their lack of intelligence or capability.

Failure isn't so bleak for kids with a growth mindset. They have a healthy attitude to failure, seeing it as an opportunity to learn. Even when they are disappointed, they are able to keep their confidence intact and bounce back from the stumbles, believing they have it in them to succeed if they keep working at it.

Hiding the Struggle (Fixed) v. Seeking Help (Growth).

Children who believe their performance will be attributed to intelligence, or to something about themselves that can't be changed, will be more likely to hide their struggles and lie about their mistakes. In Dweck's research, almost 40% of children who had been praised for intelligence, compared to 10% of children who had been praised for effort lied when they were asked to anonymously disclose the number of mistakes they made. When children believe that intelligence is fixed they will identify themselves as 'smart' or 'not smart'. Rather than seeing mistakes as a sign that they may need to work a little harder, they will see mistakes as evidence of a lack of inherent capability and will work harder to stop the world from seeing them as 'stupid' or incapable.

On the other hand, children with a growth mindset will be more likely to seek help when something gets in their way, believing the capability is in them, but they just need a hand to find it.

Nurturing a Growth Mindset.

A growth mindset will supercharge their capacity to learn and grow. We know that for certain. Parents, teachers and any important adult in the life of a child or adolescent has enormous power to steer them towards the happy headspace of a growth mindset. Here's how.

1. Tell them, over and over and over that 'Brains can get stronger.'

As if being a brain wasn't impressive enough, they've proven to be all the more remarkable by showing how much they can change. 'Brains can get stronger.' Say this over and over to the kids in your life until they're reciting you or telling you to stop - and then keep going. The more they can believe this, the more empowered they'll be to keep doing what they need to do to strengthen that powerhouse in their heads. Here is one way to explain it to them.

'Imagine that in your brain are billions of tiny lightbulbs. There is a lightbulb for everything you could ever do. There's a dancing lightbulb, a maths lightbulb, a soccer lightbulb, an imagination lightbulb, a science lightbulb, a cooking lightbulb, a flying a plane lightbulb .... You get the idea. The thing is, they only turn on when you do what they are there for, so not all of your light bulbs will glow all the time. Some of them will never glow at all. That's exactly as it should be. Nobody is great at absolutely everything!

The really cool thing about these lightbulbs is that the more you turn them on (by practicing whatever it is they're there for), the brighter they glow, and the brighter they glow, the stronger your brain. The first time you try something, its lightbulb will only glow a little bit but the more you practice and learn that thing, the brighter that lightbulb will glow. Remember, not all of these lightbulbs are glowing all the time - only the ones that have been turned on.

If you never ride a bike, for example, the riding-a-bike lightbulb won't glow at all. The first time you ride a bike, that lightbulb will glow just a little bit. The more you ride your bike, the brighter the riding-a-bike lightbulb will glow. It might take a lot of practice before your riding-a-bike lightbulb is as bright as your teeth-brushing lightbulb but when it is as bright, you'll be just as good at riding a bike as you are at brushing your teeth.

Of course, your teeth-brushing lightbulb is very bright because you brush your teeth every morning and every night! When it comes to riding bikes though, you might fall off a few times but that doesn't mean that you can't be great at riding bikes. It just means that you're not good at riding them yet. You're still charging up that lightbulb.

Every time you learn something or practice something, you're turning on a lightbulb and strengthening your brain. In the same way exercise makes your body strong by strengthening your muscles, learning and practicing makes your brain strong. You're very capable of learning things and strengthening your brain, but no brain is going to build itself. All brains can all be strong, smart and capable of amazing things, but they need you to work and make the lightbulbs glow ... and you can do that brilliantly.

2. Pay attention to effort over results.

A grade that has been earned with hard work, whatever that grade is, should always be rewarded before something that was achieved without effort.

'You studied hard for that exam and your marks show that. That's great!'

'It was a hard assignment but you didn't give up. You kept going and working hard and you did it!' 'I loved the way you kept trying different things until you found something that worked.'

3. Catch them being persistent.

Any time you see them putting in effort, working hard towards a goal or being persistent, acknowledge it. It doesn't mean you have to gush with praise every time they apply themselveg, but it will mean a lot to them that you notice. 'You're working hard at that aren't you.'

4. Be specific with praise.

Attach your praise to something specific. Rather than 'You're really smart,' try 'It was really clever the way you experimented with a few different ways to solve that problem. Nice work!'

5. Encourage a healthy attitude to failure and challenge.

Speak of failure and challenge in terms of them being an opportunity to learn and grow.

6. Use the word 'yet', and use it often.

When they say 'I don't know how to do it', encourage them to replace this with, 'I don't know how to do it yet. ' Keep doing this and soon they will learn to do this for themselves. Self-talk is a powerful thing.

7. Show them that they don't always have to be successful to be okay.

Kids don't learn what they're told, they learn what they see. Let them see when you hit a snag (when it's appropriate of course) and let them see you being okay with that. Talk about the things you learn when something doesn't quite go as planned. If you take a wrong turn, for example, point out the interesting things you notice now that you're on a different road. Failure is part of learning and has absolutely nothing at all to do with how clever or capable they are. It's an opportunity to learn, in disguise.

8. Encourage them to keep the big picture in mind.

It's where they end up that matters. The stumbles on the way are just part of the learning and the way there. Learning takes time and the path won't be straight - it will be crooked and interesting and full of great opportunities, exactly as it was meant to be.

9. When they do well without effort ...

For a student who does really well without putting in any effort, it's still important to hold back from making it all about how clever or capable they are. Instead, Dweck suggests trying, 'Ok. That was too easy for you. Let's see if there's something more challenging that you can learn from.'

10. And when they put in the effort but don't do so well ...

If they've worked hard but haven't achieved what they wanted, notice the effort. This will nurture their confidence, resilience and motivation to keep learning and working hard. 'I loved seeing the effort you put into that assignment. Let's see what you can learn from for next time.'

11. Permission to fail.

Take the anxiety out of learning and put back the love. Giving kids permission to get it wrong sometimes will broaden their willingness to take risks and experiment with better ways of doing things. This will expand their creativity, problem solving and readiness to embrace challenge.

And finally...

Intelligence is not fixed and can be flourished with time and effort. Nurturing this belief in children is one of the greatest things we, as the adults in their lives, can do to help lift them so they can reach their full potential. The effort will come from them, but it's important that we do what we can to have them believe that the effort will be worth it.

Filed under: Adolescents, Children
Tags: academic performance, adolescence, children, growth mindset, learning, school, with kids

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Positioning Kids & Teens to Thrive: 11 Practical, Powerful Ways to Build a Growth Mindset -

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There's something that every child and adolescent needs to believe with every cell in their bodies. When they do, they will thrive. There is a powerful way that we, as the adults in their lives, can nurture this belief and set them up to learn, grow and flourish.

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I have done this paper challenge with my class before and they loved the connection. Make sure to also relate it with a discussion :)

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Ladies and Gentleman... we officially have the first week down in the books!!

And what an AMAZING week it was!! #BestFirstWeekEver!!

My kiddos are just awesome. We learned a lot and laughed a lot! My own children also had a great week (aside from a quick bout of a stomach bug that kept one home for a day!). My oldest, Drew, started 1st grade. My middle, Quinn, started Kindergarten. And my toddler twins, Addy and Chase, began two-mornings-a-week preschool. Additionally, Mr. Musings from the Middle School (my husband Dennis), started a new school year, too!

Phew!! My head is spinning!

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great weekend and recovering from this busy time of year.

This post is mainly a pictorial of some of the goings on in my classroom this week. As we settle into our routine, I'll be back with more "meaty" posts (and hopefully some new videos, too!).

One of my favorite activities from the week was this Growth Mindset lesson that I adapted from here. Basically, the kids had to create the image on top using just a piece of paper and scissors. It was NOT easy... but that's exactly the point! As the kids worked, I wrote down some of the comments I heard. Things like, "this is impossible," and "I give up!" After I let them struggle for a while, I brought them back together and discussed the activity with them. It was eye-opening to see their words. They all agreed that their attitude was too negative so of course they would never have been successful. Then we read the Growth Mindset posters hanging in our room and discussed what each one meant. I closed with this video from Khan Academy. It was a fun and powerful lesson.

One of the BEST purchases I made from TpT for this school year is the Icebreakers that Rock bundle from Cult of Pedagogy. This product contains three PowerPoint activities that allow students to talk to each other in an easy, comfortable way. What is great about these is that you can use them as one, big activity, or you can break them up, showing just a few slides here and there, as "brain breaks" through out the day. That is how I used them.

So, on the first day, I did a big "Find Someone Who" activity with them. This allowed all the kids to learn each other's names. Next, I assigned them all their lockers and we practiced opening the combination locks (super-stressful for these first time locker users)! After that, we did a few slides from Icebreakers that Rock. Then, we went over the syllabus. Next, a few more Icebreakers that Rock slides. After that, I handed out and went over all the paperwork that had to go home and be signed (oh, the paperwork!!!). Then, a few more slides right before lunch. And then a few more right after lunch. Next up, a tour of the building. Then a few more slides before trying our lockers again. Finally, another slide right before dismissal. It was the perfect break/filler/attention-getter/distraction to use throughout the day... actually, I used the slides throughout the whole week! Run to TpT and pick this product up today! Totally worth every penny.

(Some of the slides can be done silently. I LOVED these slides!!)

Of course, we had to number our notebooks to get ready for ELA next week. I always tell kids that this is the easiest, most difficult task that we do all year :)

I really the love smell of a Mr. Sketch anchor poster in the morning! This year, I'm starting with Reading Nonfiction: Notice and Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies. My thinking is that it will really help with getting started with Article of the Week. Here is one of several of the posters I'll be using to teach these strategies.

I'm jumping on the#ObserveMe bandwagon! Read more about it here. I'll keep you updated on how this goes throughout the year!

Okay... that is enough for now! The beach is calling my name... nothing beats September here at the Jersey Shore!

Hope the back-to-school season is treating you well! I'd love to hear how your school year is going so far.

Happy Teaching!!

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A blog about teaching middle school ELA and math.

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Some great ones! Love the sort, that you can easily make based on your students and grade level.

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We all want our students to be successful. We do everything in our power to make sure that they can be, but how can we empower them to take ownership and grow on their own? We instill a growth mindset. It's not an overnight fix. It takes time, but if we begin to instill a mindset that anything is possible then they begin to know that anything is possible. They don't know anything different! Students will begin to see that there is no limit, and that their future belongs to them.

How do you get started instilling a growth mindset? Here are six activities to jumpstart growth.

1. Introduce Growth Mindset with Books and Video Clips

When initially introducing growth mindset to students, I begin my explaining that we are born to learn. We can train our brains to do whatever we want to do. I begin my showing them the video clip from Kahn Academy titled You Can Learn Anything. Another video that students really love is this growth mindset video.

The book My Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak Ph.D is a good book to read with students also. It explains that the brain can be strengthened by not giving up!

Read aloud a variety of other picture books in which the character possesses a growth mindset. This is a good way to introduce the concept as well. The characters in these books have many obstacles, but they don't give up. Discuss with students what the character did to overcome their challenges. Did they give up? Would it have been easy to do so? Have students make connections with something that may have been hard for them like the character's in each story. Did they give up? Could they have done something differently? Allow students to share their thoughts and ideas with classmates. Here are five of my favorite read alouds.
There are affiliate links below. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

Show students a variety of video clips where, like the books, the character possesses a growth mindset. The internet is full of these types of clips. You simply need to look for clips where the character is trying to overcome a challenge and doesn't give up. Below, you will find links to some of my favorites.

Soar: An Animated Short

Shakira - Try Everything

2. Introduce the word YET

By simply introducing the word YET, students can easily change a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. For example, if a student says, "I can't multiply by sixes" by simply adding the word yet changes the entire meaning of the phrase. "I can't multiply by sixes yet." This one word takes what might seem hard or impossible and changes it into something that they feel is attainable.

You can use these I can't Yet slips to get students thinking about what they can't do, but they will be able to do by the steps they think will get them there.

You can also project this poster as a reminder of the power of yet.

3. Sort Mindset Phrases

Once students are familiar with the difference between and fixed and growth mindset, provide them with different fixed and growth mindset phrases to sort. As they are sorting the phrases, encourage them to talk with partners about why each phrase belongs in the category that they placed it in. You will be amazed at the conversations that happen.

4. Change Fixed Mindset Phrases to Growth Mindset

Use the fixed mindset phrases from the sort or create your own fixed mindset phrases for students to change to a growth mindset. Consider using a cooperative learning strategy such as Round Table (see below), so that students are able to work cooperatively with classmates but with equal participation.

5. Create a Classroom Growth Mindset Slogan

What better way to begin cultivating a growth mindset classroom than with a whole classroom slogan! In teams have students come up with possible growth mindset slogans. Compile each team's slogan on an anchor chart. Once you have all team's slogan, have them regroup and try to come up with another slogan using a combination of slogans. This activity may be stretched out over several days. Once teams have created another slogan, have them share again while you collect. As a class, discuss the different possibilities and come up with a growth mindset slogan that student agree by voting for the best.

6. Set micro-goals for classroom, teams, and/or individually

Create micro-goals for the class, or have teams or individual students create their own goals. Keep goals small at first. By making small goals, students will find success early which, with time, will lead to the ability to create and reach bigger goals. This keeps students motivated and aspiring to reach their goals.

Get started with creating a growth mindset in your classroom by downloading the above activities for FREE HERE.

I have linked up with some other amazing bloggers to share ways to integrate a growth mindset in the classroom. Be sure to check out the other resources and tips below!

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6 Activities to Jumpstart a Growth Mindset Classroom - Teaching With Simplicity

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We all want our students to be successful. We do everything in our power to make sure that they can be, but how can we empower them to take ownership and grow on their own? We instill a growth mindset. It's not an overnight fix.

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A great video to start a discussion!

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Growth Mindset Introduction: What it is, How it Works, and Why it Matters

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Some great thoughts and things that can be implemented DAY ONE and all year long!

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Dr. Carol Dweck researched thousands of students. Her discoveries about growth mindset have had a direct impact on so many classrooms! That's because her work found that students with a growth mindset achieved more than those with a fixed mindset. Of course, teachers took action! Teaching lessons that help students develop a growth mindset became just as important as the other great lessons teachers teach...and that's a good thing!
Like many lessons that help students develop as learners, growth mindset is one of those concepts that lends itself to teaching many times throughout the year. It's not a "one and done" concept. That's why I thought that it would be fun to compile a bunch of ways to help students develop a growth mindset all year long.

Let's dive into those 9 ways to develop a growth mindset, shall we?

Music can be a powerful instructional tool. It can help make lessons more lively, meaningful, and inspirational. So, what better way to expose students to the core values of growth mindset than with a little music? Here are just a few songs that focus on persistence, courage, and perseverance...
➤"It's Not Over Yet" by for King and Country (an encouraging song about not giving up)
➤"Rise Up" by Andra Day (a motivational song about staying strong)
➤"Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor (a classic song about fighting through adversity)

Besides just playing the songs in the classroom, you can make the messages in the growth mindset songs "stick" with these activities: --- Pass out the
lyrics of the songs. Then, have students select their favorite growth mindset line from the song. You might have students write the lyric on a post-it note. Then, they can discuss their favorite lines with the class or even stick them on their desks for daily inspiration.

--- Send students on a --- Have the class pick a growth mindset song hunt. Challenge students to find songs that have a growth mindset theme. Or, have students find an artist that has demonstrated a growth mindset in his or her life.
growth mindset theme song. Perhaps students could vote on songs that you've selected. Or students could bring in growth mindset song "contenders." Then, the class could pick a growth mindset song to be the class's theme song. You could play this song and discuss it's meaning at different times throughout the year.

If you're looking for ways to get students excited about developing a growth mindset, the trick may just be with ➤ Doodle Desk Cards - These doodles! When students doodle or create sketches of something, they activate different parts of their brains. Doodling helps students make connections to their learning, so what better way to drive home the concepts of growth mindset than with doodles? Here are a few ways to help students get their "doodle on."
FREE doodle desk cards combine growth mindset quotes with growth mindset words and expressions. Students combine doodling with inspiration as they create desk cards that can sit right on their desks as a constant reminder of growth mindset.

➤ Doodle Growth Mindset Makeovers - When discussing the difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset, challenge students to doodle what they look and feel like with a fixed mindset. Then, have them I've also put together a give those mindsets a makeover with another doodle.
➤ Doodle Article and Notes - super fun Doodle and Do resource that combines a doodle article and notes. Students doodle their way through learning about growth mindset before they complete 4 engaging activities (many from the ideas I'll share below). It makes learning about growth mindset so fun and meaningful!

After students learn about growth mindset, it's fun to give them a chance to reflect on times when they have demonstrated a growth mindset. I love to use the analogy of a lock and key when discussing growth mindset. A locked lock represents a fixed mindset or a challenge. The key represents a growth mindset. When students have a growth mindset, they can unlock any challenge. You might use this same analogy in your classroom and pair it with a reflection. This analogy works great as the basis for a class discussion, but I've also turned it into a simple reflection activity.

All you need is a open lock and key graphic. Have students write a challenge that they have faced inside the lock shape. Then, discuss how having a growth mindset can help students overcome the challenge. Task students to write about their growth mindset inside the key. I like to add string to the key and hang it around the lock shape.
This reflection activity is great because students can connect growth mindset to their own lives!

➤ Have pairs of students or small groups write ➤ Give groups of students
What's better than helping students develop a growth mindset AND building classroom community at the same time? That's why I love infusing growth mindset into collaborative activities! Here are a few ways to do just that...
Growth Mindset Skits that they can perform for the class. Present the class with a fictional challenge. Then, have groups write one skit where the main character responds to the challenge with a fixed mindset. Have them write an additional skit where the character responds with a growth mindset. Encourage students to be over-dramatic when creating and performing the skit. This makes for fun discussions, funny skits...and tons of learning!

Growth Mindset Discussion Cards. These do not need to be fancy. You'll just want a set of 5-7 cards with targeted questions for students to discuss about growth mindset.

A great way to demonstrate the power of growth mindset is with historical figures. When students learn that great leaders and change-makers overcame challenges, they can see first-hand that intelligence and success is developed, not innate. Here are a few ways to develop growth mindset with history... ➤ Combine research, writing, and growth mindset with
Growth Mindset Research Projects. Have students research famous people and find evidence of their growth mindset. Take it a step further and have students make fun 3-D projects!

➤ Set up a ➤ Read Growth Mindset Person of the Week. Each week you could discuss a famous person and his or her growth mindset. Some of my favorites are Malala Yousafzai, biographies about famous people who have a growth mindset as a read aloud to students. Take time to discuss how the person demonstrated a growth mindset in his or her lifetime. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Albert Einstein.

Instantly engage students as they learn about growth mindset with a fun art activity or project!

➤ Have students design coloring sheets with ➤ Challenge students to draw silhouettes or their faces (or provide generic templates). Then, have students fill the silhouettes with words and images from magazines that Growth Mindset Quotes. Then, you can create copies for the class. The entire class can work on each other's sheets at the same time or you can set them aside as an activity for fast finishers.
represent growth mindset.

Providing students with lots of opportunities to write is an awesome way to help students develop a growth mindset. I'm particularly fond of using writing prompts to spark writing in the classroom. You might give students different prompts throughout the school year. They could even create a Growth Mindset Journal where they respond to the different prompts. Or, you could have them make fun
Writing Prompt Pockets with growth mindset prompts.

No matter how you do it, getting students writing and reflecting on their own growth mindset is a win! Here are a few prompts to get you started...
--- Write about a time when you had a fixed mindset. What challenge were you facing? What thoughts were going through your head? How did the fixed mindset impact your success?
--- Imagine that you are visiting a classroom in a lower grade. When you arrive, you see a student struggling with his math work. He tells you that he's terrible at math. He even crumples up his paper. What can you do to help him? How can you teach him about growth mindset?
--- Give one of your thoughts a "mindset makeover." What is something you struggle with? What do you usually say to yourself about that task? Now, give those thoughts a makeover. What new thoughts could you think to help you have a growth mindset?

Another way to help students develop a growth mindset is by giving them opportunities to see how the adults in their lives have a growth mindset. To do just that, you could...

➤ Model growth mindset in the classroom. You're one of most influential people in your students' lives, so be sure to use growth mindset statements throughout your day. Be open about your struggles and model how you can respond with a growth mindset.

➤ Get parents involved. Set up a collaborative writing prompt with students and their parents. This is especially fun at Open House, but you can do it at any time throughout the year. Just download this FREEBIE and get students and parents writing about growth mindset.

➤ Pair a poem with a couple of targeted questions for ➤ Give ➤ Teach the
Poetry is a quick and easy way to develop growth mindset. Poems like "Listen to the Mustn'ts" by Shel Silverstein and "The Man Who Thinks He Can" by Walter D. Wintle are great! Once you find poems that relate to growth mindset, you can use them to highlight growth mindset in lots of ways. You could...
morning work. Then, discuss the poem and students' responses.
small groups a poem along with a few discussion questions. Students can read and analyze the poem together. Then, as an entire class, you could discuss its connection to growth mindset.
critical skill of poetry analysis with a growth mindset poem. My favorite way to do this is with interactive flip books!

➤ Select a poem to read aloud to students. Reading poetry can even help students settle back into learning after lunch or a special. Check out my favorite poems to teach growth mindset here.

Well, there you have it, 9 ways to develop a growth mindset in your classroom all year long.

AND if you're looking for even MORE ideas, be sure to pop over to Laura Candler's blog. She's teamed up with some awesome teacher-authors to share more growth mindset ideas!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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9 Ways to Develop Growth Mindset in the Classroom All Year Long

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Dr. Carol Dweck researched thousands of students. Her discoveries about growth mindset have had a direct impact on so many classrooms! Th...

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Great for first or second grade :) Could do a page or two for a week!

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A great way to describe growth mindset.

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One of my FAVORITE activities! Great for upper grades that incorporates all aspects of growth mindset in such a creative manner!

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We have been working with the idea of growth mindset all year long so as a "final" recap project, I wanted the kids to do a little reflective writing. Using an "I Am" Poem template, the kids wrote their own I Am poems with a growth mindset twist.

Now, there are hundreds of "I Am" Poem templates online to choose from. I happened to use this one here , but you can use any of them. I didn't make copies, rather, I did a sort of "guided writing" with the kids. I wrote the sentence stem on the board and then did my own example. Since I wanted them to write with a growth mindset twist, I modeled that for them.

I am a hard worker who strives to learn all I can.

I try to keep in mind that if I don't get it the first time, I will if I try again.

I hope that I will never lose my ability to persevere.

After I modeled, the kids were then able to write that particular line on their own. We did this for the first half of the poem. Then I wrote the rest of the sentence stems and they were off to write independently.

To display the poems (which really did show a great deal of reflection and focus on a growth mindset), I gave the students an outline of a lightbulb. Using a concrete poem style, the students wrote their entire "I Am" poem around the outline so that, when it was complete, the lightbulb shown through the words.

I took a pic of the kids "holding" the lightbulb and then they drew themselves somewhere, anywhere, where they would have to have a growth mindset to succeed.

All in all, this came out just as I was envisioning. It was reflective, academic, and a tad bit fun. The kids enjoyed it and loved reading each others' work.

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Hi! I am Stephanie, an upper elementary teacher, who is obsessed with creating rigorous, engaging, and long lasting lessons for my students. I share practical ideas that can be implemented in the classroom immediately.

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This would be great for upper grades! I can see this being used during the first couple days to discuss growth mindset! Look at page 13 and 14 of PDF.

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A breakout all about growth mindset. See Leggette or Stephens to borrow boxes :)

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There is more in the library! A great way to introduce and then discuss!

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18 Perfect Read-Alouds for Teaching Growth Mindset

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Can be used for growth mindset or goal setting!

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Has some great anchor charts for the primary grades.

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This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. View disclosure policy HERE.
Goal Setting for Kids: A list of steps for teachers to take when teaching children to reflect and set goals, using the 3 stars and a wish approach.
As teachers, we all want our students to succeed in life, right? RIGHT! We want our students to be effective problem solvers. We want them to set goals and ACHIEVE them. Teaching children to reflect and set goals is an important lesson that needs to be taught starting at a young age.

Why is Goal Setting for Kids Important?

Goal setting is a lesson that should be revisited and worked on throughout life. Adults continually reflect on life and past goals and use that information to set new goals. Aristotle said, "Man is a goal seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals." Having something to focus on and work towards, helps us to be productive human beings. It is our responsibility to teach these skills to children.

It can be frustrating when a child doesn't try hard enough when you see the potential. We try to encourage them to try harder or care, with little result. Is there a solution? One thing you can do is teach them how to set goals and achieve them, one step at a time. Setting goals and working towards them teaches children perseverance. This is an important skill in life and one that they will need along the way.

How to Teach Goal Setting for Kids

A part of it is teaching children to reflect on things they do well and things they need to improve on. Another part of it is teaching children what a goal is, how to pick the right one, and making a plan to achieve the goal that they set. This needs to be taught at home and at school.

Children need direction and encouragement in this. Parents are useful is having daily conversations with their children and checking in to see how things are going. Parents may find special checklists or charts helpful in keeping their children on track, along with certain incentives to gain interest.

Teachers are useful in providing an approach to goal setting that is systematic (i.e., can be done during each term of the year) and age-appropriate (i.e., develop lessons for their particular grade level). Teachers can set a few times in the year to reflect on, set, and plan for achieving goals.

Goal Setting Activities for the Classroom

Below are some strategies for teaching children to reflect and set goals. Try these strategies in your classroom. Hopefully, your students will learn the skills to tackle their own challenges in the future.

Goal Setting Activities: Reflect on Things They Do Well

Start by having a discussion about the things that children feel they do well. Brainstorm these ideas on a chart or whiteboard. This is a positive way to start the goal-setting process because they are thinking of things they have achieved and learned already. Discuss how these things make them feel. Encourage them to recall how they went about learning those things. What steps did they take? Did they set a goal and work towards it?

Goal Setting Activities: Reflect on Things They Need to Improve

It is also important to reflect on the things they need to work on, improve, or learn. Before a child can decide which goal to set, they have to think of something that is worth working towards. Children should choose something that interests them or a skill that they need for life. Steve Garvey said, "You have to set goals that are almost out of reach. If you set a goal that is attainable without much work or thought, you are stuck with something below your true talent and potential." Some examples of goals for children are learning to swim underwater, tying their shoelaces, or riding a bicycle. Some examples for school could be counting to 100, learning to read a particular book, or climbing the rope in gym class.

Goal Setting Activities: 3 Stars and a Wish

Before making a plan with the teacher, I suggest that students record their ideas in the form of stars and wishes. You have probably heard of "3 Stars and a Wish" before and it's a great idea! I use this approach for many things during the school year. We think of STARS, the things we do well, and WISHES, the things to work on. Students use the ideas they come up with during our reflection as a class and record their ideas. The idea they choose for their wish becomes their new goal for school.

This form provides a valuable assessment tool. I use the 3 Stars and a Wish reflection sheets during meetings and conferences with parents. Parents want to see how their children are doing and appreciate that they get to hear how their child sees themselves. They appreciate this information because then they can discuss it at home. I keep a copy of the reflection sheets in the student portfolios with a collection of work completed that year. This helps provide a timeline of the progress made. To read about how I create student portfolios and use them during student-led conferences, head HERE.

The 3 Stars and a Wish printable is available for FREE by clicking the image below. You will receive 2 variations and each has either 2 or 3 stars to suit your needs.

Making a Plan for Teaching Goal Setting for Kids

Whatever the goal may be, children need to make a plan! Antoine de Saint Exupery said, "A goal without a plan is just a wish."

I meet with each student individually and we discuss their new goal. We make a plan together and discuss the plan of action. We come up with small, workable steps together. They will most likely need a teacher's help along the way. Check-in periodically with your students to see how they are doing and feeling about their progress. Having a chart visually available to a child is extremely helpful. This way they can see what they've done and what they still need to do. Kid Pointz has a free printable chart that you can download HERE.

Goal Setting for Kids Requires a Timeline

It is also important to have a timeline when teaching children to set and achieve goals. Different goals take different amounts of time and effort. Teachers can help guide students to choose goals that are smaller and can be completed within a reasonable time. I suggest teaching children to reflect and set goals 3 times during the school year. With this approach, each goal should take about 3 months or so to achieve. At the end of the term, a particular goal may continue to be a student's focus for the following term.

Rewards and Incentives to Encourage Goal Setting for Kids

A big motivator for children is the reward they receive when they accomplish their goal. To some, achieving a goal is the intrinsic reward. However, that might not be enough of a motivator for some children. Teachers may want to offer another incentive. Stickers are a fun and simple reward that can be used on charts like these. I like to use classroom coupons as rewards. They can be given each time a student completes a step towards their goal. A classroom party might be a fun way to reward the entire class at the end of the term.

Looking for another fun way for your students to set goals for the new year? Create a fireworks display of goals in your classroom!

I suggest printing them on colored cardstock to create a colorful display! You could also make a mobile of fireworks hanging from a string.

Grab this FREE Fireworks Goals for the New Year printable by clicking the image below. It includes 2 types of firework goals for you to choose from.

Do you teach goal setting for kids? I'd love to hear from you!

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you would like more tips and ideas from me, be sure to follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to stay connected with the latest news and freebies!
Teach Kids How to Be Responsible Teaching Responsibility in the Classroom
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Teaching Children to Reflect and Set Goals

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This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. View disclosure policy HERE . Goal Setting for Kids: A list of steps for teachers to take when teaching children to reflect and set goals, using the 3 stars and a wish approach. As teachers, we all want our students to succeed in life, right?

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Comes with a booklet to make. Great way for students to see how a goal must reach different aspects.

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This can be written and a drawing activity.

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A great lesson plan to teach goal setting with a wonderful book!

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Lots of these are in the library!

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Read alouds in the growth oriented classroom are a powerful way for students to learn how to set goals and create a plan for achieving them.

Teaching by way of a mentor text helps learners to see how people who set and achieve goals demonstrate perseverance and grit through the process.

Goal setting is not easy for everyone. In addition, our friends may feel defeated or overwhelmed when they set goals and think of the stamina and grit needed to achieve them.

Using a mentor text enables students have a common language to use in their own experiences when facing obstacles and success. It creates an opportunity for our students to identify and analyze characters' strengths and weaknesses.

A mentor text also creates a safeness for them to be vulnerable while looking deeply at a character and later identifying the same traits and experiences within themselves. For example, my student who was struggling to demonstrate an understanding of adding and subtracting 10's to a given number said to others in his small group, "If Ping didn't give up, neither will I, I know I can do this if I just try again!"
There are so many awesome goal setting mentor texts, here is a peek at some of my favorites! I have ordered them as appropriate for our youngest to oldest elementary students. Note: This post contains affiliate links. This means I receive a small commission if you choose to make a purchase through one of the links, which helps keeps my blog running effectively. Full disclosure here.
The Little Engine That Could is a tale of persevering against the odds! The story of a train filled with toys and gifts for little boys and girls that breaks down before reaching the children. After asking several passing trains for help over the hill, a little blue train agrees to help the stranded toys. Even though she is small, the blue train tries her best to bring the toys to the children on the other side of the hill. A classic story for children, introducing the theme of perseverance in the face of difficulty. "I think I can, I think I can."

The book Giraffes Can't Dance is perfect to teach students the difference between I can't and I can't YET. Gerald the giraffe longs to dance, but his legs are too skinny and his neck is too long. Gerald learns that you shouldn't listen to others when they tell you that you can't do something. You should find your own way of accomplishing it. He learns that "we can all dance when we find music that we love."

In Amazing Grace the main character Grace's imagination thrives when it comes to stories. One day her teacher tells her that class will be performing the play Peter Pan. She is excited in her mind to become Peter Pan, but her classmates tell her it is not possible because she looks nothing like Peter. When she goes home her mom and Nana help her realize "I can be anything I want, I can even be Peter Pan."

The realistic fiction story A Chair for My Mother teaches readers lessons in hard work, empathy and appreciation. After their home is destroyed by a fire, Rosa, her mother, and grandmother set a goal to get a new chair. A vivid depiction of chipping away bit by bit to meet a set goal as the Rosa and her mother get a big jar and would fill it with coins everytime they got some. The jar finally got full, then they all went chair shopping and bought a really comfortable chair for all to enjoy.

In Ruby's Wish, Ruby is unlike most little girls in old China. She courageously pursues her dreams to attend a university when she grows up instead of aspiring to get married like expected. Ruby is young girl who's full of ambition and is rewarded her hard work and courage.

This book might be my absolute favorite read aloud ever! The Empty Pot is a true testimony of perseverance and honesty. When the emperor proclaims he will reward his kingdom to the child who grows the best flowers in a year's time, Ping plants his seeds and tends relentlessly to it everyday determined to get his plants to grow. At the end Ping goes to the Emperor with nothing but an empty pot. His embarrassing failure is turned triumphant in this satisfying tale of honesty rewarded.

She Persisted 13 American Women Who Changed the World shows readers that no matter what obstacles may be in their paths, they shouldn't give up on their dreams. Persistence is power. This book has an introduction to 13 women who "persisted"-such as Harriet Tubman, Nellie Bly, and Sonia Sotomayor-the author details the many ways that women have refused to take no for an answer. Instead, they carefully pursued lofty, inspiring, and purposeful aims for the betterment of themselves and others.

Rather than offering a more in-depth history of any single figure, this book explains the meaning of persistence and places it in a positive light. This book would be a perfect way to help students discover a persistent person to study for a grit research project.

The Bee Tree stars a young girl named Mary Ellen that is spending time with her grandpa. Her grandpa likes to read but Mary Ellen gets bored with reading very quickly. Grandpa then suggests they go hunting to find some bees. While the grandpa and Mary Ellen start chasing the bees, different people from the town decide to join in. At the end of the story Mary Ellen makes a discovery of her own: Sometimes, even the sweetest of things must be worked for as they may not come easily, you have to pursue them.

In the book Michael almost gave up on his hoop dreams, all because he feared he'd never grow tall enough to play the game that would one day make him famous. That's when his mother and father stepped in and shared the invaluable lesson of what really goes into the making of a champion - Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream readers will learn how patience, determination, and hard work. This story is about faith and hope and how any family working together can help a child make his or her dreams come true.

In the inspirational true story Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story readers with be filled with a range of thoughts and emotions as the book ties together several heartfelt issues including blatant racial discrimination, honoring and understanding your parents, and fiercely chasing your dreams. Sammy Lee, a Korean American proves to readers that even farfetched goals can be attained through hard work and determination, but achievement does not come effortlessly as he perseveres to become an Olympic champion diver. A great read aloud for upper elementary students.

Do you have any favorites to add to this list? Leave the title in the comments below so I can check them out!
If you are interested other goal setting and growth mindset ideas and resources be sure to check out these blog posts! (clickable images)
Want to learn more about teaching growth mindset?

>>>click the image to go to the post<<<

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Teaching Goal Setting using Picture Books

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Read alouds in the growth oriented classroom are a powerful way for students to learn how to set goals and create a plan for achieving them. Teaching by way of a mentor text helps learners to see how people who set and achieve goals demonstrate perseverance and grit through the process.

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A great article from Scholastic to set up reading goals with students.

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Helping Students Set Their Reading Goals | Scholastic

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Try setting students' reading goals at the beginning of the school year to set a tone for the kind of reading work you'll expect from them.

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A great way to illustrate an appropriate goal.

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One-step-at-a-time - goal achieving cartoon doodle video

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Would be a great activity and display for the whole year!

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Wanted to start the year with a goal setting activity this year and the kids did just awesome. The product turned out cuter than expected, but the learning was just out of this world!

In the morning, I had students tune some fine-motor skills by tracing their hand and cutting out the hand with an extra long arm. This exercise gave me some good data on where I could focus my time with my English Language Learners, my students who need more practice with fine motor skills, and those who struggled to follow directions.

When we were ready to start the main activity, we put the arms away. I began by asking the students what things they were really successful with as first graders. They had a fantastic list of things that we celebrated.

Then, I asked what they could think of that they would like to improve upon as 2nd graders. I loved their openness and willingness to be vulnerable to disclose so much. They were so expressive, which was a welcome surprise, considering it was only the first day of school. Here is a list of what they shared as goals:

Do my homework every night

Be quiet when teacher is talking

I had each student pick five goals they really wanted to focus on. The above list was typed onto a word processing document and projected onto the screen to aid in spelling. I distributed the arms they had made and asked each child to write one goal on each finger. Once that was finished, they could draw whatever they wanted on the arm. Wow... the creativity was awesome.

That evening, my amazing husband and daughters came in to help me tie up some loose ends. He covered the door in black and we arranged the title REACH FOR THE STARS on the top of the blank door.

The next morning, our entry task included some calculating with coloring (stars and moons).

Each student cut out 2 of their favorite stars they had colored. They brought their stars to me at the door and glued their star where they wanted it to be, then each child added the arm they had made.

It's so awesome that we have a beautifully decorated door that all of the students are proud of because it's their work and their goals.

Here's to a great start of the year.

I look forward to hearing your feedback and to follow each other for more rich experiences for our students.
Have a fantastic day!

desiree.r.schmidt@gmail.com

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Wanted to start the year with a goal setting activity this year and the kids did just awesome. The product turned out cuter than expected, but the learning was just out of this world! In the morning, I had students tune some fine-motor skills by tracing their hand and cutting out the hand with an extra long arm.

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Though this costs money, you could easily manipulate and change it for yourself. Also I love that it has a personal and school goal.

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This Goal Setting Craftivity helps students express the goals that they have set for themselves in an artful, creative way that becomes a beautiful display for your classroom and a great keepsake for parents. Being able to set goals is an important skill for students to practice all year long.

There are many goal setting template options so that teachers can differentiate it for the needs of their learners. Teachers are able to choose the sentence frames and format that fits the classroom and students.

This craftivity fits right in with all of my other SMART Goal Setting resources.

If you would like more information about SMART Goal Setting in the classroom, you can see this blog post about Student Goal Setting in Elementary School or for an even deeper focus, the post explains the Goal Setting & Data Portfolios.

The main pages of the craftivity are three circles and a center circle with an arrow attached to it (four pages pictured below). The arrow holds the Goal Setting Craftivity together via the glue areas on each circle.

The outer circle and the first inner circle are for School Goals. The next circle is a personal goal and the center circle with an arrow holds it all together and includes the student's name.

Each section has a variety of options to choose from. You can reuse this craftivity several times throughout the year simply by changing the sentence frames in the circles.

Start with easier sentences at the beginning of the year and progress to more difficult goal setting concepts, such as setting a timeframe and measurable outcome.

Variations of the Goal Setting Craftivity

The craftivity comes with a variety of options. Included in the outer school goal circle are 28 different variations to choose from. The second school goal circle comes with 12 options, the personal goal 11 options, and the center circle with an arrow has 36 options, including a blank circle, words, or a variety of images of children.

Here are some of the smart goal setting examples for the outer circle. You can scaffold learning throughout the year by moving from drawing to cut and paste to writing goals. The written goals also vary from describing specific steps to sharing what a student is good at and what he wants to work on.

The variations include writing one or two goals, being able to draw a goal or use differentiated sentence frames to scaffold the writing. There are plenty of variations to meet the needs of all learners in your classroom. If you don't find what you're looking for, you can also make your own! Included is blank versions where the teacher can even write in the language she wants students to use.

Also included is a cut and paste version where students are given a set of goals and action steps. I have included samples in the PDF as well as an editable Powerpoint file where the teacher can add in her own goals for students.

For instance, if you want all students to work on math goals, but students may be working on a variety of different math goals, type in the goals and the action steps they could take within your classroom. Print out just the math goals and have students choose their goal and action step. If you keep the file from year-to-year, you can repeat the craft at different times of the year, allowing students to choose a different goal and action step as they make progress and accomplish their goals.

In general, the teacher would choose one circle from each layer and have students fill out the goal, color and cut out the circles and glue them together.

Since this craftivity is all about goal setting, it will be helpful to do some work on whole class goal setting with students. You can see this blog post about how I help students S et Goals in Elementary School or this post on goal setting in the moment, which helps students align a goal with an action step.

In my second grade classroom, we do a lot of whole group discussions about setting goals. We start the year with behavior goals and slowly move onto academic goals, starting with math because it's generally a bit more tangible for my younger students.

One of the key connections where I find students need a lot of work is matching a goal with an appropriate action step. So often students set a goal and say they want to accomplish something. However, to really set a SMART Goal, one needs to create an action plan. I simplify this for students by having them choose one action step from a class brainstorm of many options that they could choose.

This blog post outlines how we set math goals using an arrow to discuss all of the possible action steps students can take in our classroom.

When choosing circles, students or the teacher can choose multiple circles for one layer, if they would like. When assembling simply glue them together within the same layer using the glue area as a guide to align the pieces.

To assemble the Goal Setting Craftivity, layer the circles on top of each other so that they fit neatly together inside of each other in order from largest to smallest. Line up the glue areas so that they meet each other on the sides. Place a small amount of glue in the glue areas.

Gently place the arrow on top of the circles so that the center circle is in the middle and the arrow covers the glue areas. Press the arrow to spread the glue a bit and let the goal setting craftivity dry.

If students choose multiple circles for each section, place the circles on top of each other and glue them together before aligning the sections and gluing the arrow.

You can purchase the Goal Setting Craftivity on my website or on Teachers Pay Teachers .

Would you like some FREE Goal Setting forms to use with your students?

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This Goal Setting Craftivity helps students express the goals that they have set for themselves in an artful, creative way that becomes a beautiful display for your classroom and a great keepsake for parents.

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Relationship is shown when goals are too far away. Need to take baby steps sometime.

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Two ordinary objects have become permanent fixtures in my office lately: Balloons and clothes baskets

I wanted to share a few quick ways you can use these inexpensive items, which 99% of us already have at our houses, in your counseling office. My first post will focus on clothes baskets.

Clothes Baskets:
1. Goal Setting: I am doing a "7 Habits of Happy/Highly Effective Kids" small group right now, and I absolutely LOVED the goal setting lesson I did with my students using clothes baskets. It was an idea I adapted from a Goal Setting presentation at last year's NCSCA Conference (wish I could remember the speaker's name to give credit! Email me if you recognize this activity).

I took my students into the gym during the PE teachers' lunch break. I had them all stand on one side of the gym and gave them each a frog (you could use a stress ball, rubber ball, etc.). In the first round, I had them cover their eyes and try to get the frog in their basket. I placed three baskets out for five students so they would have more space for their throwing. We related this action to going through the school year without an idea or vision for where you are going.

During the second round, I took all three baskets and placed them on the opposite side of the gym, about 30 feet away from the students. We related this basket "attempt" to choosing goals that are too hard. In the third round, the baskets were placed right in front of their feet. The students immediately knew that this round showed the goal was too easy. In the fourth round, the baskets were placed about 10 feet way to signify an appropriate, challenging goal. Most of the students made the basket by their second attempt, but a few took three or four tries. Finally, I held one of the baskets in the fifth round and "assisted" them by moving the basket as they made their toss. We related this round to teachers, parents, and school counselors who will support students in reaching their goals, which can make things easier.

2. Icebreaker Time: Kids LOVE to try and toss my frogs in the clothes basket when we meet for individual counseling, especially kids that have a hard time sitting still or feel uncomfortable with traditional "talking" at a table. I find they open up and are much more relaxed if we start talking while playing the frog toss game. Sometimes we will even take turns and switch once we have gotten a certain number of frogs in the basket.

At first, I was just putting the basket on the other side of my office so I could take shots with my students, but then I got the bright idea of hanging it on a hook that has randomly been on the back of my office door since I moved to my school. I now call the game Hook Ball. The new basket placement also frees up floor space in my pretty small office...truly a win-win! Check it out:

3.Skill Practice Motivation: I met with a student last week who needed to work on prosocial skills (hands to self, talking nicely, working appropriately in centers). I wanted to make our skill practice more fun, so we turned it into a game. Each time she got two frogs in the basket, we would stop, model, and practice one of the skills we were working on. After she practiced, she got to take more shots. It definitely made our session more enjoyable, and we still talked about her classroom progress while she was playing.

Do you have any other uses for clothes baskets? I would love to hear!
Happy Counseling ~ Angela

Related Posts : Fun, November, Small Groups

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Two ordinary objects have become permanent fixtures in my office lately: Balloons and clothes baskets I wanted to share a few quick ways you can use these inexpensive items, which 99% of us already have at our houses, in your counseling office. My first post will focus on clothes baskets.

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Teach students how to create SMART goals.

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We have such an awesome opportunity to empower students to set goals and celebrate with them when they reach their goals. Most students don't reflect on their own learning naturally. It's not an innate skill that students have when they come to school. Actually, most adults don't have that skill either. It's something that needs to be taught.

This past week, we've done quite a bit of work in our year-long journey of setting goals in second grade.

First, as I've mentioned in previous posts, I've been implementing Whole Brain Teaching. One of the components is a Super Improver Team. Here's our wall:

Each student has a star and for making improvements, they receive a sticker. When their star has 10 stickers they move up to the next level (blue - learner). They keep going. For every 10 stickers, they move up the levels.

The introduction of the Super Improver Team led to a discussion about how to make improvements and goals setting. What kinds of improvements could students make? What would "count" to get a sticker?

So we started talking about SMART goals. We started with the concept of setting "specific" goals and made this anchor chart of the concept of SPECIFIC. We looked at the word specific in a Frayer Model and looked at some examples and non-examples. That aspect is the most powerful part of the anchor chart. I didn't make it very "pretty", but students got the idea of what they word specific means.

Take a look at more SMART Goal Setting Resources in this blog post.

For our first goal, I decided to focus on behavior. It is a bit more tangible than an academic goal, and students are still learning how to "be" in our classroom, so it's the perfect opportunity to change a few things before they become a habit.

I gave students some ideas on good behavior goals. Basically, I wrote down all the things that have been annoying me, behavior-wise, for the past week. I listed them in a positive light, i.e.: what a student could do, not what they can't do.

I gave students an opportunity to look over the goals with their table groups. Each student chose one goal to work on for the next week.

I put the "Improvements" in page protector sleeves so that I can use them when I conference with a student. I can circle three or four and say something like, "I notice that you could really use some improvement on these. Which one would you like to choose to work on?" That way, there's choice within structure. I can guide what a student chooses, but the student still has choice.

I did add a couple more at the end (on the copy you see above), that aren't necessarily annoying behaviors, but improvements that my quieter students could make. You know, those kids who just sit there, but aren't disruptive!

After students determined what they wanted to work on, I had them write it down. I'm sure there's research on this somewhere, but I've heard that writing down a goal means that you're more likely to accomplish it.

In addition to the more complicated Goal Setting and Data Portfolios I have, I came up with this simple goal setting form that I can tape down to a student's desk and that we can collect over the course of the year.

We set to work writing down our behavior goals. Here are a few student examples.

You can see that some students need a bit of work on choosing ONE goal. I also realized after we did this activity, that the "I will . . . " part of the goal setting form, doesn't always lend itself well to behavior goals, since most behavior goals are an action in and of themselves. They don't always require an additional action statement that tells how you're going to accomplish the goal.

I changed up my form a bit to have a variety of options, including learning and behavior goals and a couple of different formats. Would you like a copy? Click this link SMART Goal Setting Forms or the picture below. Take a look at more SMART Goal Setting Resources in this blog post.

The final part of goal setting that is very important, especially for children is the celebration! Children need to know that there's something waiting for them when they accomplish their goal. Some people have an intrinsic motivator to set and accomplish goals. I'm one of them. But, most people don't. The celebration is a great motivator.

As a class, we brainstormed a variety of celebrations, both big and small. Most celebrations were for our class goals, but a few of these could be for individual goals, too. The idea was to get students excited about accomplishing their goals.

SMART Goal setting isn't just for individuals. I use to all the time to set class goals. We set behavior goals on our ScoreBoard (more positive than negative points), percentage goals on our computerized math program, number goals on how many stars we got for doing homework, etc.

There are a myriad of possibilities for whole group goal setting. Figure out what you want your class to do and set a goal on it.

I've done a few other blog posts on Goal Setting, if you're interested in more information:

Do you set goals in your classroom, either individual or whole class? I'd love to hear how you help students see that their actions are important and make a difference in their lives.

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Student Goal Setting in Elementary School

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We have such an awesome opportunity to empower students to set goals and celebrate with them when they reach their goals. Most students don't reflect on their own learning naturally. It's not an innate skill that students have when they come to school. Actually, most adults don't have that skill either.

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A great sheet for students to either write or illustrate their goals.

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A great article from Scholastic about creating a SMART goal.

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Setting (Almost) SMART Goals With My Students | Scholastic

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Help your students set specific and measurable goals to provide focus and motivation for them in the new year.

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How your brain works and related to growth mindset.

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How Your Brain Works for Kids | Growth Mindset and Neuroscience for Kids | I HAVE A GO

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A great visual for students to see how there are different parts of the brain that work together with growth mindset.

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A breakout all about brain power. See Leggette or Stephens to borrow boxes :)

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Neat games to teach students about neurons and dendrites outside!

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Intended for elementary and secondary school students and teachers who are interested in learning about the nervous system and brain with hands on activities, experiments and information.

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Kids love to learn about the different parts of the brain!

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Brain Parts & Functions  video for Kids from www.makemegenius.com

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Super cool to make neurons for the students understand their "connections".

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For grades 3-12

Create a model of a neuron by using clay, playdough, styrofoam, recyclables, food or anything else you can get your hands on. Use pictures from books to give you an idea of where the components of a neuron should go and what shape they should be. Use different colors to indicate different structures. Make a neural circuit with a few of the neurons. Create sensory or motor systems. Eat your model if you made it out of food!!

Materials:

Clay or Playdough or Styrofoam or Recyclables (bottle caps, cups, buttons, etc) OR Food (fruit, jelly beans)

A picture or diagram of a neuron (see the picture below or go to: more about neurons.)

If you would like to use this "build a neuron" as a classroom activity, here is a lesson ready to go.

Need some play dough but don't have any? Here is a recipe that you can use to make your own:

Mix: 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt & 2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Add: 1 cup cold water with food coloring, 1 Tablespoon salad oil

Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Let it cool a bit and then knead it. Keep in an airtight container so it doesn't dry out.

You can also add color to the play dough by adding some poster paint with the liquid instead of food coloring. Try to use as little paint as possible to get the desired color or it will make the play dough sticky.

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For grades 3-12 Create a model of a neuron by using clay, playdough, styrofoam, recyclables, food or anything else you can get your hands on. Use pictures from books to give you an idea of where the components of a neuron should go and what shape they should be.

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Lots of great books, especially The Fantastic Elastic Brain!

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Here are some great books that we use to teach kids about the brain in preparation for Healthy Brain/Screentime Turnoff Week. In first through fifth grades we use the Smartboard with pictures, info, and links to video and animations that show the brain, healthy and unhealthy neurons, and how neurotransmission works. We also use these books, and would use them more extensively in class councils if we didn't have the Smartboard. In kindergarten we use the brain model and a brain-hat activity. In first grade we use the brain model, brain hat activity, the Smartboard, and the book How Does Your Brain Wor k? by Don L. Curry, which provides a good introduction to the brain.

Here are some other great books that we read with kids or have available for them to read and look at on their own:

The Brain: Our Nervous System by Seymour Simon has some fabulous photos of the brain, neurons, neurotransmission, and MRI, PET, and SPECT scans, along with lots of good information. You can use the pictures with all grade levels, but the text is more appropriate for fourth grade and up.

by Kate Lennard provides a great introduction to young children and is appropriate for kids as young as kindergartners. It contains facts, jokes, pictures, and some fun to use flaps. Here's the description from the back cover of the book:

Hello! I'm Young Genius.
This book is about the amazing machine inside your head called your brain. I'm here to tell you all about it . . .
This hugely funny book covers everything you need to know about brains, such as:
How can you look at your brain without taking it out of your head?
Where do headaches come from?
What is imagination?
With vibrant illustrations and easy-to-understand text, this is a must-have book for budding brain surgeons!
Your child can be a Young Genius, too, with this fun-filled fact-packed book!

The Great Brain Book: An Inside Look at the Inside of Your Head by H.P. Newquist is full of information including brain structures, neurons and neurotransmission, the history of neuroscience, the thinking brain, the emotional brain, brain treatments, and the future of the brain. This book is comprehensive, with lots of text that is appropriate for solid readers in fourth grade and up. There are lots of great pictures that are appropriate for everyone.

The DK book The Human Brain Book: An Illustrated Guide to its Structure, Function, and Disorders by Rita Carter is an excellent, comprehensive book with fabulous illustrations and a CD with additional resources. The text is too hard for all but the highest elementary readers, but our kids love looking at the pictures and reading the topics that are most interesting to them.

A DK book designed for kids is What Goes On in My HEAD: How Your Brain Works and Why You Do What You Do by Robert Winston. It has a great layout with tons of pictures and is packed full of information. Kids LOVE to browse through it. The text is most appropriate for grades three and up, but the pictures are for everyone.

You Can't Use Your Brain if You're a Jellyfish by Fred Ehrlich, M.D. is about all kinds of brains - insect, bird, dog, cat, monkey, and human - but not about jellyfish brains, because they don't have brains! This book has great pictures and informative, sometimes funny text, and is suitable for grades two and up.

Understanding Your Brain: Lifting the Lid on What's Inside Your Head by Rebecca Treays has lots of great info, pictures, puzzles, and links to web resources. Its text is appropriate for third grade and up.

I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy of Your Fantastic, Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It by JoAnn Deak, but this video preview made me really want it.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch3kbXBah5Y&feature=player_embedded]

Here's the cover of the book:

Do you have any other great brain books to recommend? I'd love to hear about them!

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Here are some great books that we use to teach kids about the brain in preparation for Healthy Brain/Screentime Turnoff Week. In first through fifth grades we use the Smartboard with pictures, inf...

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A great lesson to teach about the brain and all the components.

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Learn About The Brain | Lesson Plan | Education.com | Lesson plan | Education.com

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Use this lesson to teach your students how the different parts of a brain are responsible for any act they do. This lesson will teach your students how a 3.5 pound organ controls a grown human being!

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Great Foldable activity for the upper grades to teach about the different parts of the brain.

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A great powerpoint about how we must "exercise" our brain.