The New Year!

Dear Community,

Welcome back to school and welcome into the new year of 2017. Over the break I took some time to reflect on 2016, focus on 2017, and think about what this new year might bring.

When I was coaching youth soccer I always had my players set goals for the season, I started this with my under 7 boys team and each player at the ripe age of six had to set three goals for the season. The goals that the kids set ranged from having fun with their friends to pulling off a “super cool” move during the game. This past season I also had the parents write down some goals for the child and their goals were slightly different. The parent goals ranged from have their child learn positions, learn to use his left foot, and win games or a tournament. This brought up an interesting question in my mind about goals, specifically when working with kids. What happens when our goals as adults are different than their goals as kids?

                

            I shared the goals from the boys with their parents and asked them a similar question, what does this information change for us as a team. Do we change completely how we coach and talk to the boys and just make it all about fun, do we encourage them to be risk takers and try new moves during the game feeding their creativity. Or do I coach them to win games, limit play time, force positions, and train the left foot, which are very real skills and things that coaches can do? As a coach I merged the two goals, knowing full well that the kids actually had the better goals, and that if we focused on what was important to them, the results would follow.

              

              I relate this back to the school environment and what happens when our goals as parents and educators are completely different from what the child perceives as important to his or her own learning? What if our children think that trying something new, taking a risk, or being creative is the most important thing they can do during their time in elementary school, but we think passing the M-Step or getting an A on the test is the ultimate prize. How does that change the conversation when they take a risk on a project or assignment and it might not turn out all too well, but it was completely their own thinking and a huge risk for them?

              

           I would encourage you as a family to sit down and talk about goals for the school year in 2017. See how the goals you have set for your children match up with the goals they set for themselves, or what differences there may be. Have a conversation with them about what your family holds important and how those values translate into the goals you have set for them as students. The value is in the conversation with the child, it will give you a great insight into how they perceive school, but it will also allow them the opportunity to see how you view the important parts of school as well.