To view the design article with photos and text visit the following link: https://5il.co/1pajq
Text in the article is located below:
Newark High School students began the second semester of this school year January 30th having set personal goals they hope to achieve by the time school ends in June.
NHS Principal Kelly A. Zielke recently spoke to NHS students in Morning Meetings about the
importance of setting personal goals and also encouraged them to suggest some goals for the school-at-large that would be reviewed and considered by administrators and students who will be in the new Principal’s Council.
“We wanted our students to have a goal they are working toward during the second half of the school year,’’ she explained, adding she wants them to know administration is interested in hearing from them about ways the school climate can be enhanced through the school-wide goals.
As a follow-up, NHS Instructional and MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) Tier 1 Coach Will Bean asked first period teachers to have students during their WIN (What I Need) morning PRIDE time sessions to write down their personal goals, and if they wanted to, suggest building goals.
Part of the personal goal-setting process was to have students also consider what obstacles/ challenges they would need to overcome in order to successfully reach their goals.
Zielke said students could keep their personal goals to themselves or share them, depending on their comfort level, but the expectation would be that they take this exercise seriously including asking for help from others, including from faculty, counselors or others to ensure success.
Each of the WIN groups created a yellow dot with the goals listed on them and they were added
to a Pac Man-themed bulletin board posted in the main hallway.
“The bulletin board is a great way for students to see the goals every day, and reflect on how to achieve them. It also lets the students know that we also see them and want to help to overcome those obstacles that may get in the way,” Zielke said.
How did students respond to the goal-setting initiative?
“Most students in my PRIDE class did take it seriously and we had some great discussions on the desired culture and climate at NHS. Students were open in sharing their goals to the group and we were able to come up with a couple of group goals to submit to the school,” said Haley Curley, a NHS Global Studies and Criminal Law teacher and Tier 1 PBIS (Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports) Coach.
In the spring, students will be asked to determine if they met their individual goals, and if not, why not, and consider alternate goal attainment strategies.
“I think it would be great to circle back to the goals we submitted as a PRIDE group and evaluate the progress we are making on them. It would be a nice way to reflect on the year as a PRIDE group,” Curley said.