Kilgore Primary School
January Counselor Newsletter
Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals
For most adults, the new year brings a new desire to commit (or re-commit) to personal goals. They may not realize exactly what they are doing, but children have a desire to achieve goals too. Setting and meeting goals can give a child an incredible surge of energy and confidence. So what can you do to help? Start the process by looking for ways your child already uses goal-setting techniques. For example, maybe your child saved money to purchase a video game or toy. You could discuss the steps he went through to do that and how those same steps could be applied to a new goal. If you are new to goal setting, here are some tips...
Make sure your goals are SMART:
Specific- Know exactly what you are wanting to accomplish.
Measurable- How will you know you've met your goal?
Achievable- Is your goal too far out of reach or just far enough to be challenging?
Relevant- Link the goal to something important to you; something that inspires you.
Time-Bound- When do you want your goal to be met?
As your child begins to set goals and work toward them, don't forget to acknowledge their effort! A little encouragement can go a long way. Of course the best way to encourage is to model the behavior you want to see! Work on setting goals for yourself, so your child can see your success!
January Core Essential-Knowledge
SAY IT
Learning something new so you can be better at whatever you do
KNOW IT
Ask a kid...
• Every day you are learning new things at school or at home or at play. Think of something specific that you have recently learned. How did learning this help you in other areas of your life?
• What is something that you would like to learn about or learn to do?
Ask a grown up...
• What is something that you learned when you were young that has been really helpful to you as an adult?
• Are you eager to learn new things as an adult?
• Discuss any hardships that you have experienced in learning new things as a child or as an adult and how you were able to stay positive and conquer them.
SEE IT
Working professionals in most fields participate in something called continuing education or professional development. These activities are designed to teach professionals more about topics that are relevant in their field and possibly refine areas they have already learned about. It is important that people continue to learn so they can be the best they can be at whatever they do. For instance, doctors and nurses are required to earn hours of continuing education in a certain amount of time to ensure they learn new things that will help them be the best they can be in the medical field.
BE IT
Think about things that you are interested in or involved in. Seek out opportunities to learn something new this month that will help you in these areas. For example, if you are involved in chorus but are interested in also learning to play an instrument, talk with your music teacher at school about how you could learn this new skill.
Amber Nash-KPS Counselor
Email: anash@kisd.org
Website: www.kisd.org
Location: 255 Baughman Road, Kilgore, TX, USA
Phone: (903)988-3905