New Year Goals!!!

Well, school is back in session after Christmas break!  On Monday, we had teacher inservice and then Tuesday was a "snow/cold" day due to the 0〫weather {bc we have many kiddos that walk to school!}  Wednesday was students' official day back.   We spent the morning sharing our Christmas stories, as well as New Year's.  We made a New Year's glyph that is now hanging in the hall outside our door.    

Our first day back after break {Happy New Year, btw!} we talked about resolutions and setting new goals for the year.  While my 2nd grade kiddos came up with suggestions that were right on target with my thoughts, they were quite strict with their solutions to accomplishing the goals.  I had to remind them that we weren't trying to set consequences for those not meeting the goals...{Ha!} but trying to come up with ways to reach the goals.  

We made a list of things we thought could make our classroom better {even though some things on the list only pertained to a few students...but those "few" students' actions can really cause a disruption in our classroom}.  So this is the list that the kiddos came up with.  

We decided to target the three top goals that we felt needed the most attention...and here they are...

1.  Stay on task...I have several this year that have had difficulty with this!!!  Hmmmm...

2.  Appropriate behavior...this applies only to a few but that can really wreak havoc on a classroom!

3.  Help others...by this we meant "HELP" others to UNDERSTAND and FIGURE IT OUT on their own...NOT give them the answers...we had just a few doing this but they recognized this without me saying so!!!

I could not have agreed more!  This class is a sweet group with a "few" head-strong kiddos.  We felt we could channel that energy into something more positive...and they agreed!  So to head in that direction, we agreed that these things need to be put into place by everyone!  Everyone!

And let me tell you...EVERYONE of my students have strived to make this week the BEST...and it HAS BEEN!  I am SO proud of them!  I can't wait to see all that we can accomplish in the second half of the year!

It always amazes me {I'm not sure why at this point} when you "hand it over" to the kiddos, they are much harder on themselves than the teacher!  By that, I mean, they set more astringent expectations, consequences, goals, etc. than I would.  Some of the consequences come from what they are use to at home...ones that I don't adhere to in my classroom.  ;)  So with that said, they decided on the ideas on the chart...this is what THEY wanted to see happen in our classroom...so we will go from there, and see how their ideas work!

Ya know, some classes are more challenging than others....and many times it is just a couple or three but that can mean a lot!  I have had HIGH hopes for this class anyway...and now, I think we might just make it! How was your New Year's? What did you do with your kiddos when you returned from the break? Many blessing for 2014!!!