Theme: Positive Intentions
Here's what MAPS is doing...
Here's what's happening in Homeroom...
Here's how to implement this in your classroom...
Possible activities
- ask students to reflect on school experiences and efforts
- ask students to consider ways to improve their performance and experience in school
- show them how to break a long-term goal into achievable, time-based, realistic steps
- celebrate achievements
Here's what MAPS is doing...
- working on SMART goals and reinforcing study and test-taking skills
Here's what's happening in Homeroom...
- Goal setting
- Taking ownership over our academic performance
- Maintaining a positive outlook
- Reflecting on past performance to decide our next steps
Here's how to implement this in your classroom...
- In writing, labs, and problems, focus on the process. Writing involves brainstorming, drafting, editing, and publishing. Labs follow a set procedure that is meant to yield a product or result that illustrates a concept. Math problems have steps that must be followed in order to establish relationships between numbers that will eventually determine a solution.
- Talk about learning as a process whose mid-range goal is graduation, but whose long-range goal is lifelong curiosity, self-reliance, and problem-solving skills.
Possible activities
- Vision-ology Interview: Interview an adult who has/had a clear and positive vision of what s/he wanted to do with his/her life. Find out how his or her vision provided guidance and sustenance.
- Invite Speakers:
Invite a variety of alumni and young adults to speak about the goals they set, what worked, and what they might have done differently. - Map Your Goals:
As a model for students, create a topographical map that shows the high and low periods you encountered in working on attaining your goals. Where are the mountains, hills, and valleys—and the oasis—on your road to achieving your goals? Have the students create their own maps. - Brain Drain
Think back to the discussion about the three brain tanks: 1) Knowledge, 2) Physical Balance, and 3) Emotional Readiness. Which of these tanks do you think you take good care of, and which do you think are low on fuel? What can you do to refuel your brain tanks and keep your tanks full? What can you do to avoid brain drains, like lack of sleep, stress, and lack of preparation time? - Visual Learning
Create a concept map to help you prepare for a test. In the concept map, write the key concepts in larger circles then surround the circles with supporting information. - Flashcard Production
If it is okay with your teacher(s), partner with study pals to create flashcards you can share and use. If you create your flashcards on a computer using the “labels” feature, you can print out multiple copies of the labels then stick them onto index cards and create a set of flashcards for each study pal. You can also create a Quizlet and share it.