Empowering Students to Succeed

How much money does our country spend to control/eliminate the social problems of facing our youth - drugs, crime, gangs, teen pregnancy, alcoholism, and physical and sexual abuse, etc.?

If a student’s world includes some of the problems identified above, how does he or she see the bigger picture? How does a student break the cycle? How do we as teachers and concerned caregivers help today’s youth succeed. We must encourage them to take control of their education and to develop an “I’ll Make It Happen” approach in the classroom and in life.

If we teach students how to set and achieve goals and how to apply those principles in the classroom, students will learn they play a significant role in their education and in their future. By learning how to set and achieve goals, how to overcome challenges, the importance of being positive, and how to measure their progress, students learn how to enhance and increase their chances for success.

When students take ownership of their education they take personal responsibility to do something meaningful and positive to change their lives. With ownership comes dignity and self-respect. Teaching students how to set and achieve realistic goals will make a significant, long-term difference in performance in the classroom, in the workplace, and in life.

Teaching these important “life skills” principles should be a collaborative effort shared by teachers, students and parents and other caregivers. Ask yourself a couple of questions: 1) Were you taught how to set goals in school? (85% of people say “no.”), and 2) If you had been, would it have helped you in school and in your adult life?

Search Institute is a non-profit organization established in 1958 to advance the well being of children and adolescents. In their survey of over 250,000 students, they identified 40 development assets that young people need to grow up to be healthy, responsible adults.

Teaching students about how to set and achieve goals and how to take ownership of their education will positively address fifteen (15) of these important development assets. They are: positive view of the personal future, higher expectations, parent involvement in schooling, achievement motivation, adult role models, positive peer pressure, school engagement, homework, honesty, bonding in school, planning and decision making, positive family communications, self esteem, sense of purpose, and responsibility.

What makes a successful goal setting program? Several things must be done to persuade students to “buy into” these concepts and to change their life habits. Our children live in a rapid paced, MTV world. To be effective the program must be a structured, discussion-based curriculum that answers three questions on the student’s mind: “how to”, “why is this important”, “how do I use this today to make my life, and those around me, better.” The material has to be interesting and in small enough parts that students can digest the new material. Suggested topics might include: the fundamentals of what goals are and samples of how to use them in everyday life, how to invest in yourself by minimizing the “Bummer Words” words that hold you back – “no, can’t, won’t, never, maybe, and if. “Other topics might include how to measure your progress toward reaching your goals, and how to overcome obstacles like the fear of failure, lack of determination, and peer pressure.