At the beginning of the school year, have students write personal letters to themselves. In the letter, tell them to address at least five goals they would like to achieve by the end of the school year. Goals could range from making the honor roll to improving their soccer skills to learning to play the piano better. While students could take their letters home to keep, tell them you'll keep a copy. Let the children know that they will read their letters at the end of the school year. Offering incentives, such as a pizza party, for all students who achieved at least one goal may be ideal.
To encourage goal setting among students, have them write weekly journal entries. Provide each student with a notebook or folder, and encourage them to decorate or personalize the new journal. Because you don't work with each student directly every day, make sure teachers have the time to oversee the journal writing. Provide teachers with weekly journal prompts or topics that correlate with goal setting. Encourage the teachers to collect all journals when students finish. Collecting them will avoid students losing the journals or failing to bring them to school.
Have students write a personal goal on a wide strip of colorful construction paper. Let students know that although their goals won't have their name on it, they will be displayed on a wall for others to see. Designate the goal wall outside of your office or in a well-traveled location of the school, such as the front lobby, cafeteria or main hallway. The goal wall will highlight students' interests in planning for the future and working hard to accomplish their plans.
Mentoring can have a positive effect on a child. Children who meet regularly with a mentor are more likely to achieve academic success, solve problems and set goals, according to VolunteerGuide.org, an online resource for volunteers. Although it may take hard work and time, matching children up with a mentor is one way to help children set and accomplish goals. Starting with at-risk students first may be ideal, and reaching out to local businesses and professional organizations may be a way to recruit volunteer mentors.