Beginning with the end in mind is all about having an imagination. Considering the future, and effectively planning for your expected outcome requires a great amount of creativity. So many students are are limited in what they do because they do not have the imagination or courage to dream a big dream.
Having a genuine reflection with students is one of my favorite parts of being a teacher. When students start thinking about who they want to be in the future, and the work they need to put in to get there, light bulbs start flashing all over the class room.
To teach this habit, my class talked about how everything is created twice. First, things are created in our minds. This is where we draw up our plans and revel in how nice things will be when we get there. Second is the physical creation, where we actually put in the work to make those plans into reality. Some students spoke up when I brought this up. They said that there are plenty of things that happen in their lives that they did not plan out, and a lot of those things have been great.
I was so happy that this happened, because it brought us right back to the first habit, and being proactive. The conversation tilted, and we discussed how if you are not the one creating a mental plan, someone else is going to do it for you. Most of the students said that their parents were guilty of this in some way or another. One student dreadfully remembered playing soccer for three years, and another cringed to think back to violin lessons. The point was well taken, though. If we want to live our own lives, we need to think ahead, and work backwards from that moment to see what steps we need to take.
Having a genuine reflection with students is one of my favorite parts of being a teacher. When students start thinking about who they want to be in the future, and the work they need to put in to get there, light bulbs start flashing all over the class room.
To teach this habit, my class talked about how everything is created twice. First, things are created in our minds. This is where we draw up our plans and revel in how nice things will be when we get there. Second is the physical creation, where we actually put in the work to make those plans into reality. Some students spoke up when I brought this up. They said that there are plenty of things that happen in their lives that they did not plan out, and a lot of those things have been great.
I was so happy that this happened, because it brought us right back to the first habit, and being proactive. The conversation tilted, and we discussed how if you are not the one creating a mental plan, someone else is going to do it for you. Most of the students said that their parents were guilty of this in some way or another. One student dreadfully remembered playing soccer for three years, and another cringed to think back to violin lessons. The point was well taken, though. If we want to live our own lives, we need to think ahead, and work backwards from that moment to see what steps we need to take.