When my students return from winter break, I like to take class time to reflect and set New Years Resolutions. The start of a new year is a great opportunity to have our students review the past 12 months and set attainable goals for the future.
And even though the flipping of a calendar doesn't automatically change much (especially in the past few years), taking a moment to pause and reflect, can be really powerful in times of so much uncertainty.
I put together this set of graphic organizers to use with my students back in 2017 and have been updating them ever since. Over the years, teachers have used these in their classrooms and have shared that it's "the perfect way to reboot mid-year and help students identify achievements, set goals, and reflect on growth mindset."
As one teacher said, "This definitely gave my students a great landing spot to capture their reflections and continue growth mindset self-analysis and planning. There were the perfect amount of coloring areas so they could really personalize, but it did not overshadow the writing. I will use this every year."
And I absolutely LOVE the idea that one teacher shared of sealing a copy of each student goal sheet in an envelope to give back to them the following year!
I've since updated this resource to include both a print and a digital version of the graphic organizers since things are ever-changing. As well, some students may enjoy creating a vision board digitally, while others may want to create a paper version. If you are teaching a hybrid model, this also allows your students in person and at home to complete the same activities.
This set includes 8 different graphic organizers that cover the following:
New Years Reflection
Students list strengths and achievements and then create goals and areas to improve in the coming year.
The Best, The Worst, The Ah-Ha's!
Students chart the best, worst, and "ah-ha" moments of the year.
Growth Vs. Fixed Mindset
Students reflect on ways they had a growth mindset in the last year, and also times they had a fixed mindset. They also document the results of each of those times.
Time Chart
Students will complete a pie chart reflecting on how they used their time during the year. This might include time spent on social media, school work, family time, etc. They will analyze the results and set a goal pie chart for the coming year.
New Years Resolution Goal Setting
Students will choose three goals for the coming year and then strategize a three-step action plan to carry out that goal.
Making a Difference
Students will analyze three ways that they can make a difference in the new year and add an action plan. This goal sheet is open-ended to allow you to tailor this to either your community, class, world, family & friends, etc.
Goals Checklist
Students will create a checklist of goals they have for school and home. This would serve well as a small group discussion or could be used for an individual goal-setting meeting.
Vision Board
Students could collect magazine pictures, computer pictures, or even draw their own pictures to represent their vision for the new year. Tailor this to your classroom needs.
This set of graphic organizers is all set up so you can simply print and begin, or assign digitally and begin. No prep work needed. 🙌 📝
Check out the set here: New Years Resolutions 2022 Graphic Organizers
