This is a goal/activity that I’ve worked with my students again and again – I always try to reinforce the idea that they should assume responsibility for their learning and that growing stronger is a journey that teaches us more about ourselves. It’s an activity that we’ve worked on in a number of ways – creating class posters with advice, bulletin boards or writing summer postcards filled with advice/lessons learnt this year.
Some years ago, I also prepared them a sample letter, part of which you can see below.
Here are some more ways on how you can extend this activity
- Write a letter to their September self: You could ask your class to reflect on their personal challenges and ask them to write themselves a letter of advice about what they should avoid/keep doing next year.
- Book advice: Ask your kids to choose the most challenging book activities and come up with their own strategy of dealing with them. Collect their tips (I call them “Mini Walkthroughs”), bind them into a mini book and keep the book as a reference guide for new students in this class.
- A letter on study habits: Ask your students to write a letter containing advice on study habits and time management only (ideal for exam classes!)
- Focusing on Mindfulness: Encourage your class to share tips on how other students can overcome stress and offer them suggestions on what they can do every day to relax and unwind.
Thanks for sharing these awesome ideas, Maria!
Thank you for your kind words, Anthippi! I’m glad you found them useful! 🙂