Personal Goals Poster
School: The College School
City/State: St. Louis, MO
Grade(s): K
Format(s): Poster: General
Subject(s): English Language Arts, Visual Arts
Project Overview
These posters, which were displayed in the hallway outside of the classroom, were created by kindergarten students at the College School in St. Louis, Missouri.
Each student created a small poster that captured their goals for kindergarten. The posters contain four elements: a high quality self-portrait, which went through multiple drafts; a black and white photograph of the student; their personal goals for the school year; and their parent’s goals for them for the year.
Having these posted outside of the classroom created a way to both introduce visitors to the students of this class, and to generate a sense of pride and belonging for each student. Including goals was a small addition to the usual practice of having photos outside a classroom; it is a significant addition in the message that it brings.
How This Project Can Be Useful
- A very simple idea – used by kindergartens (and other grades) everywhere – done a little bit more carefully and thoughtfully; many classrooms have photos of students outside the room; the addition of self-portraits and goals adds a lot
- Highlights careful work by young students – the self-portraits are unusually strong; each of the self-portraits show remarkable details, demonstrating the power of critique and revision
- Having young children think of their goals is a nice way to start the school year
- Adding parents’ goals creates a genuine link between family and school
Common Core State Standards
| Standard | Long Term Learning Target |
|---|---|
| W.K.2 |
|
| L.K.6 |
|