Teacher Script: Your Goal, Your Journey!

Warm-Up: What's Your Superpower? (5 minutes)

"Good morning, everyone! Let's start with a quick thought. Think about something you are really good at, or something you truly enjoy doing. It could be anything! Maybe you're great at drawing, or you love to read, or you're super helpful to your friends, or maybe you're really good at a sport. Take a moment to think about it.


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"Now, turn to a partner and share your 'superpower'! What is that one thing you're really good at or enjoy?"

(After a minute or so, bring the class back together.)

"Wonderful! It sounds like we have a classroom full of amazing superpowers. Today, we're going to talk about how we can use those superpowers to achieve big dreams, or what we call... GOALS! We're going to explore how to set exciting goals for our future."

Introducing Goals (8 minutes)

"So, what exactly is a goal? A goal is something you want to achieve or make happen in the future. It's like a target you aim for, something you work towards. It could be something small, like learning to tie your shoes, or something big, like becoming a professional artist!"

"To help us understand goals even better, we're going to read a fantastic book called 'Ambitious Ninja.' Listen closely to see what Ambitious Ninja's goal is and how they try to achieve it."

(Read "Ambitious Ninja" by Mary Nhin aloud, pausing to highlight the ninja's goals and efforts.)

(After reading, ask questions:

"Wow! What an ambitious ninja! Can anyone tell me, what was Ambitious Ninja's goal in the story?"

"And how did Ambitious Ninja work to achieve it? What steps did they take?"

"Excellent observations! See how the ninja didn't just wish for their goal, they worked for it, taking different steps. That's what we do with our goals too!"

Self-Reflection on Work Habits (7 minutes)

"Achieving goals, especially big ones, often means we need to have good habits. Let's think about our schoolwork. What are some work habits that help us learn and succeed? Maybe it's listening carefully, or trying your best, or asking for help when you're stuck."

"Now, let's do a quick self-reflection. Think about your schoolwork and your habits."

"First, what is one work habit you do really well? Something that helps you learn?"

"Great! It's good to recognize our strengths. Now, let's think about something we can improve. What's one work habit you'd like to work on, that would help you even more with your goals? Maybe it's staying focused, or organizing your backpack, or finishing your tasks on time? It's okay to want to get better; that's how we grow!"

"Remember, being aware of our habits helps us become even stronger goal-setters!"

My Future Goal Activity (10 minutes)

"Alright, now for the exciting part! We're going to think about our own future goals. Big, exciting, long-term goals!"

"Today, your long-term goal will be about what you want to be when you grow up! This is a goal that will take many years and many steps to achieve, but it's fun to dream big!"

"Take a moment to either think about, or draw on a piece of scratch paper, what you want to be when you grow up. Think about all the amazing jobs and roles in the world!"

(Allow time for thinking/drawing the long-term goal.)

"Once you have your big dream, I want you to think about two small, immediate steps you can take today or this week that move you towards that goal. It doesn't have to be a giant leap, just a little step forward. For example, if you want to be a scientist, maybe your steps are to 'Read a science book' and 'Ask my teacher a question about plants.' If you want to be an artist, maybe your steps are 'Draw a picture every day' and 'Practice mixing colors.'"

(Circulate, offering support, especially to SPED and Spanish-speaking students. Provide sentence starters or visuals as needed. Encourage them to articulate their goals and steps in Spanish if more comfortable, and provide translation support.)

Share and Discuss (5 minutes)

"Who would like to bravely share their future goal and the first step they've identified? Don't be shy; all dreams are welcome here!"

(Call on a few volunteers. Use the Goal Setting Discussion prompts as needed to guide the conversation.)

"Isn't it amazing to hear everyone's dreams? Remember, every single big dream, every grand adventure, starts with one small step. You've all taken that first step today just by thinking about it and planning. I am so proud of your big thinking!"

Cool Down: One Word Goal (Optional)

"To wrap up, think about how you feel about setting goals after our lesson today. Can you describe that feeling in just one word?"

"Turn to your partner again and share your one word, or you can write it down on an exit ticket to turn in."

"Thank you for your hard work and your incredible big dreams today, future leaders!"

Goal Setting Discussion Prompts

Use these prompts to facilitate a classroom discussion after students have completed their "My Future Goal" worksheets.

Sharing Our Dreams

1. Who would like to share what they want to be when they grow up? (¡Comparte tu gran sueño!)
   
   
   
   
2. What is the first small step you identified to start working towards that dream? (¿Cuál es el primer paso pequeño para lograrlo?)
   
   
   
   
3. Why did you choose that particular first step? (¿Por qué elegiste ese primer paso?)
   
   
   
   

Reflecting on Goals

1. Based on the book and our activity, why do you think it's important to set goals? (¿Por qué es importante tener metas?)
   
   
   
   
2. How does taking small steps help us reach a big goal? Can anyone give an example? (¿Cómo nos ayudan los pequeños pasos a alcanzar una gran meta?)
   
   
   
   
3. What was one work habit you thought about improving? How might improving that habit help you with your future goal? (¿Qué hábito de trabajo quieres mejorar? ¿Cómo te ayudará con tu meta futura?)
   
   
   
   
4. Remember your