One thing I did on the first day of school with my students was to get them set up in Google Classroom and then complete a get-to-know-you survey via Google Form. I read somewhere that instead of asking students about their favorite color, favorite book, or anything else favorite, you will learn much more about them if you ask them about their goals, their hopes and dreams for the future, and what kinds of problems they want to solve. Some of the answers to this very simple survey blew me away. Here are a few amazing answers from my students:
What is your one major goal that you would like to accomplish before you graduate 8th grade?
- To get straight As and run a mile in under 6 minutes
- To become an Eagle Scout
- To be true to myself and be a kinder person
- Become fully initiated into the Christian Faith
- Be more confident
- To get better grades, learn as much as I can, and be positive about learning
What is your one major goal that you would like to accomplish before you graduate high school?
- To get accepted into a good college and learn French and Latin
- To score higher than a 33 on my ACT
- Try a new hobby
- Make a difference through service projects or other small ways
- Work really hard so I can go to any collage I want to
- Find what I'm passionate about, because I have many interests and hobbies
What is your one major goal that you would like to accomplish before you go to heaven?
- To have all my goals accomplished, and to have a better relationship with God
- To be the musical guest once on SNL
- Get married and have kids, have a very successful career, be closer with God
- To find buried treasure
- To help solve global warming
- To go to church often and to be more like God
- Send a probe outside the orb cloud and beyond and send pictures back
- To open a shelter for the homless
- Make the world a clean, beautiful, more peaceful place
My absolute favorite answer was given when I asked if there is anything else they would like to share with Mrs. Brickler so she could get to know them better. One student just wrote her bucket list, which I am tempted to pass off as my own....
Bucket List
1. Get a dog
2. Find my doppelganger
3. Ride on Mr. Freeze at 6 Flags
4. Touch a hedgehog
5. Write a song and perform it
Forming relationships with students means caring about what they have to say, especially their hopes and dreams. I told all of my students that this year I intend to form them as Saints and to teach them the truth. They were thrilled that someone listened and cared, and I am so excited for this school year!
