In the last newsletter, I wrote about the work of Carol Dweck and the concept of the growth mindset and the guidance it gives for how we educate students, indeed how we raise our children. Dweck stresses the point that embracing a growth mindset is not the end of the game, we must also commit to action to improve. Goal setting is an effective method to help students commit and be successful in their learning.
A study by Dr Gail Matthews (2007) highlighted effective practices for turning goals into action. In her study, Dr Matthews divided people into five groups.
- Group 1 had to think about their goals for the next four weeks but not write them down
- Group 2 had to write down their goals
- Group 3 had to write down their goals and commit to specific actions to further their goals
- Group 4 had to do all the above plus share with a friend
- Group 5 had to do everything Group 4 had to do plus send a weekly progress report to a friend.
After four weeks Dr Matthews found, in summary, that the group who wrote their goals down were significantly more likely to have achieved them in the time frame than those who didn’t. Also, the greater the commitment to specific goal-directed actions, such as providing a weekly progress report, the more likely the goals would be achieved.
It is clear the practice of deliberately establishing and articulating a range of goals is beneficial for learning and promotes the development of our capabilities.
TAS SPORT SUCCESS
During Term 1, our Junior TAS and TAS Swimming Teams received much success at the Junior TAS and TAS Swimming Carnival at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre. We are proud to announce John Paul College as the Junior TAS and TAS Swimming Champions, winning back-to-back titles! We had numerous students achieve success at this swimming carnival, with many named Junior TAS and TAS Swimming Age Champions in their age groups.
In late May, our Junior TAS Cross Country team competed in the Cross Country Carnival against other TAS schools. We are delighted to announce that John Paul College achieved Junior TAS Cross Country Champion at this competition.
Our success in TAS sport reflects the hard work and dedication that the students and their coaches put into achieving these accomplishments.
