The Leader In Me
SARAH CAFFREY
Leadership Facilitator
Hello everyone, welcome back to Term 2. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our School Community for the very kind words of encouragement and congratulations that have come my way. I am delighted to take on the role of The Leader In Me Facilitator, and am very fortunate to have the valuable assistance of Ms Ashlee Scott in her role as The Leader In Me Programme Support.
Kathy Haramis has built a very strong path for us to journey on, and we look forward to Reaching New Heights with The Leader In Me. I’d like to share some background information with you about our Wildly Important Goals. The Leader In Me helps students learn how to become:
- self-reliant
- take initiative
- plan ahead
- set and track goals
- prioritise their time
- manage their emotions
- be considerate of others
- express their viewpoint persuasively
- resolve conflicts
- find creative solutions
- value differences
- and live a balanced life
The process helps students develop the skills and self-confidence they need to lead their lives, and succeed in school and beyond.
You are your child’s first and best teacher. You lay the foundations for the education of your children’s mind, heart, body and spirit. No matter what is going on at school, you can help your son or daughter discover the leader within, and prepare for a great life of contribution and service.
This link provides some reading material about The Leader In Me should you like to refresh and build on information you have received from the School.
W.I.Gs: Welcome to the Wonderful World of Wildly Important Goals
As part of The Leader in Me implemented at our School, teachers and students are encouraged to create WIGs to make goal-setting more visible, accessible and achievable.
Just What is a WIG?
The term WIG stands for Wildly Important Goal. A WIG is simply a goal set in a way in which progress toward that goal can be tracked and recorded. Every WIG is written in the “From X to Y by When” format. X is your starting point. Y is where you want to be. “When” is your deadline.
When we teach goal setting and tracking in the classroom, goals are broken into smaller “lead measures” – or action steps. Often people make the mistake of only measuring the outcomes they are trying to achieve, rather than identifying achievable steps to get to their final goals. The WIG process requires a scoreboard in a visible location to increase motivation and hold participants accountable.
You might have noticed a WIG tracking sheet located in the bag area of every classroom. These are our individual student academic goals. Personal goals are recorded and tracked in Leadership Portfolios. Each individual academic WIG has a connection to the whole class targets. Classes will set a whole class WIG, and work as a united team to contribute to achieving this goal. It is visible, measurable and tracked to hold the class accountable.
I encourage you to discuss your child’s school WIG’s, and ask about how they are tracking and working towards achieving their goals. Their personal goals are a really valuable insight into something they find important to themselves, and I am sure they would love to share these with you.