Goals Are a Way of Doing, Intentions Are a Way of Being: Setting Intentions in the New Year
Happy New Year to All!
The winter break can be a great time to regroup and rejuvenate. The start of a new year often brings a renewed enthusiasm for one’s work in the classroom and for the potential to inspire and connect with students. It is a natural time of year to set personal goals and recommit to your work.
As we discuss in the TeachWell groups, goal setting is an important component of self-efficacy. We define self-efficacy, in part, by the ability to set and achieve certain goals. “Self-efficacy is a person's estimate or personal judgment of his or her own ability to succeed in reaching a specific goal.” (Merriman, 2012)
Goals are a way of doing and intentions are a way of being. In TeachWell, we expand our definition of self-efficacy to include not only goal setting, but intention setting as well. Intention setting brings a sense of mindfulness to our work. Intention setting allows us to tap into our core values, our belief in who we are and how we want to be in the world, and by extension, how we want to be in our work. By naming our intentions, we have a place from which to reflect. When setting your goals for the year, we encourage you to set intentions as well.
Here is a guide for doing so:
Start by asking yourself, “what are the core values and personal qualities that I bring to my work as an educator?” Create a list of these core values. You may recognize qualities such as patience, inclusivity, compassion, drive, or commitment.
Once you have your list, choose one to focus your intention on. Choose a period of time that you want to devote to focusing on this intention. For example, you may decide you want to set your intention on patience for the next two weeks. In addition, find a specific time of day that you can dedicate to reflecting on your intention. It may be just before you enter your classroom. It could be each time you transition to a new subject or when a new group of students enters your room.
Write your intention on a post-it note and put it in a place that you will see it and be reminded of your intention. The post-it note will say something like: patience, transitions. In those designated moments take a few breaths and remember the intention you have set. Allow this to be a moment of reflection, without judgement - remember this is a value that you recognize in yourself and know to be true.
In this moment of reflection, quietly say your intention, ie. “patience.”
As you build a practice around your intentions,reflect on the following questions throughout your day:
How did my intention (i.e. patience) serve me in this moment?
How have I practiced my intention thus far today?
How might this intention serve me better as my day continues?
How might I further integrate this intention into my teaching practice?
How might I model and teach this intention to my students?
Setting and reflecting on intentions builds a sense of self-efficacy by keeping your core values in front of you. Rather than a goal that you can check off the list, intentions are an ongoing way to fortify confidence in and commitment to who you want to be as an educator. Research is showing us that this confidence and commitment will lead to greater outcomes and sense of efficacy.
Have a great start to the new year and...Be Well!