SENSE OF POSITIVE PURPOSE

ROSALINA S. MONTOYA

Students should have a sense of positive purpose so that they have a strong reason to learn, to take on challenges, or to behave well.

Without a purpose, they have difficulty connecting their varied learning experiences into a coherent whole. Having a primary goal is particularly important in a student’s life all through adulthood.

Purpose, according to Stanford University psychologist William Damon, is a “stable and generalized intention to accomplish something that is at once meaningful to the self and of positive consequence to the world beyond the sel f .”

Positive purpose is also connected to social and emotional learning (SEL) skills: Students are able to recognize feelings and use them as a guide to their actions; they find their special task or what it is that allows them to excel; and they recognize their achievements and those of others as they contribute to a positive purpose.

One way to get started with a positive purpose is to write an essay about it, which is an important way to build social awareness. This will also provide direction and energy for learning.

Some students however usually can’t start writing, so teachers may need to help them. We can use nonfiction books, biographies, documentaries, social studies texts, and news reports. Or we can have them learn about and reflect on about the positive purpose of someone they know: a local hero, community leader, first responder, family member, educator, and the like. We can also have them write about their own positive purpose.

Our students’essays may our eyes to the depth of their thinking, aspirations, and abilities.

Of course, there are also other ways our students can communicate their positive purpose – visual art or music.

Let’s provide them space to share their essays with classmates. Next step is to give them an opportunity to share in front of the class, or at an assembly or community gathering.

This will celebrate the inspirations and aspirations of our students.

— oOo—

I at Santiago Elementary School.

The author is Master Teacher