The Counselors' Connection
August 2024
A new school year brings with it excitement, new experiences, and a natural opportunity to identify personal hopes and dreams. For many, this may not be an easy process. Teaching children early how to set and achieve goals is a powerful way to build their confidence, independence, and sense of accomplishment. By guiding them through the process of goal-setting, you help them develop essential skills that will benefit them in every area of life.
Dr. Michele Borba, an educational psychologist and recipient of the National Educator Award, offers valuable strategies to help children learn goal-setting and achieve success. She outlines seven key steps:
Define What a Goal Is: Introduce the concept of a goal by relating it to something your child is passionate about. For example, explain that a football player aims for a touchdown—this is their goal. Clarify that setting a goal involves planning and working toward something specific.
Share Your Own Goals: Show your children that you have your own dreams and aspirations. Explain that even adults need to work on certain things to achieve their goals, making it a relatable process.
Create a “Dream List” Together: Help your child compile a list of goals that are within their reach. Discuss these dreams together and consider the skills needed to achieve them. Ask if they might need support to succeed.
Customize Goals for Your Child: Start with simple, achievable goals for first-time goal-setters. For example, setting a goal to make their bed daily, read a book, brush their teeth without reminders, or get a strike in bowling can be great starting points.
Guide Your Child in Planning Steps to Success: Encourage your child to think about and outline the steps needed to achieve their goal. Writing down these steps can increase their chances of success, as it helps them focus on what needs to be done.
Track Progress Together: Use a visible spot, like the refrigerator, to track progress with stickers or stars when your child completes steps toward their goal.
Celebrate Achievements: When your child reaches their goal, celebrate together as a family to reinforce the joy of accomplishment.
Please feel free to download and use these handouts if they may be useful for your child and your family
As children work on their goals, they will inevitably face challenges and possibly experience disappointment. It's important to remember that failure is a natural and valuable part of the learning process.
Self-Talk
Support your child through the difficult times by facilitating a growth mindset. Use language such as, “This is hard but I will keep trying.” Remind your child of the many things they are successful at and discuss how they achieved that success.
Child-Driven Problem Solving
Encourage your child to problem solve on their own. When we constantly intervene and fix the problem for them, we see a temporary relief but do not prepare them for future roadblocks. Provide a safe and supportive environment for your child to work through struggles by asking them to identify possible solutions and praise them for trying. When a child is driving the solutions, they are more likely to try and feel a greater sense of intrinsic pride.
Be a Role Model
It is important to remember, no matter how many times they seem to not hear what we are saying, they are watching. Adults can provide a great example for children by demonstrating resilience in our own lives. Avoid catastrophic language when dealing with challenges (ie, “This always happens when I try to ____.”) Instead, verbalize the growth mindset language you are looking for foster in your child so they can hear examples of how to think through difficult situations.
To read more: 10 Tips for Raising Resilient Kids
Education and Experience:
Ms. Jennifer Munch joined Haverford as a full-time elementary school counselor in 2003. She spent 3 years serving as Oakmont’s school counselor before moving to Chestnutwold when it opened in 2006. Ms. Munch has been a Chestnutwold Phoenix ever since! Currently, Ms. Munch is Chestnutwold’s kindergarten through second grade school counselor as well as the co-chair of the School Counseling Department.
Ms. Munch began her educational journey at Villanova University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Her interest in child development and mental health led her directly to The University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her MSEd with a focus on Psychological Services as well as her elementary school counseling certification. Since 2001, she has been a certified elementary school counselor, using her skills to support and educate young students.
Before joining Haverford, Ms. Munch worked at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where she was involved in research on acute stress and post-traumatic stress in children involved in road traffic accidents. She assisted a team of physicians, psychologists, and researchers to develop screening tools for pediatric medical providers, including the Acute Stress Checklist for Children (ASC- Kids) as well as early intervention strategies for children who scored at-risk for stress-related disorders.
School Counseling Beliefs and Mindset:
Ms. Munch believes strongly in supporting all students’ social and emotional well-being, understanding that “one size does not fit all”. She’s passionate about teaching children important life skills like how to get along with others and how to manage emotions effectively. By teaching these skills early and in a developmentally appropriate way, it allows young children the time to practice, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes in order to gain strength and resilience. Ms. Munch values consultation and partnership with parents and caregivers, working together to help children thrive.
Ms. Munch enjoys taking a creative approach to school counseling. She loves using music, art, books, puppets, and games to make learning fun and engaging for kids. She’s especially interested in helping children learn and utilize cognitive-behavioral techniques to cope with various difficulties including anxiety, anger, and negative self-talk.
Ms. Munch absolutely loves working at Haverford and is proud to be part of a district that truly cares about its students. She believes strongly in the support systems Haverford provides and is dedicated to making sure every child feels safe, understood, and ready to succeed.
Fun Fact:
Ms. Munch spent a great deal of time participating in the performing arts during her early years. She performed in numerous community and school theater productions, played percussion instruments in the concert and marching bands, and participated in both high school and college choir. This experience in music and theater can be seen in the classroom or counseling office during story time, puppet plays, or when she sings a song to strengthen a learning opportunity.
