Resolve to make this school year the best one yet

Editor’s note: Lisa Prejean is on vacation. This column originally was published in 2010.


The school year is beginning. Are you resolved?


Did you think I would ask if you were ready?

No, that’s what you ask someone in a store’s Back to School section.

So what kind of question is this? Resolved to do what?

Resolved to make this year the best one yet.

Parents know that the ideal time of year to make resolutions isn’t Dec. 31. School success resolutions are best when made in mid-August.

Now is the time when we should set goals for our children and with our children.

If we want them to succeed, we need to actively pursue that success with them.

What kind of resolutions should we set? Of course, some will depend on the individual, but there are basic ones for all students:

• I resolve to learn as much as I can from my teachers, textbooks and resources.

• I resolve to pay attention in class.

• I resolve to be respectful of my teachers, even when I don’t agree with them.

• I resolve to do assignments on time to the best of my ability.

• When I mess up, I resolve to learn from the mistake and go on. I will not give up on myself.

• I resolve to work hard both for the teachers I like and the ones who aren’t my favorite. This is my education ... not theirs.

• I resolve to encourage my classmates to do their best. No teasing, no bullying.

• I resolve to be honest about situations at school.

These goals are lofty, but they can be achieved, especially if parents set some goals, too. Here are some possibilities for parents: