If you watched any of the Australian Open, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of patriotism wash over you, especially as the humble Ash Barty fought her way back to victory. As I sat and listened to the speeches delivered by each of the participants after the finals match, one common thing stood out to me. Despite my thinking that tennis is, for the most part, a match played by individuals, and not a team sport, every single player, stated that their ‘personal victory would not have been possible without the team behind me’ Ash Barty, 2022.
It got me thinking, and likening a students personal and academic journey through school to the game of tennis. While the experience and the end results are held by, and attributed to one individual, their accomplishment is usually a result of the support and commitment from ‘the team behind’ that individual.
Each elite athlete spoke about the way their ‘team’ had to push them when their own level of motivation was waning, the importance of honest and direct feedback given to help them improve their skills and to meet their goals, and the unconditional support and encouragement they got when they experienced self -doubt.
In many ways, teachers and tutors are for their students like the coaches and the ‘team of mentors’ behind a player. We are there to push them socially and academically beyond what they think they are capable of, we provide raw, direct feedback about how they can reach their aspirational goals, and we provide ongoing encouragement to help build confidence, and discourage students feelings of self -doubt.
Besides the professional coaches, the players always mentioned their parents and families as an integral part of ‘their team’. This was another similarity I recognized. A students social and academic journey through school and adolescence will not be as enjoyable or successful, unless the coach (tutors and teachers) partner with the mentors (parents and families) to get the very best end result for that individual player (student).
On Monday 14 February, parents and carers (the student’s mentors) are asked to join with tutors and teachers (the coaches) to build the best team behind the individual player (the student). Together, as a team, let’s set some SMART Goals at parent tutor meetings and help our students achieve to their potential. Please look for details in correspondence from the school about how to book your Parent/ Tutor meeting.
Leanne Gair
Head of Treacy House
SMART goals are:
- Specific: Well defined, clear, and unambiguous
- Measurable: With specific criteria that measure your progress toward the accomplishment of the goal
- Achievable: Attainable and not impossible to achieve
- Realistic: Within reach, realistic, and relevant to your life purpose
- Timely: With a clearly defined timeline, including a starting date and a target date. The purpose is to create urgency.
For more information on SMART Goals, visit the following site https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/smart-goal/