Hopes and Dreams~Responsive Classroom

I love beginning each school year by developing our Hopes and Dreams.  For the little ones, this is something they may have never considered.  I try to explain that a "hope" is something you hope to do, learn, or accomplish this school year.  A "dream" is something you may aspire to do in the future.  With 1st and 2nd graders this always means, what they want to be when they grow up and I'm fine with that.   I like to introduce this discussion about personal choices and how they influence end results, with a read-aloud.  Here are some of my favorites:

What read-alouds have you used to introduce Hopes and Dreams?

I have used the royal theme for several years.  

I never remember to keep the crown outline, so I have to search on-line for a crown to photocopy on yellow card stock.  The kiddos cut them out and we place a picture of them in the center.  They write up their hopes and dreams statements and I type them, select a fun font, and print them.  I tear the edges of the paper to make it look like a scroll and staple it up!  It's that easy!

Here's a fun one from a fellow teacher, a few years back.

Here's two of my all time favorites from Pinterest.

Even if you're not a Responsive Classroom trained educator, it's worth checking out.  There are so many great ideas that you could easily incorporate into your classroom routines.

This book is a GREAT place to start.