Learning as much as you can makes more dreams possible

Ask any successful person and they'll tell you that education, learning as much as you can about what you're interested in, is a key
to making dreams a reality. Successfully finishing high school and going to college also makes more dreams possible. Many jobs aren't open to people without a high school or college degree. Education in general puts more into your head so that you have more ideas, are better at solving problems, and are better at making important life choices.

The last lines in Dream read:

With everything around you,
With everything before and after you,
With everything that is you...
Dream a dream... your very own dream.

One of the quotations in Dream from Louis Pasteur reads, "Chance favors only the mind that is prepared."

The really smart people aren't the ones who know everything, but are the ones who are willing to learn everything they can.

The start of the school year is an ideal time for a child and their parent or a class of students and their teacher to discuss, write out, and sign a Learn to Dream Pledge. Children make a pledge to themselves, their teachers, and their parents that they will do the very best they can throughout the school year to learn as much as they can so that they can make their dreams for their life a reality. The big dreams of the future start with everything you learn now.

Download the Learn to Dream Pledge sheet. Each child writes and signs their own pledge, focusing on things they want to improve on or remind themselves of.

Start by talking about the kinds of things children might include on their pledge. For example:

• Listening – really listening – in class.
  
• Improving note-taking skills.
  
• Taking part in class discussions.
  
• Asking questions when you don't understand material or an assignment.
  
• Reviewing notes before a class.
  
• Taking a few extra minutes to double-check homework before handing it in.
  
• Handing in homework on time.
  
• Starting to study for a test at least 3 days beforehand.
  
• Changing a seat assignment if you're being distracted, or can't see or hear.
  
• Helping classmates who don't understand material or an assignment (one of the best ways to learn something is to explain it to someone else).
  
• Doing an extra-credit project.
  
• Reading one new book from the library each week.

After you've brainstormed a number of items children can include on their pledge, they choose the ones most meaningful to them, write out their pledge, sign and date it.

Children should put their pledge in a place where they'll see it often – a book bag, lunch box, or desk drawer. A teacher or parent can review the pledge occasionally so that children can assess how well they're living up to the pledge they've made.