Moving Forward – Setting Goals
Goal setting helps students structure their efforts by helping them focus on the components that are important to the assignment, tracking their progress throughout, and serving as a motivator (Schunk, 1990).
In addition to setting goals, students also need concrete strategies they can use to successfully work toward their goals. Students determine which next steps to take through clarifying targets, self-assessing, and pursuing goals (Laud, Hirsch, Patel & Wagner, 2010).
The teacher models how to self-assess, set goals, and plan improvements by asking:
- What aspect of your work was most effective?
- What aspect of your work was least effective?
- What specific action or actions will improve your performance?
- What will you do differently next time? (McTighe & O’Connor, 2016).
Student Goal Setting Tools
This tool is a template that teachers could ask students to complete as a goal setting form and it includes how the student can monitor his or her own progress.
Click here to download this tool.
How do you think you think this tool would work for your students? What types of adjustments would you want to consider?
Closing
Make a list of practices you plan to implement for each strategy based on your learning from today.
| Strategy | My Practice/Activity |
|---|---|
| 3. Offer regular and descriptive feedback. | |
| 4. Teach students to self-assess and set goals. | |
| Set Goals |
Coaching Companion
Video: Praising the Process: See It In Action
Article: 10 Tips for Setting Successful Goals with Students