Each new academic session presents an opportunity to motivate your students to study smarter, learn better and work hard! As educators, we are well aware of the importance of goals in school learning management system and teaching. We have our own goals of what and how much we want the students to learn each year, week and with the aid of digital teaching tools such as school LMS, probably even in each class. It is our duty to inspire the students to create their own goals and track their progress just as much as we are willing to work hard on achieving ours. Even elementary aged students should be encouraged to create their own goals. It can be a bit overwhelming for younger students to create their goals on their own, which is why educators should take time to help them think about what they want to achieve a week, month or year from today. Here are 4 important ideas to keep in mind while facilitating student goal setting in the classroom…
Figuring out the Important stuff-
Educators should have each student thinking and finding out stuff which is important to them. This is what will help them in finding their goal, something which is important to them and which they want to achieve. Goals can range from getting better grades, to improving arithmetic skills, reading comprehension, or changing one’s behaviour and attitude in the classroom. In order to help the students skim through endless possibilities to find a goal that resonates with them, educators can tell them stories and give examples of other students who have achieved a variety of objectives. After some years, you’ll have a ton of examples of goals set and accomplished by your students which will provide greater clarity to the future students while goal setting.
Setting Short Term Goals-
While it is equally important for students to set short term as well as long term goals, if the students continually think about long term goals throughout the school year, many of them might get easily discouraged and give up. Therefore, setting short term goals is important as it will boost student morale and achieving these goals will act as a source of motivation for them along the way. Moreover, short term goals will also pave the way towards achieving the long term goals. Have the students think about what they want to achieve a week from today, rather than say a month or a year from today and make sure that you check on them after a week.
Writing down goals and tracking progress-
Ask the students to write their goals down in their notebook or on the classroom bulletin board. Writing down the goals will force the students to realise and take them seriously, even for elementary aged students. It will also serve as a reminder for them each time they look at their written goals. Using S.M.A.R.T. format to write down goals is a popular and effective choice. It states that goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. Educators should encourage the students to create goals with all the aforementioned qualities. Writing down goals will also make it easier for the students to keep a track of their progress and will also serve as a motivation for them when they are alone and feeling low. Tracking their progress is something which the students should keep a regular log of as well.
Rewarding the Students-
Students should reward themselves when they achieve a small or large goal. The longer the student works towards achieving a particular goal, the larger shall be their reward. Educators could communicate with the parents of the students and let them know about the goals which their child has achieved. Students could also earn a badge or a star after achieving small goals. By incorporating a reward system, educators can ensure that the students take the task of setting and achieving goals in a positive manner and not being overburdened by it.
Setting a definite goal is the first and foremost step towards any achievement, which is as important for the kids as it is for adults like us. Using the ideas discussed here, educators can teach their students the art of effective goal setting and help them in achieving success.
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