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Simply Ieva

Episode 46 – How to Set Intentional Goals with Your EL Students

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With the new year right around the corner, we tend to reflect on the things we accomplished and what we can do to improve on the quality of our lives, both personally and professionally in the next year. So setting goals is especially popular this time of year, and often, as life keeps going, those goals fall by the wayside. It has been proven that the small, consistent habits are what will actually make the biggest difference in your life. So in this episode I wanted to share my thoughts on goal setting with our EL students and what better time to do that than at the start of a year.

I have been guilty in the past of making new years resolutions with no strong why attached, no quantitative measure of success, and was ultimately unsuccessful. After doing some research I have found that it is actually the small, consistent habits you build day after day that make the biggest changes in your life.

So, when is the best time to set goal with your students? There are 4 good times I recommend: At the beginning of the school year, at the beginning of the new year in January, at the start of a new trimester or semester, and after receiving your ACCESS or other standardized test scores. Each of these times is a natural opportunity in the school year to reflect and goal set.

How does it work? As teachers, we are good at breaking things down into manageable chunks. The goal needs to be somewhat tangible. Ask questions to help students get more specific with the goal they have set. Asking questions like “what steps can you take?” or “how will you know if you’re successful?” can help students develop their ideas into SMART goals. SMART Goals are specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and timely. 

I created an ESL goal setting packet that you can use with EL students in goal setting and reflecting on their progress toward their goal. This activity has 4 parts that you will hear described in the episode. 

  • Part 1: My word of the year. Students might choose a word like “organize” as a theme for their year.
  • Part 2: My vision board. This must be placed where you can actually see it so you are reminded of what you’re working toward. This can be created digitally in google slides or Canva.
  • Part 3: My weekly goal and reflection. This can be reused every week to help students reflect on their actions regularly.
  • Part 4: My celebrations. This section helps give students something to look forward to in response to working toward their goals,

Do you set goals with your students? What is your process?

What you will hear about in this episode

  • The anatomy of a goal
  • The 4 times during the school year when its good to set goals
  • A 4 part activity you can use to set goals with your students.

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

You may also be interested in: 

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2 thoughts on “Episode 46 – How to Set Intentional Goals with Your EL Students”

  1. Juli
    Thank you for always providing practical strategies that our teachers can implement right away! I especially appreciate the references to Ed tech resources.

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