Goal Setting in the ESL Classroom

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Goal Setting in the ESL Classroom

• By Danica Garcia and Julia Epperly
• September 17, 2007

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Learning Objectives

• Goal Setting and CBC ESL
• Importance of students achieving personal goals
• Relationship between student retention and goal
  setting
• How to effectively teach goal setting to students
• How to integrate student interests and goals into
  lessons
• A look at pathways

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Goal Setting and CBC ESL

• Committed to Goal Setting in the Basic Skills
  Grant
• Executing current best practices based on
  education theory for teaching adult ESL students

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Why learners enroll in ESL Classes

• Improve personal effectiveness in U.S. society
• Help children with schoolwork and to speak to
  their teachers
• Increase employability
• Function better with everyday uses of language
• Experience the success of knowing that one can
  learn the language
• Improve reading and writing skills in English
• Assist people in one's native country.

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Why learners leave programs
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Personal Factors in Leaving ESL Programs
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Programmatic Factors in Leaving
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Advantages to Goal Setting

• Manageable short-term goals help students feel a
  sense of accomplishment
• Learn English vs. take a message
• Setting goals and a timeline upfront help student
  and teacher track success

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Advantages of Goal Setting

• Role model student problem solving
• how to solve issues
• promote abstract thought and creativity
• Applicable to real life Teaches skills they
  will need in current business and educational
  environments
• Students achieving goals Student retention!

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Goal Setting Best Practices

• Be SMART
• Take into consideration the learners level and
  abilities
• Identify strategies to achieve the goal, create a
  plan with objectives and execute it
• Monitor progress and refine their goals,
  objectives, strategies and plans as needed

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Are your goals SMART?

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Timely

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Specific

• WHAT are you going to do?
• Use strong action words (increase, direct, plan)
• WHY is this important to do at this time?
• What do you want to ultimately accomplish?
• So I can
• HOW are you going to do it? (By...)
• Ensure the goals you set is very specific, clear
  and easy

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• I want to learn English so I can help my children
  with their homework.
• Too big What kind of homework? What level
• I want to learn English so I can read my children
  a bedtime story every night.
• I will do this by reading one childrens picture
  book 10 minutes per day.
• Much better! This is very specific and can be
  tracked

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Measurable

• If you cant manage it you cant achieve it
• See the change occur
• "I want to read 3 chapter books of 100 pages on
  my own before my birthday" vs. "I want to be a
  good reader
• Establish concrete criteria for measuring
  progress

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Attainable

• Identify goals that are most important to you
• Figure out ways you can make them come true
• Develop that attitudes, abilities, skills, and
  financial capacity to reach them.
• See overlooked opportunities
• Needs to stretch you slightly

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Realistic

• Realistic ? easy ? DO-ABLE
• Devise a plan and stick to it
• Set the bar high enough for a satisfying
  achievement

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Timely

• Set a timeframe for the goal
• for next week, in three months, by two years
• End point clear target to work towards.
• Time commitment? Urgency

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What are your top three teaching goals for this
year?

• Think about your top three goals
• Choose one to write using the SMART format
• TIP You will be sharing whichever goal you
  choose with your classmates.

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Solo, Pair, Share, Square

• Find a partner
• Share your goals
• Give your partner feedback on their goals Are
  they SMART
• Make a foursome
• Present your partners goal
• Explain how it meets the requirements for SMART

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Tips for Goal Setting in the Classroom

• Revisit the student goals throughout the quarter.
• Connect lesson topics to student goals and share
  with students the connection.
• Since many students were interested in learning
  how to answer the phone, we are going to focus on
  that activity for the next three days in class.
  Then you are going to practice calling me every
  Friday and leaving a message.

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Pathways and Goal Setting
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On-going Program Development in Pathways

• Determining common student vocational interests
• Developing pathways to meet these interests
• Creating a series of pathways conversations

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Closing Thoughts

• The victory of success is half won when one
  gains the habit of setting goals and achieving
  them. Og Mandino
• Man is a goal seeking animal. His life only has
  meaning if he is reaching out and striving for
  his goals. -Aristotle

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For any further questions or on-going comments

• Danica Garcia dgarcia_at_columbiabasin.edu
• Julia Epperly jepperly_at_columbiabasin.edu
• Email us! Wed love to hear your feedback and
  ideas! ?
• Best wishes and happy SMART goal setting.