Conference Week - Time for Student Goal Setting

Ahhh...it's that time of year again - Parent Teacher Conferences.  I actually enjoy the change of pace, and it is generally a pleasure talking to my students, one on one, with their parents.  The hard part is - Student Goals!  How do you get your students to create meaningful, realistic goals that are measurable?   Of course, the parents are always willing to chime in, but if you let them do too much, then they aren't the student's goals!

This has always been a dilemma for me, that is until I found the book Inch and Miles.  Teaching my students the building blocks that make up the Pyramid of Success has made all the difference in the world!

I must admit, it did take me over a month to go through these building blocks, one at a time - insuring that my students understood each one.  To do this, we made pocket books, with Character Trait Charts and Eye/Ear Charts.  It was slow going, but these abstract concepts became concrete for my students.

Although this took quite a bit of class time, I found that my students and I really benefited from these activities.  Their participation in group work was very focused and effective.  We had a common language for the times that I needed to redirect a student.  I simply needed to say something like "Are you using Self-Control right now?" to refocus a student!  But the best part is the goal setting!!!

I have never had it so easy to guide students to create appropriate goals!  At the end of the book, I gave my students a chart to evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses with regards to the building blocks.  We revisited them one at a time - discussing what a strength in this area might look like and what kinds of things could be done to improve in this particular area.  The students were required to choose a minimum of three areas for growth.  They also needed to put an example for the areas that they identified as a strength - what do you do that shows you are strong in this building block?

These charts are transferring easily to well written, student-driven goals!  I couldn't be more pleased!  I am so impressed by my student's work that I quickly putting together a Teachers Pay Teachers' product for all of you.  

Be sure to check out my store and look for this product if you are interested in leading your students to effective, student-driven goal setting as well!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Beyond-The-Garden-Gate-Shari-Bithell