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Michelle Ewald ewald1m@cmich.edu

Lisa Szajner
szajnerl@gaylord.k12.mi.us

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Adolescent Literacy Parking Lot - Google Jamboard

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How the What Works Clearinghouse Develops Practice Guides

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Improving Adolescent Literacy

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VIDEO: Providing Explicit Vocabulary Instruction

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VIDEO: Providing Explicit Vocabulary Instruction

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https://dwwlibrary.wested.org/resources/957

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Marzano's Six Steps for Teaching Vocabulary

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Marzano's Six Steps for Teaching Vocabulary

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Digital Graphic Organizers for Vocabulary

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Digital Graphic Organizers for Vocabulary

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Click here to make a copy: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1EcrhtyaefYm_5aNPrxHW-BXqVwhuNN0czctV0QkJVg4/copy

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Vocabulary Games for the Classroom

Use data from student responses during game play to guide a three-step process of direct vocabulary instruction. The three-step process helps teachers apply direct instruction postgame to improve student understanding of specific terms.

When using vocabulary games in the classroom, it is important to use data gathered from student responses to enhance students' knowledge about specific terms. This requires a three-step process in which teachers (1) note terms students have trouble with, (2) identify what students know and do not know about a term, and (3) have students make changes in their vocabulary notebooks. This three-step process helps teachers implement vocabulary games in the classroom effectively, as it ensures that teachers use games not just as a means to boost student engagement, but also as a way to apply direct instruction to improve content knowledge (p. 5).

The first two steps of the three-step process involve (1) identifying difficult vocabulary terms and (2) clarifying their definitions.

For the first and second steps, teachers should (1) identify vocabulary terms that students get consistently incorrect and (2) later clarify their definitions. To discern problematic vocabulary when playing a game, note words that give trouble to a majority of students. Once these vocabulary words are isolated, make a mental note to focus on clarifying student knowledge after the game or to return to their definitions the next day. When clarifying, the teacher should determine whether difficulty arises because students do not understand critical characteristics of the term or because they are inaccurate about some of the critical characteristics of a term. Use direct instruction to clear up any misunderstandings or inaccuracies surrounding difficult vocabulary (pp. 5-6).

The last step of the three-step process involves students amending previous entries of a vocabulary notebook-a space for students to track understanding of specific terms as definitions are learned and expanded upon.

The final step in the three-step process asks students to make changes to their vocabulary notebook entries by amending inaccuracies or misunderstandings about specific terms. A vocabulary notebook is a space for students to keep track of new terms with both descriptions and nonlinguistic representations of specific vocabulary terms, which in turn helps students build understanding and creates an easy way for students to review content. Vocabulary notebook pages should be revisited often and modified as student knowledge about a specific vocabulary term grows and solidifies (pp. 2-4, 6).

When creating new vocabulary games, each game should be constructed into five categories.

1. Design: The overall object of the game

2. Materials: This section may vary greatly but will include any materials needed to complete the game

3. Set-up: Preparations needed in advance

4. Play: Outline or rules of the game

5. Vocabulary words: Provided list of words that will be discovered or re-emphasized during the game (pp. 8-10, 14)

Classroom games can be adapted for younger students in the following ways:

Provide students with a shorter list of terms, maybe only two to three words long.

Provide a photograph instead of a puzzle that students must put together.

Ask students to construct only a sentence about what they see rather than the whole story (p. 20).

Ideally, after each game is played, students should review the terms in their vocabulary notebooks that were addressed in the games.

Teachers should have students make changes in their vocabulary notebooks. Ideally, after each game is played, students should review the terms in their vocabulary notebooks that were addressed in the games. While students are reviewing the terms in their vocabulary notebooks, they should be asked to add anything new they learned about the terms as a result of the games and change anything about a term they realized was inaccurate (p. 6).

Only teachers know their class well enough to decide how much competition is appropriate.

Only teachers know their class well enough to decide how much competition is appropriate. Should teachers decide to award points and select winners, we do not recommend that points from games be used when grading students. This does not mean that a game cannot be used for formative evaluation, quite the contrary. During play, teachers can glean valuable information as feedback to guide instructional discussions (p. 5).

Teachers should identify what students know and do not know about the difficult terms.

Teachers should identify what students know and do not know about the difficult terms. When it is clear that students are having difficulty with a term, the teacher should determine whether their difficulty arises because they do not understand critical characteristics of the term or because they are inaccurate about some of the critical characteristics of a term (p. 6).

There is an effective six-step process for teaching new terms.

Dr. Marzano''s rationale is a comprehensive schoolwide or districtwide approach to the direct instruction in academic terms as well as terms necessary for general literacy. This recommendation can be attempted by using the following six steps:

1. Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term.

2. Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words.

3. Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the term.

4. Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of terms in their notebooks.

5. Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another.

6. Involve students periodically in games that allow them to play with terms (p. 1).

Direct vocabulary instruction is fundamental to effective teaching.

Direct vocabulary instruction is fundamental to effective teaching. Our knowledge about and understanding of any topic is rooted in our mastery of the terms relevant to that topic. To some degree, this is common sense. Consider social studies students learning about the U.S. government. Certainly they must have a firm grasp on terms such as executive, legislative, judicial, presidency, bill, amendment, and vote (among others) in order to demonstrate proficiency for learning goals on this topic. In other words, there is a direct link between an understanding of academic vocabulary and an understanding of academic content (p. 1).

Data collected as far back as 1941 indicates there is roughly a 6,000-word gap between students at the 25th and 50th percentiles on standardized test in grades 4-12.

What is also clear is that there is a vast difference in the vocabularies of low-versus high-achieving students. Data collected as far back as 1941 indicates there is roughly a 6,000-word gap between students at the 25th and 50th percentiles on standardized test in grades 4-12. Since the 1980s, researchers have estimated the difference to be anywhere between 4,500 and 5,400 words for low- versus high-achieving students (for a discussion, see Marzano, 2009). This means we can take the commonsense connection between vocabulary and content one step further and conclude that the size of a student''s vocabulary is directly related to his or her academic achievement (p. 1).

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Vocabulary Games for the Classroom, Tips

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When using vocabulary games in the classroom, it is important to use data gathered from student responses to enhance students' knowledge about specific terms. This requires a three-step process in which teachers (1) note terms students have trouble with, (2) identify what students know and do not know about a term, and (3) have students make changes in their vocabulary notebooks.

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6 Teacher-Approved Tips for Faster, More Effective Feedback

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I'm a big fan of Stanford professor Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset. It's hard not to be. It's evidence-based research that is encouraging. Carol Dweck's research demonstrates that if a student tries hard and believes he can succeed he is very likely to be successful. That simple. And the converse is true too. If you don't believe in yourself that is likely to be self-fulfilling, regardless of your capabilities.

Adults Play an Important Role in Growth Mindset

Adults have HUGE influence in helping kids develop a growth mindset. Better still, it's NEVER TOO LATE to develop a growth mindset.

Not surprisingly, schools are eagerly embracing Carol Dweck's lessons of growth mindset. They are doing everything from measuring it with questionnaires, teaching it as a part of the curriculum, and re-training adults to speak to children in ways that will nurture a growth mindset.

Don't Over Simplify

The biggest concern about growth mindset is not to over simplify it. Even Carol Dweck h ad to speak out about concerns in this area. Developing growth mindset is not quite so simple as teaching kids to stop saying, "I can't do it" and start saying, "I can't do it,". Anticipate that it's going to take some hard work. But, if you have a growth mindset, keep reading.

Be Specific with the Student and the Situation

Help students answer the obvious question that comes after "yet". If I can't do it yet, what do I need to do? Is it more practice? A different approach? More instruction? As Carol Dweck explains, "Studies show that people are terrible at estimating their abilities." So when they struggle they need specific guidance.

Instilling growth mindset, therefore, requires that adults use specific language that takes into account each child's past accomplishments in that subject and their unique combination of strengths and needs, so each child learns to be successful in the way that works best for him.

Here are some examples:
Learn more about growth mindset, grit, and student motivation. We hope your school year is off to a wonderful start. Please check your Mindprint Toolbox to be sure your students have all the organizational strategies they need to make this a great year.

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It's All in the Details: A Strengths-Based Approach to Growth Mindset | Mindprint Learning

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I'm a big fan of Stanford professor Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset. It's hard not to be. It's evidence-based research that is encouraging. Carol Dweck's research demonstrates that if a student tries hard and believes he can succeed he is very likely to be successful. That simple. And the converse is true too.

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We're trained to believe that feedback is generally a good thing. It's crucial in helping us develop new skills and in scenarios where we cannot assess our own performance. In fact, feedback ranks in the top 5-10 highest influences on student achievement, which explains why it's a foundation of learning from the earliest grades when students compete for teacher praise or gold star stickers. The more feedback the better, right?

Unfortunately, research shows that the impact of feedback varies significantly depending on its focus and context. Much of the feedback that teachers give to students is ineffective or in some cases, detrimental to their learning. A review of 131 studies on feedback found that over a third of feedback interventions actually decreased performance. Well-intentioned educators regularly provide comments to students that decrease students' intrinsic motivation and discourage them from learning.

This is especially worrisome given the importance of feedback when students are mastering complex tasks such as problem-solving and analysis. Unlike situations where students are purely being asked to memorize and recall information, deeper learning requires the student to reflect on the cognitive process and understand the strategies that lead to successful performance. Feedback is crucial to this metacognitive awareness. If our goal is merely for students to remember facts ("Who were the Axis powers in World War II?"), then letting the student know if the answer is right or wrong will suffice. But if we want students to think about the interplay of ideas ("To what extent was the outbreak of World War II inevitable?"), then we need to give students robust feedback that guides their thinking.

Luckily, cognitive science offers valuable insight into providing the right feedback to support student outcomes. We've combed through the research to figure out the most important elements of actionable, effective feedback for deeper learning.

Research shows us the most important elements of feedback to enhance deeper learning.

1. Emphasize the task, not the student's ability

Feedback that attributes performance results to inherent traits like intelligence does the most harm to student outcomes. Comments like, "you're so smart" or "you are an excellent writer" suggest to students that their work is a reflection of their own selves, and that it is their egos that are being judged rather than the quality of their work. This type of feedback directs attention away from the task at hand and toward the self. The student is no longer thinking about the skill or content knowledge he or she is trying to master; instead, the student is thinking about his or her own ego.

In cases where the student receives negative feedback related to the self ("I don't think that math is your strong suit"), the student generally loses motivation to persevere in the learning process. In cases where the feedback related to the self is positive ("you are a natural analytical thinker"), the feedback causes student to stray away from challenges because he or she wants to protect his or her good reputation by avoiding failure.

To foster a growth mindset and encourage students to take risks to further their learning, feedback needs to be directed at a specific task rather than the student's ability. Instead of commenting on the student's "writing talent", it's best to point out something relevant to the actual task ("you've done an excellent job supporting your argument with evidence from the text.") This keeps the student's focus on the learning task while diminishing the effects on his or her ego.

2. Give specific guidance on how to improve

Non-specific feedback is of little use to students, particularly if they are trying to figure out how to master a complex task. Telling a student that he or she has done a "good job!" or needs to "try harder" does not inspire the student to reflect on the cognitive process or figure out how to produce different results going forward. In terms of the measurable impact on student outcomes, non-specific feedback such as praise, rewards, and punishment falls far behind feedback that is specific and geared toward a particular task.

Imagine if you were trying to master a new skill, such as perfecting a free throw in basketball. After several failed attempts to get the ball in the hoop, you finally manage to score. Would it be more beneficial to hear the coach yell "Excellent!" across the court, or would it be better to know exactly why this shot was successful, unlike the previous ones? ("Yes! You bent your wrist 90 degrees before you flicked it, and that made all the difference.") Taking the time to specify what the student did right or wrong enables the student to succeed when the same strategy or skill is applied in the future.

Of course, giving insightful feedback about the learning process requires understanding the student's thinking and use of strategies. Some forms of assessment are better suited to this than others. In deciding between a short-answer or a multiple-choice question, the teacher might consider the value of students generating their own original words and reflecting their thought process in their answer. Gaining more visibility into the student's thinking is what enables teachers to provide the most impactful feedback.

3. Provide regular, ongoing feedback

Most students do not receive nearly as much feedback as they need. In a typical classroom, the incidence of feedback is measurable in seconds per day. Most of the students' time is spent working alone, which is understandable given the number of students that a single teacher must interact with. But for students who are consistently making the same mistakes without knowing it, infrequency of feedback results in wasted time and frustration.

Efforts to correct this situation generally result in more assessment that gives students information about performance results (scores and grades) rather than insight into the learning process. This is due to the practical constraints of having many students and limited teacher resources. Giving students feedback on their learning behavior and thought process requires a level of individualized attention that teachers in a typical classroom are unable to provide. Handing out more multiple choice questions that can be graded by a machine and reported back to the student often seems like the only option.

Resolving this feedback gap requires thinking beyond the traditional classroom model where teachers are solely responsible for providing feedback via grades and comments. Are there ways for students to gain insight into their own learning process that do not require the teacher's intervention? Can data on digital platforms be used as a means to provide more frequent and actionable feedback? Could sharing notes and answers enable students to learn from one another and provide peer review? Research on self- and peer-assessment has shown that giving students opportunities to assess their own learning results in greater academic gains and deeper reflection about the learning process. Leveraging students' abilities to assess their own cognitive process may allow them to think more carefully about the strategies they employ and help them develop their own metacognition for future learning.

4. Focus on process, not results

Too often, assessment in the classroom is used to determine student proficiency instead of inspiring reflection about the cognitive process. We measure student outcomes without understanding how those outcomes came about or what they entail for instruction and student learning. Optimizing feedback requires rethinking the way we assess students.

One starting point might be giving students the opportunity to revise their incorrect answers. In student surveys, we consistently find that one of the most popular features of Actively Learn is the "retry answer" button. Students want to improve and get a second chance to try a different approach to answering a question. Teachers who encourage students to retry their answers send students the message that learning is about reflection and practice rather than mere performance outcomes.

Giving thoughtful feedback that informs deeper learning also enables teachers to improve their instruction. When teachers focus on the learning process rather than performance outcomes, feedback becomes a two-way channel. While a student is the one who "gets" a grade, insight into the learning process informs student learning and also involves the teacher in figuring out the best way to direct students to academic success. It challenges the teacher to diagnose the causes of student performance and play an active role in redirecting the student's thinking process.

Conclusion

As with so many aspects of teaching, feedback is both an art and a science. Cognitive research can point us in the right direction, but the teacher is still ultimately the diagnostician who figures out how to best help a student. We hope you are able to implement these best practices in a way that furthers your students' growth and leads to deeper learning.

RELATED:
Formative Assessment: Tracking Student Learning in Real Time

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Not all feedback is helpful to students. Here's what the research tells us about delivering effective feedback for deeper learning.

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VIDEO: Effective Strategies That Boost Reading Comprehension

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VIDEO: Effective Strategies That Boost Reading Comprehension

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https://dwwlibrary.wested.org/resources/954

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https://dwwlibrary.wested.org/resources/928

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Click here to make a copy:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vy3PwUq90Ux4DWPxHrq1ArW40_WWuVpHTUkBNtRs-G8/copy

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Graphic Organizers for Adolescent Literacy

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Make a copy: https://jamboard.google.com/d/1lOlUtIzOdOjZr-qcKyRsljcc6ZIKFnFduuQIV2m_2ks/copy

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Adolescent Literacy Graphic Organizers - Google Jamboard

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The version of the browser you are using is no longer supported. Please upgrade to a supported browser. Dismiss

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The 3-read protocol and math tasks that CVES uses were developed by Exemplars, a company that provides a library of rich performance tasks and professional development for K-12 schools.

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Demystify math word problems with this simple technique that helps kids see the story beyond the numbers.

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VIDEO: I Do, We Do, You Do: Scaffolding Reading Comprehension in Social Studies

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VIDEO: I Do, We Do, You Do: Scaffolding Reading Comprehension in Social Studies

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https://dwwlibrary.wested.org/resources/934

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TOOL: Learning Together About Comprehension Strategy Instruction

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TOOL: Learning Together About Comprehension Strategy Instruction

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TOOL: Instruction Planner Using Graphic Organizers for Reading Comprehension

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TOOL: Instruction Planner Using Graphic Organizers for Reading Comprehension

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TOOL: Choosing Texts for Comprehension Strategy Instruction

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TOOL: Choosing Texts for Comprehension Strategy Instruction

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TOOL: Planning for Engaging Text Discussions

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TOOL: Planning for Engaging Text Discussions

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https://dwwlibrary.wested.org/resources/947

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AUDIO: High School Literacy Intervention

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AUDIO: High School Literacy Intervention

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https://dwwlibrary.wested.org/resources/905

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Wakelet - Save, organize and share content

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Save, organize and share content from across the web with Wakelet. Save articles, videos, images, Tweets and more, organize them into stunning collections, and revisit them anywhere, anytime.

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Vocabulary Games for the Online Classroom

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Vocabulary Games for the Online Classroom

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Wakelet - Save, organize and share content

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Save, organize and share content from across the web with Wakelet. Save articles, videos, images, Tweets and more, organize them into stunning collections, and revisit them anywhere, anytime.

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TOOL: Teacher Self-Assessment- Using Vocabulary Strategies

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TOOL: Teacher Self-Assessment- Using Vocabulary Strategies

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Teach and learn with The Times: Resources for bringing the world into your classroom

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2020 Middle School Vocabulary Competition

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2020 Middle School Vocabulary Competition

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The New York Times The Learning Network 15-Second Vocabulary Video Challenge

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VIDEO: Reciprocal Teaching in High School

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VIDEO: Reciprocal Teaching in High School

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https://dwwlibrary.wested.org/resources/933

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Support for Implementing Reciprocal Teaching

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Support for Implementing Reciprocal Teaching

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Ch. 3 from Oczkus text

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How to Set SMART Goals | Goal Setting for Students

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TOOL: Conducting a Self-Assessment of Adolescent Literacy Intervention Opportunities

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TOOL: Conducting a Self-Assessment of Adolescent Literacy Intervention Opportunities

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TOOL: Learning Together About Tiered Instruction for Struggling Readers

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TOOL: Learning Together About Tiered Instruction for Struggling Readers

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TOOL: Using Data- Student Work Review and Planning Protocol

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TOOL: Using Data- Student Work Review and Planning Protocol

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Reciprocal Teaching at Work: Powerful Strategies and Lessons for Improving Reading Comprehension, 3rd Edition

About

In this fully revised and expanded third edition of the bestselling Reciprocal Teaching at Work, Lori D. Oczkus provides both tried-and-true and fresh solutions for teaching reading comprehension.

Table of contents

Getting Started: Introducing and Reinforcing Reciprocal Teaching

Reciprocal Teaching in Whole-Class Sessions

About the authors

Lori Oczkus is a literacy coach, bestselling author, and popular international speaker. Tens of thousands of teachers have attended her motivating, fast-paced workshops and read her practical, research-based professional books and articles.

Oczkus has experience working as a bilingual elementary teacher, intervention specialist, staff developer, and literacy coach. She works with students in classrooms every week and knows the challenges that teachers face in teaching students to read. She has been inducted into the California Reading Association Hall of Fame for her many contributions to the field of reading, and is the author of seven bestselling professional books.

Book details

Product No.

ISBN

Release Date

July 2018

978-1-4166-2599-5

118045

Page Count

ASCD empowers educators to achieve excellence in learning, teaching, and leading so that every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

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Reciprocal Teaching at Work: Powerful Strategies and Lessons for Improving Reading Comprehension, 3rd Edition - ASCD

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In this fully revised and expanded third edition of the bestselling Reciprocal Teaching at Work, Lori D. Oczkus provides both tried-and-true and fresh solutions for teaching reading comprehension. Reciprocal teaching is a scaffolded discussion technique that builds on the Fab Four strategies that go

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
When I worked with student teachers on developing effective lesson plans, one thing I always asked them to revise was the phrase "We will discuss."
We will discuss the video. We will discuss the story. We will discuss our results.
Every time I saw it in a lesson plan, I would add a note: "What format will you use? What questions will you ask? How will you ensure that all students participate?" I was pretty sure that We will discuss actually meant the teacher would do most of the talking; He would throw out a couple of questions like "So what did you think about the video?" or "What was the theme of the story?" and a few students would respond, resulting in something that looked like a discussion, but was ultimately just a conversation between the teacher and a handful of extroverted students; a classic case of Fisheye Teaching.

The problem wasn't them; in most of the classrooms where they'd sat as students, that's exactly what a class discussion looked like. They didn't know any other "formats." I have only ever been familiar with a few myself. But when teachers began contacting me recently asking for a more comprehensive list, I knew it was time to do some serious research.

So here they are: 15 formats for structuring a class discussion to make it more engaging, more organized, more equitable, and more academically challenging. If you've struggled to find effective ways to develop students' speaking and listening skills, this is your lucky day.

I've separated the strategies into three groups. The first batch contains the higher-prep strategies, formats that require teachers to do some planning or gathering of materials ahead of time. Next come the low-prep strategies, which can be used on the fly when you have a few extra minutes or just want your students to get more active. Note that these are not strict categories; it's certainly possible to simplify or add more meat to any of these structures and still make them work. The last group is the ongoing strategies. These are smaller techniques that can be integrated with other instructional strategies and don't really stand alone. For each strategy, you'll find a list of other names it sometimes goes by, a description of its basic structure, and an explanation of variations that exist, if any. To watch each strategy in action, click on its name and a new window will open with a video that demonstrates it.

Enjoy!
a.k.a. Chat Stations
Basic Structure: Stations or posters are set up around the classroom, on the walls or on tables. Small groups of students travel from station to station together, performing some kind of task or responding to a prompt, either of which will result in a conversation.

Variations: Some Gallery Walks stay true to the term gallery, where groups of students create informative posters, then act as tour guides or docents, giving other students a short presentation about their poster and conducting a Q&A about it. In Starr Sackstein's high school classroom, her stations consisted of video tutorials created by the students themselves. Before I knew the term Gallery Walk, I shared a strategy similar to it called Chat Stations, where the teacher prepares discussion prompts or content-related tasks and sets them up around the room for students to visit in small groups.
a.k.a. Values Continuum, Forced Debate, Physical Barometer, This or That
Basic Structure: A statement that has two possible responses-agree or disagree-is read out loud. Depending on whether they agree or disagree with this statement, students move to one side of the room or the other. From that spot, students take turns defending their positions.

Variations: Often a Philosophical Chairs debate will be based around a text or group of texts students have read ahead of time; students are required to cite textual evidence to support their claims and usually hold the texts in their hands during the discussion. Some teachers set up one hot seat to represent each side, and students must take turns in the seat. In less formal variations (which require less prep), a teacher may simply read provocative statements students are likely to disagree on, and a debate can occur spontaneously without a text to refer to (I call this variation This or That in my classroom icebreakers post). Teachers may also opt to offer a continuum of choices, ranging from "Strongly Agree" on one side of the room, all the way to "Strongly Disagree" on the other, and have students place themselves along that continuum based on the strength of their convictions.

Basic Structure: Students are divided into 4 groups. Three of these groups are assigned to represent specific points of view. Members of the fourth group are designated as "provocateurs," tasked with making sure the discussion keeps going and stays challenging. One person from each group (the "speaker") sits in a desk facing speakers from the other groups, so they form a square in the center of the room. Behind each speaker, the remaining group members are seated: two right behind the speaker, then three behind them, and so on, forming a kind of triangle. From above, this would look like a pinwheel. The four speakers introduce and discuss questions they prepared ahead of time (this preparation is done with their groups). After some time passes, new students rotate from the seats behind the speaker into the center seats and continue the conversation.

Variations: When high school English teacher Sarah Brown Wessling introduced this strategy in the featured video (click Pinwheel Discussion above), she used it as a device for talking about literature, where each group represented a different author, plus one provocateur group. But in the comments that follow the video, Wessling adds that she also uses the strategy with non-fiction, where students represent authors of different non-fiction texts or are assigned to take on different perspectives about an issue.
a.k.a. Socratic Circles
Basic Structure: Students prepare by reading a text or group of texts and writing some higher-order discussion questions about the text. On seminar day, students sit in a circle and an introductory, open-ended question is posed by the teacher or student discussion leader. From there, students continue the conversation, prompting one another to support their claims with textual evidence. There is no particular order to how students speak, but they are encouraged to respectfully share the floor with others. Discussion is meant to happen naturally and students do not need to raise their hands to speak. This overview of Socratic Seminar from the website Facing History and Ourselves provides a list of appropriate questions, plus more information about how to prepare for a seminar.

Variations: If students are beginners, the teacher may write the discussion questions, or the question creation can be a joint effort. For larger classes, teachers may need to set up seminars in more of a fishbowl-like arrangement, dividing students into one inner circle that will participate in the discussion, and one outer circle that silently observes, takes notes, and may eventually trade places with those in the inner circle, sometimes all at once, and sometimes by "tapping in" as the urge strikes them.
a.k.a. Affinity Diagramming
Basic Structure: Give students a broad question or problem that is likely to result in lots of different ideas, such as "What were the impacts of the Great Depression?" or "What literary works should every person read?" Have students generate responses by writing ideas on post-it notes (one idea per note) and placing them in no particular arrangement on a wall, whiteboard, or chart paper. Once lots of ideas have been generated, have students begin grouping them into similar categories, then label the categories and discuss why the ideas fit within them, how the categories relate to one another, and so on.

Variations: Some teachers have students do much of this exercise-recording their ideas and arranging them into categories- without talking at first. In other variations, participants are asked to re-combine the ideas into new, different categories after the first round of organization occurs. Often, this activity serves as a good pre-writing exercise, after which students will write some kind of analysis or position paper.
a.k.a. Speed Dating
Basic Structure: Students form two circles, one inside circle and one outside circle. Each student on the inside is paired with a student on the outside; they face each other. The teacher poses a question to the whole group and pairs discuss their responses with each other. Then the teacher signals students to rotate: Students on the outside circle move one space to the right so they are standing in front of a new person (or sitting, as they are in the video). Now the teacher poses a new question, and the process is repeated.

Variations: Instead of two circles, students could also form two straight lines facing one another. Instead of "rotating" to switch partners, one line just slides over one spot, and the leftover person on the end comes around to the beginning of the line. Some teachers use this strategy to have students teach one piece of content to their fellow students, making it less of a discussion strategy and more of a peer teaching format. In fact, many of these protocols could be used for peer teaching as well.

Basic Structure: Another great idea from Sarah Brown Wessling, this is a small-group discussion strategy that gives students exposure to more of their peers' ideas and prevents the stagnation that can happen when a group doesn't happen to have the right chemistry. Students are placed into a few groups of 4-6 students each and are given a discussion question to talk about. After sufficient time has passed for the discussion to develop, one or two students from each group rotate to a different group, while the other group members remain where they are. Once in their new group, they will discuss a different, but related question, and they may also share some of the key points from their last group's conversation. For the next rotation, students who have not rotated before may be chosen to move, resulting in groups that are continually evolving.

Basic Structure: Two students sit facing each other in the center of the room; the remaining students sit in a circle around them. The two central students have a conversation based on a pre-determined topic and often using specific skills the class is practicing (such as asking follow-up questions, paraphrasing, or elaborating on another person's point). Students on the outside observe, take notes, or perform some other discussion-related task assigned by the teacher.

Variations: One variation of this strategy allows students in the outer circle to trade places with those in the fishbowl, doing kind of a relay-style discussion, or they may periodically "coach" the fishbowl talkers from the sidelines. Teachers may also opt to have students in the outside circle grade the participants' conversation with a rubric, then give feedback on what they saw in a debriefing afterward, as mentioned in the featured video.

Basic Structure: One student assumes the role of a book character, significant figure in history, or concept (such as a tornado, an animal, or the Titanic). Sitting in front of the rest of the class, the student responds to classmates' questions while staying in character in that role.

Variations: Give more students the opportunity to be in the hot seat while increasing everyone's participation by having students do hot seat discussions in small groups, where one person per group acts as the "character" and three or four others ask them questions. In another variation, several students could form a panel of different characters, taking questions from the class all together and interacting with one another like guests on a TV talk show.
a.k.a. Pyramid Discussion
Basic Structure: Students begin in pairs, responding to a discussion question only with a single partner. After each person has had a chance to share their ideas, the pair joins another pair, creating a group of four. Pairs share their ideas with the pair they just joined. Next, groups of four join together to form groups of eight, and so on, until the whole class is joined up in one large discussion.

Variations: This structure could simply be used to share ideas on a topic, or students could be required to reach consensus every time they join up with a new group.

Whereas the other formats in this list have a distinct shape-specific activities you do with students-the strategies in this section are more like plug-ins, working discussion into other instructional activities and improving the quality and reach of existing conversations.

One of the limitations of discussion is that rich, face-to-face conversations can only happen when all parties are available, so we're limited to the time we have in class. With a tool like Voxer, those limitations disappear. Like a private voice mailbox that you set up with just one person or a group (but SOOOO much easier), Voxer allows users to have conversations at whatever time is most convenient for each participant. So a group of four students can "discuss" a topic from 3pm until bedtime-asynchronously-each member contributing whenever they have a moment, and if the teacher makes herself part of the group, she can listen in, offer feedback, or contribute her own discussion points. Voxer is also invaluable for collaborating on projects and for having one-on-one discussions with students, parents, and your own colleagues. Like many other educators, Peter DeWitt took a while to really understand the potential of Voxer, but in this EdWeek piece, he explains what turned him around.

A backchannel is a conversation that happens right alongside another activity. The first time I saw a backchannel in action was at my first unconference: While those of us in the audience listened to presenters and watched a few short video clips, a separate screen was up beside the main screen, projecting something called TodaysMeet (update: TodaysMeet has shut down. Use YoTeach! instead.) It looked a lot like those chat rooms from back in the day, basically a blank screen where people would contribute a few lines of text, the lines stacking up one after the other, no other bells or whistles. Anyone in the room could participate in this conversation on their phone, laptop, or tablet, asking questions, offering commentary, and sharing links to related resources without ever interrupting the flow of the presentations. This kind of tool allows for a completely silent discussion, one that doesn't have to move at a super-fast pace, and it gives students who may be reluctant to speak up or who process their thoughts more slowly a chance to fully contribute. For a deeper discussion of how this kind of tool can be used, read this thoughtful overview of using backchannel discussions in the classroom by Edutopia's Beth Holland.
a.k.a. Accountable Talk
Talk moves are sentence frames we supply to our students that help them express ideas and interact with one another in respectful, academically appropriate ways. From kindergarten all the way through college, students can benefit from explicit instruction in the skills of summarizing another person's argument before presenting an alternate view, asking clarifying questions, and expressing agreement or partial agreement with the stance of another participant. Talk moves can be incorporated into any of the other discussion formats listed here.

Whole Brain Teaching is a set of teaching and classroom management methods that has grown in popularity over the past 10 years. One of WBT's foundational techniques is Teach-OK, a peer teaching strategy that begins with the teacher spending a few minutes introducing a concept to the class. Next, the teacher says Teach!, the class responds with Okay!, and pairs of students take turns re-teaching the concept to each other. It's a bit like think-pair-share, but it's faster-paced, it focuses more on re-teaching than general sharing, and students are encouraged to use gestures to animate their discussion. Although WBT is most popular in elementary schools, this featured video shows the creator of WBT, Chris Biffle, using it quite successfully with college students. I have also used Teach-OK with college students, and most of my students said they were happy for a change from the sit-and-listen they were used to in college classrooms.

An oldie but a goodie, think-pair-share can be used any time you want to plug interactivity into a lesson: Simply have students think about their response to a question, form a pair with another person, discuss their response, then share it with the larger group. Because I feel this strategy has so many uses and can be way more powerful than we give it credit for, I devoted a whole post to think-pair-share; everything you need to know about it is right there.

TWO MORE YOU'LL LOVE

Since writing this post, I have learned about two more discussion strategies that teachers are finding to be incredibly effective and powerful for getting students to talk, especially about books and other texts:

This protocol has students come up with their own Thoughts, lingering Questions, and Epiphanies from an assigned reading. Teachers who have used this method say it has generated some of the richest conversations they have ever heard from students!

This strategy places students into one-on-one conversations, getting them to learn each others' names better and create a track record of what they talked about. Excellent for classes where you want to assess for discussion and help students get more comfortable with each other.

So what else do you have? I would like to think this is a pretty complete list, but I'm sure more strategies are out there. If you use a discussion strategy that's not mentioned here, please share it below.

Come back for more.
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The Big List of Class Discussion Strategies

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Here they are: 15 formats for structuring a class discussion to make it more engaging, more organized, more equitable, and more academically challenging.

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Discussion Ideas for Online Learners Beyond Chat and Breakout Rooms

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Make a copy: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tZYhDhWxdxvAJZAtq1NIAXDGV-p-mlI8E_g9Lyk8-kI/copy

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Content Area Discussion Stems 100 Questions that Promote Mathematical Discourse Ready Math/Curriculum Associates Talk Like a Scientist! Simple “Frames” to Scaffold the Language of Science Lisa Hoffman, Ph.D/Indiana University Southeast 26 Sentence Stems For Higher-Level Conversation In The Classr...

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TOOL: Literature Circles Lesson Plan and Materials

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TOOL: Literature Circles Lesson Plan and Materials

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VIDEO: Literature Circles in High School

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VIDEO: Literature Circles in High School

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https://dwwlibrary.wested.org/resources/919

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To do anything effectively in life, you need to set up goals for yourself based on your present capabilities. You need to keep certain targets in mind and consider some necessary steps to be taken towards achieving them. Additionally, goal setting motivates people to achieve what they want but one needs to set SMART goals to ensure about their success. SMART goal setting gives meaning to your wants. Also, SMART goal setting provides a simple and clear framework for managing and defining them.

Smart Goals Templates

Setting SMART goals gives clear direction to act to accomplish the objectives and goals they have set. By reducing the risk of unclear goals, SMART goal setting is really helpful for everyone. Moreover, SMART goal setting is really easy to use and can be used anywhere, by anyone, without any requirement of training. Even though writing is really easy but sticking to it is difficult, once achieved, one can make progress rapidly and achieve success.

Let's understand what SMART goals are, what are the reasons for SMART goal setting, how to write a SMART goal and what is included in its template.

What are SMART Goals?

SMART goal setting is the secret to alleviating the common challenges faced during a project or anything you want to accomplish. This is because these goals provide guidance and structure throughout the project, identifying what you want to accomplish.

In 1981, George T. Doran initiated this new idea with his research paper. He worked with Washington Water Power Company as a former director of corporate planning and a consultant. He published a paper titled "S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write to Management's Goals and Objectives." In this paper he introduced this new tool called SMART goals setting to perk up the chances of triumph. Below is the explanation to the acronym.

SMART goal setting includes an " S" which means specific. This means that you need to be specific about the approach. By specific, we just mean that one should be able to answer all the 'w' questions. To be specific about your SMART goal setting, you need to know what exactly you want to accomplish; it does not matter if your answer is detailed or not. Next in line comes why. You must consider the reason for the goal and who will be involved in achieving it. It could be more than one person as well.

Then, you should come towards when. Setting a time frame under the time bound section will encourage you to do things rapidly. Moving on to where, you need to identify the location of the relevant event as to where it will be performed. In addition to that, which will determine the requirements for the goal as to whether or not your goal is realistic or not.

The " M" in SMART goals stands for measurable. As it is quite clear with this element, this will help you in measuring the progress and performance. You need to choose the metrics to see whether or not you need the goal. Identifying a measure makes a goal more tangible, providing a way to measure progress. Depending upon the length of the project, you should set milestones for the ease of completing the project.

A - Attainable or Achievable

The " A" stands for achievable/attainable. This highlights that a goal is important to you and the things you do to achieve or attain it. Even though this may require you to have some skills and a different attitude, you do it anyhow in order to achieve it. Clearly mentioning how you can accomplish the goal and skills you require for it can make it easily achievable.

R - Realistic or Relevant

The " R" in SMART goals means being realistic or relevant. Your goals definitely need to be realistic as you cannot form goals that cannot be achieved or are not relevant at all. Only relevant and realistic goals will make sense. If the goals are not realistic, you or your team will simply not be able to achieve it.

SMART goal setting also needs to consider the timings as most goals are time bound. If a goal lacks realistic timing, then there are chances that one cannot succeed in anyway. Setting a deadline is imperative to accomplish the goal. Also, time constraints create a sense of urgency and determination to complete the work.

When setting SMART goals, you should be prepared to ask questions to yourself. Those answers will surely fine tune your strategy and will also ensure that your goals are attainable. In addition to that, you should write SMART goals with a positive attitude.

Smart Goals Examples

What are the Reasons for SMART Goals Setting?

SMART goal setting actually drives you to achieve what you want. Goal setting may ensure success, but a SMART goal definitely achieves much more. Here are some reasons for SMART goal setting.
They Let You Focus
SMART goal setting has such an appeal that they let you focus well than any other form of goal setting. You can focus and just look at one thing instead of looking at many things at a time. No doubt there are so many things that you need to do every day that might divert your attention; for this reason, it becomes necessary for you to set goals to focus well.
Gives You a Clear Direction
When you do not set goals, you are actually driving on a road where you do not know your destination. On the contrary, when you set goals, it gives a straight path and a clear direction as where you need to go. Knowing what you really want will lead towards the path of success. However, you need to ensure that your goal is not ambiguous and vague or else it will confuse you. Explain your goal choosing the right words to excite and motivate you towards working for it.
Identifies Priorities
SMART goals help you in identifying and reminding you of your priorities. It is very likely that you do not stray away when you set a goal. This is because when you set goals, you are regularly reminded about priorities. You can surely reach your goals by accomplishing your priorities but first, you need to identify those priorities. Also, it is a good way to write them down and post them in front of yourself so that you are reminded about them every day.
Time Management
You can be successful in managing your time if you set SMART goals. The "T" in the SMART goals trains and helps you manage time, especially for the major projects you are working on. When you set goals, you set priorities too and in this way, you work through the priorities that are important by completing them in a timely manner and then start working on the others, which ultimately trains you to manage time.
Gives You a Feeling of Fulfillment
Nothing can be better and more satisfying than doing something in a timely manner. Recall your school days; were you the first one to finish your class work while the other students were still busy doing it? How did you feel? You felt fulfilled and happy for being the fastest in the class, Isn't it? Similarly, when you set goals and achieve them on time, you feel happy and of course, it fuels you up to do even better in the future, setting up more goals and achieving them all successfully.

Smart Goals Worksheets

SMART + Goals

The main purpose of setting goals is to be realistic and be positive about achieving them. Using a SMART criterion for the goal setting can ensure that goals are attainable and reasonable. This criterion motivates you to address certain issues regarding the goals, stimulating motivation and setting the necessary steps to achieving those goals. So, always ensure SMART goal setting to help you in achieving those goals.

People often think that the SMART goals criterion is only for the professionals. They are surely mistaken as this criterion is for every single person. From a business owner to an employee and from a teacher to a student, SMART goal setting should be followed by all. Teachers can use this criterion to set teaching practices, while business owners can use it to formulate strategies for their business. Depending upon the tasks and related work, everyone can use it.

How to Write a SMART Goal?

Now that we have discussed a lot about the SMART goal criterion, we will help you understand how to write one effectively. Check out the steps below to writing a SMART goal.
Step # 1: Provide the Summary of the Goal
The very first step to writing a SMART goal is to provide a summary to your goal. Often, goals are quite unclear for people, which makes it harder or difficult for you to put in words; however, you must always force yourself to write them down clearly. Clarity plays an immense role in helping drive you towards your goal. Keeping the SMART criterion in mind, you need to formulate your goal. Specifying them in percentages or numerical terms can give you a clearer idea.
Step # 2: Classify Your Goal
People often do not understand how to classify goals. Classifying is basically categorizing the goals; by categorizing, we mean that you need to see what can help you best in achieving your goal. For example, a marketer would require more visitors on their site to generate leads and sales. So, categorizing also helps in clarifying the goal.
Step # 3: Set a Numeric Goal
Now that you have narrowed down your goal in the previous steps, do not waste time in setting a value to get to work. This can seem the hardest in terms of achieving but can motivate you to achieve it. For instance, being a marketer, you can say that you are aiming to achieve 50% more sales in the next month. Setting a numeric goal can add value and clarity to the goal.
Step # 4: Select a Completion Date or Time
A goal needs to have a deadline or else, it will just be considered as a dream. Selecting the length of time will help you reach your goal. The time and date will help you figure out the extent to which you should really be committed towards the project.
Step # 5: Beware of the Challenges
There is nothing in business or anything else that can make things go smooth. There is always going to be something that will stop you in this litigious society. Being a marketer, you should always identify the potential threats and challenges that can come in your way.

Smart Goals Samples

What Does a SMART Goals Template or SMART Goals Worksheet Include?

A SMART goal template and a SMART goal worksheet is one as the same thing. Here is what they include in the content;

Initial Goal: First, you need to identify the first goal.

Specific: State what you want to accomplish, why you want to do it, who will be working in the team and when do you want to start it.

Measurable: Determine what will be the ways to measure the progress.

Achievable: Identify if you have the skills to achieve the goal and what is it that motivates you towards achieving the goal?

Relevant: State the reason you are setting the goal and if it is aligned with the overall objectives.

Time bound: Identify what will be the deadline and if it is realistic or not.

Actions for Obstacles: Mention the potential challenges that stand in your way and the solutions or actions that you would take to solve them.

Setting a goal is very essential and if it is set following the SMART goals setting criterion, then it is best. Make sure you are concrete and certain about it. Everyone must understand the value of setting goals to be successful. To help you set the right goals for your task and eliminate the hard work, we have put a free SMART goal template or SMART goals worksheet on our website. Download it now and get to setting your goals!

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45 SMART Goals Templates, Examples & Worksheets ᐅ TemplateLab

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To do anything effectively in life, you need to set up goals for yourself based on your present capabilities. You need to keep certain targets in mind and consider some necessary steps to be taken towards achieving them. Additionally, goal setting motivates people to achieve what they want but one needs to set SMART goals to ensure about their success.

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An extra and GREAT resource to explore.

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Do you remember when you learned how to set goals?

If you have trouble answering that question, you're not alone! Most of us don't spend much time thinking about how we set goals.

In fact, many of us don't even think of goal setting as a skill; rather, it's just something we do without reflecting on it much.

However, goal setting is a practice that operates on a set of specific skills-and luckily, these skills are relatively easy to teach.

As with most skills, it's best to start teaching goal setting early. Although parents are perhaps the best source of skill-building and development for their children, it's vital to have some goal setting material in the school curriculum as well. Learning how to set goals in school and seeing goal setting modeled by peers and teachers is a great way to encourage effective goal setting in children.

This article will explore why goal setting is a great addition to the curriculum from elementary school all the way up to college, and how it can best be incorporated.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free. These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients create actionable goals and master techniques to create lasting behavior change.

A Look at Goal Setting in Education

Setting goals is a vital practice that can benefit anyone with a dream or a vision for their future. Young people who are just starting out on the grand journey of life are at a particularly opportune time to start building their goal setting skills-not only will these skills serve them throughout their lives, but building them now will help them mold their future into one that they desire.

Parents can encourage goal setting in their children-and absolutely should do so-but the importance of this skill justifies its inclusion in our schools' curriculum. The world of education is an excellent place to introduce children to goal setting, lay the foundations for effective goal setting, and begin to practice setting and striving towards personally meaningful goals.

Why is Goal Setting Important for Youth?

Not only will a curriculum that includes instruction in setting goals teach kids the mechanics and techniques of goal setting, but it will also give them early wins and help them develop belief in themselves. Anyone who has worked with children will recognize the importance of self-belief and self-confidence for early life development.

Further, research backs up the effectiveness of goal setting, both for the children themselves and for schools and systems overall (O'Neill, 2000). When teachers practice good goal setting, the benefits for their students are two-fold:

1. The students see effective goal setting modeled, and

2. The school itself is likely to become more effective at facilitating learning.

How Do Children Benefit from Goal Setting?

Aside from helping them believe in themselves and setting them up for success in school, goal setting also benefits children and students in many ways, including:

1. Improving self-image

2. Increasing awareness of one's strengths

3. Increasing awareness of one's weaknesses

4. Providing an experience of success

5. Facilitating effective visualization

6. Clarifying the path ahead

7. Encouraging prioritization

8. Defining reality and separating it from wishful thinking

9. Building responsibility for one's self

10. Improving decision making (Goucher College Office of Student Engagement, n.d.)

These are generic benefits of goal setting that anyone who engages in smart goal setting and striving can attain, but a few of them can be particularly effective for children; for example, the benefits of goal setting for youth include:

Provides direction, which most youths are either seeking or trying to nail down.

Helps children clarify what is important to them and focus on it.

Facilitates more effective decision making through better self-knowledge, direction, and focus.

Allows children to take a more active role in building their own future.

Acts as a powerful motivator by giving children something to hope for and aspire towards.

Gives children a positive experience of achievement and personal satisfaction when they reach a goal.

Assists children in finding a sense of purpose in their lives (The Peak Performance Center, n.d.).

Using Goal Setting Effectively with Kids and Teens: A Look at the Research

According to Education World, there are six key secrets to successful goal setting that you can communicate to your students:

1. Write clear and measurable goals.

2. Create a specific action plan for each goal.

3. Read your goals daily and visualize yourself accomplishing them.

4. Reflect on your progress to see if you are on target.

5. Revise your action plans if needed.

6. Celebrate your accomplishments.

The research on this topic provides some extra tips and tricks for maximizing the effectiveness of goal setting curricula:

Set upper and lower limits on students' goals to teach realistic goal setting (they can always be removed later).

Use games to teach goal setting in a context with low pressure and high engagement.

Hold one-on-one goal-setting conferences with students to give them individual attention and help them learn to assess goal difficulty (Schunk, 1990).

Encourage students to write down their goals rather than simply creating them and leaving them floating around their mind (Matthews, 2015).

Make extensive use of models (teachers and/or peers) in the classroom to show students how it works.

Teach effective goal setting strategies (like setting SMART goals) to increase the likelihood of success and provide feedback on student progress.

Provide direct instruction on goal setting and include instruction on self-evaluation.

Provide instruction on effective learning strategies in general, as students will need these broader skills to build their goal-setting abilities (Schunk, 2003).

How to Best Teach Goal Setting to Students

If you're looking for some concrete examples of the best ways to teach your students' goal setting, you've come to the right place. Read on for lesson plans, exercises, activities, and examples.

Examples of Goal Setting for Teachers

The Children's Center for Psychiatry, Psychology, and Related Services provide five great examples-one per each aspect of the SMART goal setting method -that teachers can use to teach their students about setting SMART goals:

A Lesson Plan for Teachers

There are tons of lesson plans available to help teachers incorporate goal-setting into their curriculum. Here is a popular and widely-used lesson plan outlined below.

Growth Mindset Goal Setting Lesson Plan

This lesson plan from Mindset Works is intended to meet one important objective: Students will (learn how to) set growth mindset learning goals.

The objective will be met through guiding students as they:

You'll need the following materials to implement this lesson plan:

Goal Setting Template (found here)

Assignment list(s) with scores

Recent rubrics (holistic or analytic) that have feedback from a teacher

Recent reports from benchmark tests

Examples of their own work that the student has produced over time

The lesson plan outlines three mini-lessons, each with their own activity:

1. Mini-Lesson 1: Setting a Goal
Activity 1: Goal Setting

2. Mini-Lesson 2: Creating an Action Plan
Activity 2: Action Planning

3. Mini-Lesson 3: Reflection on Progress
Activity 3: Reflecting

Click here to see this lesson plan and download it for your use in your classroom.

4 Goal Setting Worksheets and Templates (PDF)

Templates and worksheets are a must-have for teachers going over goal setting in the classroom. Use the four listed below to help your students learn about and practice effective goal setting.

1. Goal Execution Plan

The Goal Execution Plan template is an excellent resource for older students due to the considerations it includes and the level of detail.

It includes space for up to three goals, with six steps per goal, and provides the following columns for each step:

Goals and Action Steps

Date Start

Responsible (who is responsible for it)

Starting Metrics (metrics measure goal progress-this is the starting point for these measures)

Budget (if any)

Notes

Final Metrics (endpoint for the measures of goal progress)

Date End

You may not need all of these columns, but it's helpful to have prompts to think deeply about each goal. You can find the template here.

2. Student Goal Setting Worksheet

This worksheet is quick and simple, making it a great choice for young children.

The Student Goal Setting Worksheet has space for the student's name and the current date, then poses these five prompts:

1. I am good at...

2. I am bad at...

3. What I will improve?

4. How will I make these improvements?

5. If my plan doesn't work, what will I do?

Working through this activity will help them start thinking about what goal setting is as well as what direction they'd like to go with their goals.

You will likely need to walk your students through these prompts, so be prepared to provide assistance as needed. You can find the worksheet here.

3. Simple Goal Setting Worksheet

This is another simple worksheet-as the name implies-that can be used with younger or older students to help them figure out the basics of setting and working towards their goals.

The worksheet provides space for students to answer the following prompts:

If you use this worksheet with younger students, you might need to help guide them through it or provide examples, but older students should have no trouble completing it on their own.

You can find the worksheet at this link.

4. SMART Goal Setting Worksheet

If you want to focus your students on setting SMART goals, this worksheet is a great choice. It's a bit more involved than the previous worksheets, making it more suitable for high school students than younger students.

Here's the gist of the worksheet:

1. What is the goal?

2. Why is the goal important?

3. SMART goal checklist:

1. S - Specific - Is the goal clearly written, with no ambivalence? Is it clear who needs to accomplish the goal, and any support they might expect?

2. M - Measurable - Does the goal answer the questions of how many, how much, and/or how often?

3. A - Achievable - Can you get the support needed to achieve the goal by the target date? Do you have all the resources needed to achieve the goal? Are the results expected realistic?

4. R - Relevant - Does the goal make a difference in your career? Is it going to make an improvement in your personal life? Is it going to significantly make a difference to your business/academic career?

5. T - Time-Bound - Does the goal state a clear and specific completion date?

4. List potential problems that might keep you from completing your goal.

5. Goal Completion Date.

At the bottom of the worksheet, there is space to list up to 7 action items and determine when they need to be completed by.

Click here to see this worksheet and download it for your classroom.

2 PPTs to use in the Classroom

If you want some ready-made positive psychology PowerPoint presentations (PPTs) that you can use in your classroom or as templates for putting your own unique spin on goal setting, these slideshows are a good place to start:

A Look at Goal Setting in Elementary and Middle School

Goal setting is a bit trickier in elementary and middle school than in high school. Younger children generally need a bit more guidance and supervision when setting and striving towards goals, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a shot!

Use the games, worksheets, and activities below to teach goal setting to your elementary and middle school students.

5 Games and Worksheets for Elementary Students (PDF)

1. Pressure Cooker

This game is a great way to get your elementary students to use their critical thinking skills.

It was designed to:

It takes only 15 to 20 minutes to play, keeping it within the attention span of the average elementary school student. You can have up to seven players.

Here's what you'll need to play:

A long rope (around 7 meters)

One numbered spot marker per player

A stopwatch

Here's how the game works:

In advance, lay a long rope on the floor/ground to form a large circle.

Collect and number as many spot markers as you have people in your group.

Randomly distribute the numbered spot markers inside the circle.

Ask each person to stand on top of one of the spot markers.

When ready, instruct each individual to move to and touch every other spot in the ascending order of the numbers.

For example, the person standing on spot #8 will move to 9, 10, 11 and 12 (presuming there are 12 people in the group,) before moving

to 1, 2, 3 through to 8.

As soon as an individual has touched all of the spot-markers and returns to their own, they will exit the circle.

Challenge your group to perform this task as accurately and as fast as possible.

Furthermore, challenge your group to solve this problem without stepping outside of the (roped) circle or touching any other person in the process (touching elsewhere within the circle is permitted.)

Encourage your group to make as many attempts as possible within a specified time period, aiming to improve their performance with each attempt.

Allow ample time for planning and problem-solving.

Click here to download the activity sheet and see popular variations on the game.

2. Cat on Yer Head

This silly game was designed to work with crowds and can accommodate medium to large groups.

The benefits of this game include:

It only takes 2 to 5 minutes to play, making it an excellent warm-up game. All you'll need to play is some balloons and a stopwatch to keep track of time.

To play the game, follow these instructions:

1. Choose or invite two volunteers seated in opposing corners of the room.

2. Nominate one of these people to be the Cat, and the other person to be the Mouse.

3. Announce that the Cat and the Mouse will soon move positions very quickly.

4. To help identify where the Cat (or Mouse) is at any time, they must say the word "CAT" (or "MOUSE") loudly over and over.

5. The Cat and Mouse move whenever the person with it taps any person close to them on the shoulder.

6. Practice this calling and tapping movement for 5 to 10 seconds to gauge understanding.

7. Remind your group that both the Cat and the Mouse can be moved around the audience in any direction, at any time.

8. Announce that the Cat has 30 seconds to catch (tag) the person with the Mouse.

9. When ready, call "GO."

10. If the Cat catches the Mouse before the time expires, the Cat wins.

11. If the Mouse survives for 30 seconds, the Mouse wins.

12. Play several rounds and/or try a variation.

If you'd like to give this game a shot with your students, click here for the full game description and more information.

3. Longest Shadow

This is a quick problem-solving game that requires nothing but the sun! It's good for up to 7 players and only takes 5 to 10 minutes to play.

Why would you choose the Longest Shadow?

1. It's simple to set up.

2. It inspires creativity.

3. It fosters collaboration.

4. It requires no props!

Here's how the game works:

1. Invite your group outside on a bright, sunny day within a wide open space.

2. Challenge your group to work together to position themselves in a manner that casts the longest shadow possible.

3. Each group starts with their shadow touching a common starting line.

4. To heighten the challenge and govern fair-play:

1. The shadow must be one continuous line (i.e., all shadows must be connected); and

2. Only bodies may be used to cast a shadow (i.e., no clothing or other props).

5. Allow the group to have as many attempts as possible within 10 minutes.

6. Measure and record the longest shadow.

To see the full game description and learn about popular variations of this game, click here.

4. Paper Holding

This fun and easy game is great for small groups and facilitates team-building.

You might want to try this game if you're looking for something that:

1. Is an innovative challenge.

2. Fosters cooperation.

3. Inspires creativity.

4. Is very playful and fun!

It takes only 5 to 10 minutes to play and all you need is some paper.

Follow these steps to play the Paper Holding game:

1. Form into teams of three to five people.

2. By way of demonstration, ask two people from a team to volunteer and hold one sheet of paper between the palms of one of their hands.

3. Each team is challenged to assist two of their group members to hold as many pieces of paper
off the ground by using only their bodies.

4. To guide fair play, announce that:

1. Only one sheet of paper can be affixed between any two body parts.

2. No adhesives can be used to hold paper to one's body.

3. Folding the paper is not permitted.

4. Each sheet of paper must be in contact with both team members.

5. No two sheets of paper can be touching.

5. Distribute sheets of paper to each team, and announce "GO."

6. Allow up to 10 minutes and survey the results.

If you want to play this game with your students, you can find more information by clicking here.

Click here to see more games you can use to help students learn about and practice goal setting and goal striving.

5. My Goals Worksheet

It's not as fun as the games described above, but this worksheet is a great way for your students to practice identifying and planning for their goals.

It only requires them to set two goals and gives them ample room to write them down (although they may need your help with this).

After they have identified two goals, they answer the following prompts for each of them:

This goal is important because...

Steps I'll take to reach this goal are...

It's simple, easy, and won't take more than 10 minutes or so, making it an excellent addition to the goal-setting curriculum either before or after one of the games above.

You can find the worksheet here.

8 Goal Setting Activities for Middle School Students (Incl. Worksheets)

If you're a teacher of middle schoolers (or anyone else that interacts with several middle schoolers on a regular basis), these activities and worksheets will provide you with plenty of options for adding goal-setting into the curriculum.

1. Make a Family Bucket List

Making a bucket list is a great way to set goals, and this activity involves the whole family in the goal-setting practice. It's a great way to both model goal setting and encourage your children to practice it themselves, all at once.

Here's how to do it:

Get your family together and collect a piece of paper and some markers.

As a family, brainstorm a list of accomplishments, experiences, or achievement goals that you want to work towards as a family over the next year.

At the end of the year, look back over your list and see what you've accomplished. Celebrate the goals you accomplished as a family.

Encourage your children to use online tools like Trello or Evernote to help create this bucket list and/or to create one for themselves.

2. Draw a Wheel of Fortune

The wheel of fortune is a fun way to introduce goal setting in different areas of life. It will show your children that you don't need to keep your goals limited to school or work, you can set goals in all life domains.

Follow these steps to create and use a wheel of fortune:

1. Draw a circle and divide it into even segments (like you're cutting a pizza into slices).

2. On each segment, write one of the important life domains; for example, you might write "Family," "Friends," "School/Work," "Hobbies," "Health," and "Fun."

3. For each domain, have your child write out the goals she would like to accomplish. Make sure she keeps the goals to a specific timeline (e.g., a month, 3 months, a year).

Make sure to help her keep track of her progress throughout the timeline you chose.

3. Create a Vision Board

Vision boards are a great way to plan out your goals, especially the big ones that are especially meaningful to you. Helping your children or students create a vision board will challenge them, get them thinking about what is most important to them, and encourage them to stay motivated in striving towards their goals.

Here's how to create an effective vision board:

Gather some old magazines (you can also draw pictures, use newspapers, print out some pictures, etc.) and have your students cut out some pictures that represent their hopes and dreams for the future.

Help your students arrange the pictures on a piece of cardboard and use glue to secure them in place. You can also provide glitter, stickers, ribbons, markers, and anything else they might like to decorate their vision board with.

Ask your students to describe what each picture represents and how he or she plans to work toward that goal. If your class is too large or you have some shy students, ask them to write it down instead of sharing it out to the group.

Send them home with their vision board or hang it somewhere in the classroom if there's space for all of them.

4. Play 3 Stars and a Wish

This is a fun and easy game that you can play with your students or your children to help them start thinking about their goals.

It's a simple activity with simple rules:

1. Ask your students or children to come up with three "stars," or things that they do well. The sky is the limit for this activity-the thing they're good at can be anything from a subject in school to a quality that makes him or her a good friend.

2. Now that they have their three stars, tell them to come up with a "wish" to complement their stars; the wish should be something that the children need to work on or would like to get better at. Again, they are only limited by their imagination. They can pick any goal, as long as it is meaningful and important to them.

This activity will not only help them come up with important goals, but it will also help them develop the self-belief they need to succeed.

5. Ask Fun Questions

Asking questions is a great way to get your children or students thinking about what is important to them, what they'd like to achieve or accomplish, and how they can get there.

There are tons of fun questions out there, but here are a couple of examples to get you started:

Ask your students "What would you do if you won the lottery?" or "If you had a superpower, how would you use it?"

Listen to their answers and encourage them to be detailed.

Discuss how they can take their fate into their own hands by making a plan to achieve the hopes, goals, and dreams they identified in their answers.

Continue the discussion as often as you can to make sure they are still thinking about their long-term goals and actively planning ways to reach them.

6. Interest Maps

Interest maps are best for older students, so you may want to save this for upper middle school or junior high students.

Here's how to help your children or students create an interest map:

1. Ask your students to think about what they like to do. Do they like art? Science? Writing? Sports? Have them think about all of their interests and favorite things to do, and write them down.

2. Help them look through their list of interests and see if they can find any patterns; for example, maybe most of their interests involve helping other people or being outside.

3. Have them create an interest map by creating a web of circles and filling them in with their interests in a way that makes sense (e.g., similar interests by one another).

4. Based on their interest map, assist them in creating goals that are relevant and meaningful to them.

This activity will help your students learn more about themselves, which is a vital prerequisite to setting good goals.

7. New Year Reflections and Resolutions

Middle-school-age children will likely have a grasp of the ritual that is setting New Year's resolutions. They will also be at an age where they are demonstrating more agency and preferences in regards to their studies and extracurricular activities.

Making a ritual out of setting New Year's resolutions not only serves as a great opportunity to set goals, but it provides an opportunity to encourage children to reflect on the challenges and triumphs of the previous year, fostering gratitude and a sense of accomplishment.

To facilitate this activity, ask your child to reflect on some of the following questions:

What are you most proud of having achieved in the past year?

What do you think you could have done better in the past year?

What's something you felt particularly passionate about in the past year?

What new goal would you like to accomplish in the new year?

What's a behavior you'd like to stop in the new year?

What's a behavior you'd like to start doing in the new year?

What's something new you'd like to try in the new year?

This is a great exercise to do together as a family. This way, you as the adult can also describe your reflections and set new goals in your personal or professional life. This will allow you to set an example for your kids, who may wish to set goals regarding their schooling, sports, or other extracurricular activities.

For a range of useful worksheets to help your child set goals for the new year, take a look at the templates available at Charts4Kids.com.

8. My Goals Worksheet

This worksheet is an effective tool for encouraging children to think more about their goals and plan on how to meet them.

At the top of the worksheet, there is a box for them to identify their goal and a box to note the target date for completion of their goal.

Next, they are asked to identify three actions that will allow them to reach their goal. These should be relevant and realistic actions that will lead them to completing their goal by their target date.

At the bottom, there is space to explain how they will know they've reached their goal (e.g., what will it look like when they achieve their goal, what the outcome will be). Plus, they are prompted to come up with two things that will help them stick to working towards their goal (e.g., an encouraging friend, a motivating thought).

To see this worksheet or download it for use in your classroom, click here.

Goal Setting for High School Students

At the high school level, goal setting gets a bit easier to teach, but not necessarily easier to learn and implement for the students! High school brings with it all kinds of distractions that can make setting good goals a challenge.

5 Activities and Worksheets for High School Students (PDF)

Use the activities and worksheets described below to help your older students navigate effective goal setting.

1. Smarties Warm-Up Activity

You can use this activity to get students warmed up and ready to think about goal setting. All you'll need is two rolls of Smarties candies (or a similar round, stackable candy) per student and 5 minutes.

The students' task is to stack as many Smarties as they can in one vertical column in one minute-but they can only use one hand. Before they begin, have them set a goal for themselves by estimating the number of Smarties they think they'll be able to stack.

Start the timer and have the students start stacking! Once the timer hits one minute, instruct your students to stop stacking and count up their candy.

Next, you'll guide them through the scoring guidelines:

The Smarties must be standing 5 seconds after the time ends to count.

If the goal is NOT reached, each candy stacked is worth 5 points.

If the goal IS reached, each candy stacked is worth 10 points up to the goal, and 5 points for each additional candy stacked over the goal.

For example, say a student sets a goal of 15 Smarties stacked.

If the student stacked 10 Smarties, they would score 5 points per candy for a total of 50 points.

If the student stacked 15 Smarties, they would score 10 points per candy for a total of 150 points.

If the student stacked 18 Smarties, they would score 10 points per candy up to 15 (150 points) and 5 points per candy up to 18 (15 points) for a total of 165 points.

Have the students calculate their score then determine who stacked the most candies and who had the highest score-due to the scoring, this may not be the same person. Discuss any unusual approaches students used, if any.

See more activities and a full lesson plan on setting goals with high schoolers here.

2. Action for Goals Worksheet

This worksheet is a great reminder for students that setting goals on its own won't get you anywhere-you need to set mini goals and identify action steps on the way to your larger goal.

The worksheet provides an example of a larger goal and the mini goals and action steps that will lead to it:

Overall Goal: I will learn to play a musical instrument proficiently in 5 years.

1. I will determine which instrument I would like to play.

2. I will find a tutor/teacher and begin taking lessons weekly.

3. I will practice daily for 60 minutes.

Using this as a template, students are given the space to write down four goals and come up with 3 mini goals or action steps per goal and provided with these instructions: " In each box below, state a goal that is important to you and then identify the mini goals/action statements needed."

Completing this worksheet will help your students get in the right frame of mind for goal setting and goal striving, and keep them cognizant of the effort required to actually meet their goals after setting them.

You can find this worksheet at this link.

3. My Goals Worksheet

The My Goals worksheet is a good way to help your students figure out what their goals are and refine them into ones that are relevant, meaningful, and motivating.

Here's how it works:

There are 4 boxes on the worksheet:

Healthy Living

Finance

Friendships

Work or School

These boxes surround one oval marked "Me."

Students are instructed to "Describe your needs in each of the following categories below; from those needs, determine what good goal statements would be. In the middle box, describe yourself."

Good goal setting requires healthy reflection and an understanding of who we are and what we want, which this activity is sure to help your students build upon.

View, download, or print the My Goals worksheet by clicking here.

4. Rate Yourself Worksheet

Another great activity to try before setting goals is to rate yourself on your need for goal setting in each life domain-in other words, to determine how much you are in need of improvement in each area.

This worksheet provides you with an easy way to get your students to rate themselves in 12 different life domains. The instructions at the top state:

" Before setting goals for yourself, determine where the need is by completing the scale below. Once completed, prioritize them from greatest to least need."

The scale given to students for their use in rating is as follows:

1. Very Dissatisfied

2. Somewhat Dissatisfied

3. Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied

4. Somewhat Satisfied

5. Very Satisfied

The 12 domains listed for students to rate their need are:

1. Money

2. Family Relationships

3. Friends and Relationships

4. Fitness

5. Diet

6. Career or School

7. Social Life

8. Spirituality

9. Sense of Belonging

10. Hobbies / Sports

11. Knowledge

12. Other

To use this worksheet with your high schoolers, follow this link.

5. Goal Setting: Learning from the Past

It's also important to think about your past goals and taking inventory of what went well, what didn't, and any other lessons learned. This worksheet can guide your students through that process.

It opens with an explanation of why it's an important practice:

"Before setting new goals, it's important to look back to previous goals you have set and learn from them. Analyze why you reached those goals or why you didn't reach those goals."

Next, the worksheet presents several questions and prompts to help the user think it through:

Be ready to help your students with useful prompts or examples in case they need help, and discuss their answers with them after they've completed the activity.

Click here to see this worksheet.

Goal Setting for College Students

By the time students reach college, they are generally at least somewhat familiar with goal setting techniques and have a minimum level of competence in setting effective goals; however, that doesn't mean they have no work left to do!

Goal setting and striving are made up of a set of skills that can be increased and enhanced throughout life-there is no maximum level of skill one can have in setting good goals.

9 Activities and Games for College Students

The activities and games described here can help you give your college students the push they need to further develop their goal-setting skills.

Goal Setting for the First-Time College Student

This is a great activity for new college students, as it shows them the importance of setting good goals and planning to achieve them.

Here's how to get your new students thinking critically about their goals:

1. Ask them to answer the questions in this activity as profoundly and honestly as they can.

2. Instruct them to think of at least categories of life goals:

1. Relationships with other people (family, friends, work relationships)

2. Work or career goals

3. Other personal achievement activity goals (hobbies, travel, athletics, etc.)

3. Have them take a few moments to visualize what their life would be like if it was perfect.

4. Hand out six 3 x 5 index cards to each student and have them number them 1 through 6.

5. Allow one minute for Part 1:
On the first card, have your students answer this prompt: "How do you want to spend the rest of your life? Make a list of activities and goals for the rest of your life."

6. Allow one minute for Part 2:
On the second card, have them answer this prompt: "What do you want to do the next 5 to 10 years? Again, list activities and goals."

7. Allow one minute for Part 3:
On the third card, have them answer this prompt: "If you had six months to live, how would you spend it? List activities and goals."

8. Allow one minute for Part 4:
Have them go over the first three cards and add or delete any item that has come to mind since the beginning of the exercise.

9. Allow one minute for Part 5:
Card 4, line 1: Have your students select the goal or activity from card one that they most desire to achieve and write it there.

10. Allow one minute for Part 6:
Card 4, line 2: Have your students select the goal or activity from card two that they most desire to achieve and write it there.

11. Allow one minute for Part 7:
Card 4, line 3: Have your students select the goal or activity from card three that they most desire to achieve and write it there.

12. Allow three minutes for Part 8:
On card 6, have your students write as many things as they could do in the next 7 days to further the goals they wrote down on card 4. This part isn't about feasibility, but creativity and comprehensiveness, so tell them not to worry about how possible or likely these things are yet.

13. Allow one minute for Part 9:
Instruct your students to scratch out any item on card 5 that they don't actually intend to do or think they can't do.

14. Allow one minute for Part 10:
Have your students choose three items from card 5 that they will do in the next 7 days and write them down on card 6.

To further the goal-setting practice, you can share the worksheet at the end of this activity with your students.

It poses 8 prompts for students to answer:

1. My long-range goals to complete in the next 2-3 years are:

2. Steps I need to take to achieve these (long-range) goals are:

3. My mid-range goals to complete in the next 1 year are:

4. Steps I need to take to achieve these (mid-range) goals are:

5. My short-range goals to complete by the first day of the semester are:

6. Steps I need to take to achieve these (short-range) goals are:

7. My immediate goals for the next month are:

8. Steps I need to take to achieve these (immediate) goals are:

To see this activity and the worksheet attached to it, click here.

8 Activities to Think About Goal Setting

This list of activities to help students think about goal setting comes from the Supporting Transition and Education through Planning and Partnerships (STEPP) Program, a program designed to help students with learning disabilities succeed in college. It's not just helpful for students with learning disabilities though-the activities can be helpful for anyone who wants to improve their goal setting skills.

The activities include:

1. Thinking About You - What qualities do you like most about yourself? What qualities would you like to improve?

2. Thinking About Others - What qualities do you admire in others (i.e., qualities you see in specific people, and/or those you admire in general)?

3. Values - Identify your top 5 values. What is most important to you? Why?

4. Strengths vs. Weaknesses - What are you good at? What is difficult for you?

5. Likes vs. Dislikes - Identify things you strongly like and dislike (e.g., places, activities, classes, foods, events, people, etc.). Why do you like/dislike these?

6. Super-You - Imagine you are a superhero? What would your superpower be? What would your "kryptonite" (vulnerability) be?

7. Back to the Future - Picture yourself 5 years from today and consider where you would like to be, who you would like to be with, and what you would like to be doing. Then ask the same questions for 10, 20, and even 50 years down the road.

8. Pushing Up Daisies - Imagine that you have passed away at the age of 100, and someone close to you is about to give the eulogy at your memorial service. What do you most want them to say about you?

These 8 activities will give your students a great head start on thinking about their goals and how they plan to reach them.

Click here to see these 8 activities and other helpful tips and tricks on goal setting for college students.

Recommended Books on the Topic

To learn more about goal setting for children and students, check out these six popular books on the subject:

My Happy Place: A Children's Self-Reflection and Personal Growth Journal with Creative Exercises, Fun Activities, Inspirational Quotes, Gratitude, Dreaming, Goal Setting, Coloring In, and Much More - Sheleen Lepar and Helene Pam (Amazon)

Future Lady Boss: Goal Setting Journal - Suzie Luv (Amazon)

Student Achievement Goal Setting: Using Data to Improve Teaching and Learning - Leslie Grant and James Stronge (Amazon)

Every Kid's Guide to Goals: How to Choose, Set, and Achieve Goals That Matter to You - Karleen Tauszik (Amazon)

Levi's Great & Wonderful Life: A Child's Story About Overcoming Fears, Setting Goals, & Achieving Success Through Visualization - Brandon Vannoy (Amazon)

My Simple Book of Goals: Goal-Setting Journal for Youth - Alicia Hadley (Amazon)

Then we have an additional article where we take an in-depth look at the best goal-setting books.

3 Recommended Videos

If you don't have time to read a full book at the moment but want a little more knowledge about goal setting for children, give these four videos a try:

Setting Goals - McMasterUTV

CashVille Kidz Episode 11: Goal & Goal Setting - CashVilleKidz

Goal Setting Growth Mindset - Michelle Turner

A Take-Home Message

In this piece, we described goal setting for children, explained why it's important, and provided some resources to help you teach your children or students about goal setting.

I hope you found this piece helpful and that you have some ideas about how to encourage successful goal setting and striving in your children or students.

What are your thoughts on goal setting for children? Does it need to be approached in a different way than goal setting for adults? How do you think it's best to get started? Let us know in the comments section!

Thanks for reading, and happy goal setting!

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don't forget to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free.

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42 Goal Setting Activities for Students & Kids (+ PDF)

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Learning how to set goals in school and role model the right behaviors that can encourage effective goal setting by students and kids.

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Michael Nagler

Michael Nagler is the Superintendent of the Mineola School District, a suburb of NYC. Mike began his career as a social studies teacher in NYC. While teaching he earned his doctorate from Columbia University and accepted an administrative position with Mineola in 1999. He believes strongly in the district's mission to inspire students to become lifelong learners that exhibit strength of character and contribute positively to a global society. During his eighteen years with the district, he has been a big proponent of using technology to engage students in rigorous content. Mike has also been instrumental in creating a platform to assess student learning using electronic portfolios and digital badges. He even coded his own digital portfolio. All five schools in Mineola have been recognized as Apple distinguished schools. Mineola is also a member of the League of Innovative Schools.

ANSWER

Choice can lead to greater engagement. To maximize the benefits, teachers should offer students a limited number of options.

By Carly Robinson

The short answer: Offering students choice is good. But you know what they say about too much of a good thing...

The not-too-much-longer answer: There's a reason why the idea of offering students choices in their educational activities has become popular. Decades of psychological research concludes that providing students with choices leads to increases in autonomy and, in turn, motivation and learning. Students, like adults, tend to be more motivated to complete a task - and perform better on it - when they choose to engage in the task themselves, rather than having the task chosen for them. When students choose their topic or select how to present their work, they are more likely to take ownership over their work and/or feel confident demonstrating their knowledge. (Side perk: Giving students choice on assignments can also make grading more interesting for the teacher!)

So, yes, providing students with choice in assignments can lead to greater engagement. But when it comes to giving choices, like with ice cream and movie sequels, more is not always better. And, in fact, too much choice can actually lead to decreased motivation and satisfaction. While choice is a key feature of cultivating student autonomy, it also can lead to choice overload. Faced with too many choices, students can become overwhelmed, and they instead prioritize ending the choice-making process, rather than making the choice they think is best. This results in students selecting the first satisfactory option they find, rather than their optimal option, which can leave students feeling dissatisfied with their selection and less motivated to do well.

To maximize the benefits of providing students with a choice, teachers should offer students a limited number of choices. Research suggests three to five options may produce the most satisfaction and motivation. Teachers can also help structure the choice-making process to make it less overwhelming. For example, One World Education, a program where students choose to research and write about a social justice issue that is important to them, helps students navigate the choice-making process so their topic selection becomes deliberate and further enhances their engagement.

Here are a few other ideas for teachers who want to effectively offer students choice in assignments:

Assign students to complete five out of ten potential homework problems

Create a short list of project topics and let students select which one they want to pursue

Provide a handful of different options for students to present their work (e.g., essay, presentation, blog post, etc.)

Offer a few book options for students to select and create book groups

Provide some choice in the questions students answer on assessments (e.g., answer 15 out of 20 items, choose between different question types)

Present the choice-making process as part of the assignment - dedicate time for students to research potential topic options, and help students make connections between topics and their own values

References:

Student choice leads to more motivation and learning (Patall, E. A., Cooper, H., & Wynn, S. R. (2010). The effectiveness and relative importance of choice in the classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(4), 896. )

Too much choice can lead to decreased motivation & satisfaction (Iyengar, S. S., & Lepper, M. R. (2000). When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing?. Journal of personality and social psychology, 79(6), 995. )

3-5 options is the sweet spot (Patall, E. A., Cooper, H., & Robinson, J. C. (2008). The effects of choice on intrinsic motivation and related outcomes: a meta-analysis of research findings. Psychological bulletin, 134(2), 270.)

Carly Robinson

Carly Robinson is a Ph.D. Candidate in Education at Harvard University in the Human Development, Learning, and Teaching concentration. Her interests lie at the intersection of social psychology, education, and youth development. Her current research focuses on developing and testing interventions that mobilize social support for students to improve student outcomes. See full bio.

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Does offering students a choice in assignments lead to greater engagement? - Digital Promise Research Map

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Michael Nagler is the Superintendent of the Mineola School District, a suburb of NYC. Mike began his career as a social studies teacher in NYC. While teaching he earned his doctorate from Columbia University and accepted an administrative position with Mineola in 1999.

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Helping children confront challenges requires a more nuanced understanding of the "growth mindset."

As a young researcher, Carol Dweck was fascinated by how some children faced challenges and failures with aplomb while others shrunk back. Dweck, now a psychologist at Stanford University, eventually identified two core mindsets, or beliefs, about one's own traits that shape how people approach challenges: "fixed mindset," the belief that one's abilities were carved in stone and predetermined at birth, and "growth mindset," the belief that one's skills and qualities could be cultivated through effort and perseverance. Her findings brought the concepts of fixed and growth mindsets to the fore for educators and parents, inspiring the implementation of her ideas among teachers-and even companies -across the country.

But Dweck recently noticed a trend: a widespread embrace of what she refers to as "false growth mindset"-a misunderstanding of the idea's core message. Growth mindset's popularity was leading some educators to believe that it was simpler than it was, that it was only about putting forth effort or that a teacher could foster growth mindset merely by telling kids to try hard. A teacher might applaud a child for making an effort on a science test even if he'd failed it, for instance, believing that doing so would promote growth mindset in that student regardless of the outcome. But such empty praise can exacerbate some of the very problems that growth mindset is intended to counter. A new edition of Dweck's book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, updated to address false growth mindset, comes out at the end of this month. I recently spoke with Dweck about how she wants her ideas to be applied. The interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Christine Gross-Loh: Could you tell me about the development of the idea of growth mindset? What was it intended to correct? What were you seeing that you felt growth mindset would help improve?

Carol Dweck: I've always been interested, since graduate school, in why some children wilt and shrink back from challenges and give up in the face of obstacles, while others avidly seek challenges and become even more invested in the face of obstacles. So this has been my primary question for over 40 years. At some point, my graduate students and I realized that a student's mindset was at the foundation of whether [he or she] loved challenges and persisted in the face of failure.

When students had more of a fixed mindset-the idea that abilities are carved in stone, that you have a certain amount and that's that-they saw challenges as risky. They could fail, and their basic abilities would be called into question. When they hit obstacles, setbacks, or criticism, this was just more proof that they didn't have the abilities that they cherished.

In contrast, when students had more of a growth mindset, they held the view that talents and abilities could be developed and that challenges were the way to do it. Learning something new, something hard, sticking to things-that's how you get smarter. Setbacks and feedback weren't about your abilities, they were information you could use to help yourself learn. With a growth mindset, kids don't necessarily think that there's no such thing as talent or that everyone is the same, but they believe everyone can develop their abilities through hard work, strategies, and lots of help and mentoring from others.

Gross-Loh: When I first interviewed you about growth mindset a few years ago, I remember that it was a relatively unknown idea. But growth mindset is now so popular that I'll hear people who aren't steeped in educational theory say, "Praise the effort, not the child (or the outcome)." Why do you think this idea struck such a chord, and how did you find out there were people misunderstanding it?
"Nobody has a growth mindset in everything all the time."
Dweck: Many educators were dissatisfied with drilling for high-stakes tests. They understood that student motivation had been a neglected area, especially of late. So many educators, as well as many parents, were excited to implement something that might reenergize kids to focus on learning again, not just memorization and test taking, but on deeper, more joyful learning.

But a colleague of mine, Susan Mackie, was doing workshops with educators in Australia and observed that many of them were saying they got growth mindset and were running with it, but did not understand it deeply. She told me, "I'm seeing a lot of false growth mindset." I just did not get it initially-growth mindset is a very straightforward concept, and besides, why would people settle for a false growth mindset if they could have a real one? But I started keeping a list of all the ways people were misunderstanding growth mindset. When the list got long enough, I started speaking and writing about it.

Gross-Loh: Could you elaborate on false growth mindset?

Dweck: False growth mindset is saying you have growth mindset when you don't really have it or you don't really understand [what it is]. It's also false in the sense that nobody has a growth mindset in everything all the time. Everyone is a mixture of fixed and growth mindsets. You could have a predominant growth mindset in an area but there can still be things that trigger you into a fixed mindset trait. Something really challenging and outside your comfort zone can trigger it, or, if you encounter someone who is much better than you at something you pride yourself on, you can think "Oh, that person has ability, not me." So I think we all, students and adults, have to look for our fixed-mindset triggers and understand when we are falling into that mindset.

I think a lot of what happened [with false growth mindset among educators] is that instead of taking this long and difficult journey, where you work on understanding your triggers, working with them, and over time being able to stay in a growth mindset more and more, many educators just said, "Oh yeah, I have a growth mindset" because either they know it's the right mindset to have or they understood it in a way that made it seem easy.

Gross-Loh: Why do you think these misunderstandings occurred?

Dweck: Many people understood growth mindset deeply and implemented it in a very sophisticated and effective way. However, there were many others who understood it in a way that wasn't quite accurate, or distilled it down to something that wasn't quite effective, or assimilated it into something they already knew.

Often when we see kids who aren't learning well, we might feel frustrated or defensive, thinking it reflects on us as educators. It's often tempting to not feel it is our fault. So we might say the child has a fixed mindset, without understanding instead that, as educators, it is our responsibility to create a context in which a growth mindset can flourish.

Gross-Loh: So it seems that the danger is that some teachers think they have growth mindset and believe it will transfer to their students, even though they themselves don't really understand it. How about this: Are there educators who do understand the idea that abilities can be developed but don't understand how to pass it on to students? Are there certain children who are more vulnerable to this sort of misunderstanding of growth mindset?

Dweck: Yes, another misunderstanding [of growth mindset] that might apply to lower-achieving children is the oversimplification of growth mindset into just [being about] effort. Teachers were just praising effort that was not effective, saying "Wow, you tried really hard!" But students know that if they didn't make progress and you're praising them, it's a consolation prize. They also know you think they can't do any better. So this kind of growth-mindset idea was misappropriated to try to make kids feel good when they were not achieving.

The mindset ideas were developed as a counter to the self-esteem movement of blanketing everyone with praise, whether deserved or not. To find out that teachers were using it in the same way was of great concern to me. The whole idea of growth-mindset praise is to focus on the learning process. When you focus on effort, [you have to] show how effort created learning progress or success.

Gross-Loh: What should people do to avoid falling into this trap?

Dweck: A lot of parents or teachers say praise the effort, not the outcome. I say [that's] wrong: Praise the effort that led to the outcome or learning progress; tie the praise to it. It's not just effort, but strategy ... so support the student in finding another strategy. Effective teachers who actually have classrooms full of children with a growth mindset are always supporting children's learning strategies and showing how strategies created that success.

Students need to know that if they're stuck, they don't need just effort. You don't want them redoubling their efforts with the same ineffective strategies. You want them to know when to ask for help and when to use resources that are available.

All of this is part of the process that needs to be taught and tied to learning.
"Focus on the learning process and show how hard work, good strategies, and good use of resources lead to better learning."
Gross-Loh: Is there a right way to praise kids and encourage them to do well?

Dweck: Many parents and teachers who themselves have growth mindset aren't passing it on because they are trying to protect the child's confidence, focus on the child's ability, and kind of boost the child's view or protect the child from a failure. They're conveying anxiety about ability.

But we have a new line of research (with my former graduate student, Kyla Haimovitz) showing that the way a parent reacts to a child's failure conveys a mindset to a child regardless of the parent's mindset. If parents react to their child's failures as though there is something negative, if they rush in, are anxious, reassure the child, "Oh not everyone can be good at math, don't worry, you're good at other things," the child gets it that no, this is important, and it's fixed. That child is developing a fixed mindset, even if the parent has a growth mindset.

But if the parent reacts to a child's failure as though it's something that enhances learning, asking, "Okay, what is this teaching us? Where should we go next? Should we talk to the teacher about how we can learn this better?" that child comes to understand that abilities can be developed.

So, with praise, focus on "process praise"-focus on the learning process and show how hard work, good strategies, and good use of resources lead to better learning. Be matter-of-fact, with not too strong or too passive a reaction.

You can see evidence of fixed mindset as young as 3.5 or 4 years old; that's when mindsets can start becoming evident, where some kids are very upset when they make a mistake or get criticized and fall into a helpless place. That's when children become able to evaluate themselves. We collaborated ... with researchers from the University of Chicago who had a longitudinal project with videotape of mother-child interactions. What we found was the more praise was process-oriented-not a ton, just where the greater proportion of the praise was process praise [versus outcome praise]-the more those children had a growth mindset and a high desire for challenge five years later, when they were in second grade.

Gross-Loh: That's very helpful to know for parents of young children. But what about older kids who might feel discouraged and worn-down after years of feeling that they weren't smart enough or a fear that they would never be able to be successful? Is it ever too late to foster a growth mindset in students?

Dweck: No-we've developed a number of online workshops addressed at adolescents and shown that when we teach [those] students a growth mindset, many of them regain their motivation to learn and achieve higher grades, especially students who have been struggling or students who have been laboring under a negative stereotype about [their own] abilities.

Research conducted last year by my former graduate student, David Yeager [now a professor at the University of Texas], on 18,000 students entering ninth grade, shows us that students who took growth-mindset workshops are seeking more challenges.

You can't tell adolescents, "We're adults, we have the answer, and we're going to tell you what it is." So we said, "We're scientists from Stanford University and the University of Texas, and we need your help. We're experts on the brain and how students learn, but you're the experts on being a freshman in high school and we'd like your input for a program we're developing for future freshmen."

We then taught them about how the teenage brain is especially open to learning. We talked about how it's a time of great plasticity, a time they need to take advantage of, and that they can grow their brains through taking on hard tasks in school and sticking to them. We had the students write a letter to a struggling freshman, counseling that person in terms of the growth-mindset principle, which is often very persuasive. We had testimonials from some public figures, talking about how a growth mindset got them to where they were.

Finally we talked about why someone would want a growth mindset. We realized that some kids would be overjoyed to hear you can develop your intellectual abilities, but others might not think it was the most exciting thing. So we then had a whole section on why you might want to develop your mind. Teenagers are really excited about the idea that they can do something to make the world a better place. So we asked them what they want to make their contribution to in the future-family, community, or societal problems-and then talked about how having a strong mind could help them make their future contribution.

We're excited about this because we know the world of the future is going to be about taking on ill-defined, hard jobs that keep changing. It's going to favor people who relish those challenges and know how to fix them. We are committed to creating a nation of learners.

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development of the idea of growth mindset

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Don't Let Praise Become a Consolation Prize

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Helping children confront challenges requires a more nuanced understanding of the "growth mindset," says the psychologist Carol Dweck.

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https://dwwlibrary.wested.org/resources/963

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https://dwwlibrary.wested.org/resources/921