Confratute 2009 Helping Student Set Goals, Get Organized, and Self-Regulate Behavior for Academic Success

1. Helping Students Achieve Academic Success Angela M. Housand, Ph.D. Ahousand@gmail.com Confratute 2008 University of Connecticut

2. Today Housekeeping This course for credit Questions to this point Effective Goal Setting

3. The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. -Michelangelo

4. Student keeping a record Student tracking progress Student assessment of goal attainment Higher order thinking & metacognitive strategy use

5. Student reflection on reading Student participation in assessment and review Explicit strategy instruction Purpose for reading and goal setting Efficacy building via specific feedback

7. What is your personal definition of success?

8. Goal Setting: Why bother? Challenges students to give their efforts a preplanned direction Take responsibility for the key events that give form to their experience Provides opportunity for reflection

9. All great achievements require time… -Maya Angelou

10. Not a Crystal Ball There are no guarantees that goals will be achieved Increases chance of success Becomes a lifelong process

11. Goal Attainment is not luck, it is work and it takes time.

17. Effective Goal Setting Positive Statements “Improve understanding” vs. “Don’t make mistakes” Be Precise Measurable: Dates, times, amounts Write Goals Down Gives them more “force”

18. Effective Goal Setting Set Priorities When working with multiple goals or objectives, give each a status Helps direct attention and avoid feelings of being overwhelmed Keep Objectives Small Objectives are incremental steps within larger goal If the tasks are too large, progress is masked

19. Effective Goal Setting Set Performance Goals Set goals that you have as much control over as possible (especially in the beginning) Outcome goals are based on reward of achieving something “I want to beat my best time.” Necessary Skills Students must have necessary skills to achieve goal to be successful

20. Unrealistic Goals Goals set by other people May be in conflict with student values, beliefs, or desires Insufficient Information Need realistic understanding of what is being attempted Always Expecting Best Focus on raising student’s average performance and increasing consistency

21. Insufficient Goals Fear of Failure Fear prevents risk taking Failure is a positive: shows where room for improvement exists Taking it “too easy” Will not achieve anything of worth

22. Set goals that are slightly out of your immediate grasp, but not so far that there is not hope of achieving them.

23. Set goals that are slightly out of your immediate grasp, but not so far that there is not hope of achieving them. Think: Vygotsky & The Zone of Proximal Development

24. The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. Chinese Proverb

25. Think it Through What skills do I need to achieve this? What information and knowledge do I need? What help or assistance do I need? What resources do I need? What can block progress? Is there a better way of doing this?

26. What Kind of Goal? Artistic What do you want to create, invent, form, generate, or make? Attitude Is there any part of the way you behave that upsets you?

27. What Kind of Goal? Academic What level do you want to reach in school? What do you want to accomplish that you have not before? Education What information and skills will you need to achieve your current goal? Your future goals?

28. What Kind of Goal? Family How do you want to be seen by your parents or by other members of your family? Physical Are there any athletic goals you want to achieve? Do you want to create habits that lead to lifelong health?

29. Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Time-bound

30. What Kind of Goal? Public Service

31. What Kind of Goal? Public Service Do you want to make the world a better place?

32. Staying the Course Periodically review goals and modify to reflect changing priorities and experience Involve others in the goal: Inform, discuss, and share Engage with successful, motivated people who also set goals Create a “Goals Collage”

33. Attainment Measure and take pride in the achievement of goals Demonstrates forward progress Celebrate and enjoy the satisfaction of achievement Set a new goal

34. If goal was achieved easily, make next goal harder If goal took to long to achieve, make next goal a little easier If something was learned that leads to need for revision of other goals, do so If skills were lacking, set goals to learn necessary skills Setting a New Goal

35. Writing Prompt I would like to improve… Some people are unhappy with… I want to learn more about… An idea I would like to try… Something I think would really make a difference is… Something I would like to change is…

36. Failure is Part of the Process

37. Failure is an Opportunity to Learn

38. Overcoming Obstacles Resilience Perseverance (Cox, 1926; Reis, 1995, 1998, 2005; Sternberg & Lubart 1993; Van-Tassel Baska 1989; Walberg et. al., 1981; Walberg & Paik, 2005)

39. Chance can allow you to accomplish a goal every once in a while, but consistent achievement happens only if you love what you are doing. Bart Conner 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist

40. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 21st Century Skills Learning and Innovation Make Judgments & Decisions: Reflect critically on learning experiences and processes

42. Was I distracted and how did I get back to work?

43. Did I plan enough time or did it take longer than I thought?

45. Slife

46. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 21st Century Skills Learning and Innovation Use Systems Thinking: Analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other to produce overall outcomes in complex systems

47. Mindmap: Problem Solving, Goal Setting, & Decision Making Complete the circles with your goal and steps to achieve it. Then number the circle in the order you need to attack your goal. Goal: From Becoming an Achiever, Carolyn Coil, Pieces of Learning

50. Goalforit.com

51. McCoach Goals Worksheet Directions: Please complete all of the following sentences regarding the class that you are focusing on for this program. There are no right or wrong answers. Put down the first idea that comes into your head. When you are done, give this form back to your teacher/counselor. When I try hard in this class, it's because _________________________. I would spend more time on my schoolwork if _________________________. If I do poorly in this class, then ___________________________________. When I don't try hard in this class, it's because ____________________. I would rather do ___________________ than do my work for this class. Doing well in this class will help me to ________________________. Doing poorly in this class will keep me from ________________________. This class is important because ________________________________. The most interesting thing that I learned this year is _______________________. The thing that I am most interested in learning more about is ________________. The most interesting thing that I learned in _______ class is _________________. I feel best about myself when _______________________________________. I feel worst about myself when _____________________________________. I am most proud of _____________________________________________. I wish that I could ______________________________________________. When I grow up, I want to ________________________________________. I really value ___________________________________________________. Note: The goal valuations interventions are based on the work of D. Betsy McCoach.

52. Goal Setting Plan(Based on Heacox, 1991) 1. What is one area of your class performance that you really want to improve? (This is your long term goal. It may take you several weeks, months, or even a whole school year to improve this goal.) This goal is important to me because: 2. What is one thing that you can do NOW to help you reach your long-term goal? (This is your short-term goal. You should be able to accomplish this goal in 2-4 weeks.) 3. What steps do you need to reach your short-term goal? 4. What things or people might keep you from reaching your goal? These are your obstacles. 5. What can you do to get around your obstacles? These are your solutions. 7. What special materials or help do you need to reach your goal? These are your resources. 8. How will you reward yourself when you achieve your goal? These are your incentives. 9. How and when will you check on your progress toward your goal? Who will help you to check on your progress? Checkpoint 1 Date: ____________________________________________________ Checkpoint 2 Date: ____________________________________________________ I am committed to working toward achieving my short term goal. Student's signature: Today's date: Witness (Teacher's) signature:

53. What school related goals would you like to work toward during the next grading period? a. b. c. During this school year? a. b. After high school? a. b. What personal goals would you like to achieve in the next six months? a. b. c. Within the next year or two? a. b. How do you expect to achieve these goals? a. b. c. a. b. a. b. How do you hope to achieve these goals? a. b. c. a. b. Goal Setting or… WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO AND HOW DO YOU PLAN TO GET THERE? From Motivating Achievers, Carolyn Coil, Pieces of Learning

54. PROBLEM SOLVING FOR GOAL SETTING AND DECISION MAKING Step 1: State the problem. Step 2: With at least one other person, brainstorm possible solutions to the problem. Remember, in brainstorming all ideas are accepted! IDEAS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Step 3: Now write some positive points and some negative points about the ideas listed. In your list of ideas (above) put + for each positive idea and – for each negative idea. Step 4: In the space below, write down the ideas you will try and when you will try them. IDEA TIME LINE From Motivating Achievers, Carolyn Coil, Pieces of Learning

58. Resources Goal Setting A learning center webpage that provides rationale for goal setting, suggestions for setting effective goals, and examples of how to write goals. http://webspace.ship.edu/learning/goal_setting2.htm Nine Quick Learning Strategies for Success Provides students with learning strategies to accomplish a variety of learning outcomes. http://student.norquest.ca/onlinelearning/ninequick/index.htm

59. Questions?

60. The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. -Michelangelo