Learning Goals

Report cards are done. Parent-Teacher interviews are this week. Needless to say, I've been doing a lot of reflecting on what I have been teaching my students and how well they are learning. 

One thing I have seen on Pinterest and have been able to use successfully has been my Learning Goals chart (see below). 

This idea originally came from Music with Mrs. Dennis' blog. I didn't have a pocket chart so I used some chalkboard markers to write the grade levels and just stuck it on one of my chalkboards. I tend to update it at the beginning of each week by looking at the learning goals on my lesson plan using dry-erase markers. Each grade is a different colour, of course!

Charts and posters can become wallpaper. I am learning that I have to train my students to use the anchor charts and learning tools I put up around the room. Otherwise they do not see them as tools to help them with their learning. At the beginning of each lesson I ask my students what our learning goals are for the period as I gesture towards the Learning Goals board. It helps focus their attention and hopefully activate any background knowledge they may have or spawn some questions.