Things have changed quite a bit since Clarendon was at school. Back in those sepia toned days, Clarendon’s main goal was not getting thumped by Mr. Williams (this, FYI, is an example of a ‘performance-avoidance goal’, which Clarendon does not recommend).
Luckily, prevailing pedagogical thought has moved on; not only do we not espouse thumping students, we actively encourage them in positive goal setting. This is particularly important in the first few weeks of school, so if your child or student has not already started setting goals for the academic year ahead, you can help them.
Self-regulated learners are students that set realistic goals, strategise the steps needed to reach those goals and self-assess which processes are working and which are not. Self-regulated learners tend to be high achievers and there has tended to be an assumption that these traits are inherited not learnt. We do not agree with this.
The habits of self-regulated learners and the setting of goals CAN and MUST be taught explicitly.
Here is a rough guideline to help you help your child set goals for the coming year:
- Pick goals that are realistic and achievable. This sounds obvious, but it is worth pointing out. Unrealistic goals can lead to demotivated students.
- 3 tier goals can improve motivation and engagement. Have your student pick a minimum goal, an expected goal and a stretch goal. This gets them to analyse their targets in more depth and helps with motivation, as their are still layers to the goal if the stretch target is missed.
- For anxious students, ‘mastery approach’ goals often work best. I want to get an A* is an example of ‘performance approach’ goal and this will work well for a student who is organised, driven and not prone to anxiety. However, if your child or student is prone to anxiety, then a ‘mastery approach’ might be for them. These are goals that focus on improvement on a previous attempt or mastering a topic – beat my mock score or improve my understanding of quadratics.
- Focus on process goals. These are the steps needed to reach a target. If the target is to improve speaking confidence in French (mastery approach) or get a 9 in my french oral (performance approach), then get your student to right down the process goals needed to get there: 25 minutes weekly spent on french vocabulary flashcards; 5 minutes daily listening to french podcast etc.
- For process goals, and ‘if-then’ strategy can help focus a student and relieve stress. IF – I finish my homework early – THEN – I will spend the extra time doing essay plans. IF – no one sits next to me on the bus – THEN – I will spend the time on Duolingo. This approach means that students aren’t just faced with mountainous to do lists each week.
- Spend time thinking why the goal matters. Thinking about why the goal is important – to a student’s grades, to their next steps in life, to equipping them with useful skills for life – will embed the motivation much deeper, meaning the student will persevere.
- Check in with the student regularly. There are bound to be good weeks and bad weeks, but check in with the student to help keep them on track. Analyse what is working and what needs to tweaking. This is a central trait of the self-regulated learner.
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We don’t expect you to follow every step above. Every student is different and will respond best to a specific approach. If you want a tutor to help with this crucial task, do please get in touch.
We hope the following sheet might be of benefit to you.
Good luck!
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