Learning Objectives

The power of our teaching is clearly evident when our students can relate back to us why they are learning what they are learning and the real-life relevance of what they are doing. One of my goals as a teacher is to enable my students at any given moment to articulate their learning to anyone who may enter the classroom. In order to attain this goal, I must deliberately plan and communicate my learning objectives for every lesson. One way to do this is to write our daily learning target on the board as a reference point for my students. I can explain these targets in the hooks at the beginning of my lessons. I can refer to the targets at the "catch-and-release" moments during student independent work, and we can discuss them during our debriefs at the end of the lessons. Additionally, I can make these objectives meaningful by using familiar vocabulary for my learners. I must make them clear and straight forward--something that my students can say back to me in their own words. If students don't know what I am asking them to do, I have not effectively communicated the goal of the lesson. Learning objectives not only focus my teaching, but they also guide student learning.