Students have been completing their personal targets this week in the light of their recent semester report. We discussed as a group the main factors that lead to achievement, including motivation, a learning culture, high expectations, encouragement from parents, influence of friends, a clear focus, understanding how they are being assessed, and, of course, natural ability (which can change through time), etc. Most of these factors were actually suggested by the students themselves.
The process works like this. The students choose their own personal targets, which teachers support by sharing tips and strategies. It is important that students choose SMART targets, which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-focused. The risk with target setting is that students may choose vague strategies like “Try harder”, which rarely work. They also often choose unrealistic targets that they can’t achieve within the given timeframe. e.g. going from a 4 to a 7 in one Semester, or even one year! Realistic targets may involve improving a grade level from the beginning of a semester to the end. As much as two points on the 1-7 scale in a year is possible in some cases though. We have told the most important part of this is to focus on the strategies and choosing the right ones. Then stick to them.
I have attached a screenshot of an example of what this looks like without disclosing the identity of the student.
We are grateful for you to support this process from home. In terms of how to support it is important to ‘encourage’, ‘praise’ and show ‘belief’ but not put too much pressure on the students.
Enjoy the ‘probably wet’ weekend!
