Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom

Building Student Agency, Independence, and Success

Valerie Bolling

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781040349052
• Edition: 0
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Goal setting is an integral part of life. But when and how do we teach this important skill to students? And how can we do so in ways that are engaging, rewarding, and nestled into our other priorities in the writing classroom?

In Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom: Building Student Agency, Independence, and Success, Valerie Bolling breathes new life into the work of goal setting with students. Bolling guides teachers, step by step, through helping students set goals, monitor progress, revise (and sometimes even abandon!) goals, and celebrate their achievements along the way. Moreover, Bolling illustrates how teachers, themselves, can set their own goals so that they are learning alongside their students and serving as models for them.

Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom draws on Valerie Bolling's experiences as a teacher, instructional coach, and children's book author to offer relevant and engaging stories, lessons, strategies, and graphic organizers to help all students become successful and independent goal setters and writers.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Endorsements Page
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1 Why Goal Setting Matters
• Chapter 2 Ready, Set, Goal!: Introducing Your Students to Goal Setting
• Chapter 3 “How's It Goaling?”: Building a Goal-setting Toolbox with Students
• Chapter 4 Giving Goalden Peer Feedback: Helping Your Partner's Work Shine
• Chapter 5 Creating a Game Plan: Implementing Teacher and Peer Feedback
• Chapter 6 Checking in on the Game Plan: Guiding Students to Monitor and Assess Goal Progress
• Chapter 7 Time for a New Game Plan: Revising Goals
• Chapter 8 Scoring the Winning Goal!: Wrapping Up Goals and Moving Forward
• Appendix A Goal Setting Organizer
• Appendix B Goal Setting Organizer with Check-in Dates
• Appendix C Accountability Partner Guidelines
• Appendix D Accountability Partner Recording Sheet
• Appendix E How to Give and Receive Peer Feedback
• Appendix F Peer Feedback Form
• Appendix G Praise/Polish/Question Peer Feedback Form
• Appendix H Ways to Give Your Partner Critical Feedback
• Appendix I Feedback Implementation Planning Form
• Appendix J Goal Monitoring Form
• Appendix K Ways to Help a Classmate Monitor Goals
• Appendix L Goal Revision Organizer
• Appendix M End-of-Year Goal Reflection Letter Guidelines
• Appendix N Goal Setting Process Ladder
• References