Making Targets Meaningful for Students

Teachers need to do more than just list the targets on the board. Making the target meaningful for students involves a student knowing what the target is, when they accomplished it and how working on and mastering the target will assist in their understanding of the essential outcome. Each lesson builds student learning to the bullseye, the mastery of the essential outcome.

Students will understand the criteria for the targets by how the targets are presented. For younger students, "I can" or "I will" statements can be used.

Older students can have a list of the essential outcomes and all the targets that students will need to know and be able to do.


Students need to know the steps to mastery, what they need to KNOW and DO, how will they know that they are successful and lastly, why do they need to learn it.

Students can use a variety of tools to monitor where they are in the learning process. Rubrics can be used to see how students are progressing and the level of learning for each student. Older students can use a notebook or an electronic list with targets outlined in order to monitor their learning progress.

Homework and assessments should all include the targets being listed on them so that the students can always connect their learning. This makes all learning explicit and students actively engaged in their own learning.