Session 1 Goal-Setting Discussion
Use these guided questions, prompts, and sentence starters to help the student talk through choosing a personal, manageable goal and planning how to reach it. Aim to spend about 25–30 minutes total.
1. Warm-Up: What Is a Goal? (5 minutes)
• Teacher: “What do you think a goal is? Can you share an example of a goal you’ve heard about or tried before?”
– Sentence Starter: “A goal is when I want to…”
• Student Response and Discussion
• Follow-Up: “Why do people set goals? How does having a goal help us?”
– Sentence Starter: “Having a goal helps me because…”
2. Choosing Your Own Goal (7 minutes)
• Teacher: “Think of one thing you’d like to improve or achieve this week. It can be something in class, at home, or during recess.”
– Prompt if needed: “Maybe it’s finishing assignments quickly, raising your hand before speaking, or keeping your desk tidy each day.”
– Sentence Starter: “This week, I want to…”
• Student: Shares one idea.
• Teacher: “Tell me why this goal matters to you. How will it make school or home better?”
– Sentence Starter: “This goal matters to me because…”
3. Making It Specific and Measurable (5 minutes)
• Teacher: “How will you know when you’ve reached your goal? What will you see, hear, or feel?”
– Sentence Starter: “I will know I’ve succeeded when…”
• Example Discussion: “If your goal is finishing homework on time, you might see your worksheet completed and turned in.”
• Student: Describes what success looks like in clear terms.
• Follow-Up: “Is this something you can practice each day this week?”
4. Planning Your First Steps (8 minutes)
• Teacher: “Let’s break your goal into three small steps. Use the words First, Next, and Then.”
- First, what is the very first thing you will do when you start working on your goal?
– Sentence Starter: “First, I will…”
- Next, what will you do after that?
– Sentence Starter: “Next, I will…”
- Then, what is one more step you can try to keep going?
– Sentence Starter: “Then, I will…”
• Student: Identifies three clear, simple steps.
• Teacher: Offer examples if needed (e.g., “First, I gather my materials; Next, I work for 10 minutes; Then, I check my work.”)
5. Checking In and Staying Motivated (3 minutes)
• Teacher: “How do you feel about this plan? Excited, confident, maybe a little nervous?”
– Sentence Starter: “I feel _____ because…”
• Student: Shares feelings and why.
• Teacher: “What might make it hard to stick with your steps? What can we do to help you remember and stay on track?”
– Brainstorm supports: setting a reminder alarm, using a sticker chart, asking a friend or teacher for a quick check-in, placing a checklist on your desk.
6. Reflection & Next Steps (2 minutes)
• Teacher: “Great work talking through your goal! Let’s write or say one thing you’ll remember from today’s discussion.”
– Sentence Starter: “Today I learned that…”
• Teacher: “Next time we meet, we’ll look at your progress on the Session 1 Success Tracking Chart and see what’s working well.”
• Close with positive feedback: “I’m proud of your plan—let’s make this week a success!”