Lesson Plan
Track Your Progress
Students will learn to identify a personal goal, understand the purpose of progress monitoring, and collaboratively design a simple group progress monitoring chart to track their steps towards that goal.
Tracking progress helps students stay motivated, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and adjust their strategies to achieve their goals. This skill is crucial for academic success and personal development.
Audience
7th-12th Grade Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion and collaborative activity.
Materials
Whiteboard or large paper, Markers, Goal Setting & Progress Chart Activity, and Progress Chart Slide Deck
Prep
Review Materials and Prepare Activity
10 minutes
Review the Goal Setting & Progress Chart Activity and ensure you have all necessary supplies (whiteboard/large paper, markers).
Review the Progress Chart Slide Deck to familiarize yourself with the content and discussion points.
Step 1
Introduction: What is Progress?
5 minutes
Begin by asking students what 'progress' means to them. Use Progress Chart Slide Deck (Slide 1-2) to introduce the concept of setting goals and tracking progress. Explain that tracking progress helps us see how far we've come and what we still need to do. Refer to the Teacher Script for detailed talking points.
Step 2
Goal Brainstorm & Selection
8 minutes
As a group, brainstorm a common, achievable goal that all students can relate to or contribute to (e.g., 'Improve Homework Completion', 'Master a specific math concept', 'Increase Reading Comprehension'). Guide the students to select one goal. Use Progress Chart Slide Deck (Slide 3-4). Refer to the Teacher Script for detailed talking points and prompting questions.
Step 3
Designing the Progress Chart
10 minutes
Distribute the Goal Setting & Progress Chart Activity to each student. As a group, discuss what columns or sections would be useful for tracking the chosen goal. Guide them to think about what data points are important (e.g., Date, Specific Action Taken, Self-Assessment, Teacher Check-in). Model on the whiteboard how to start filling out the chart. Use Progress Chart Slide Deck (Slide 5-6). Refer to the Teacher Script for detailed talking points and prompting questions.
Step 4
Practice & Next Steps
5 minutes
Have students independently fill in the first entry on their Goal Setting & Progress Chart Activity for the chosen group goal. Discuss how they can continue to use this chart individually or as a group. Emphasize that this is a tool to help them. Use Progress Chart Slide Deck (Slide 7). Refer to the Teacher Script for detailed talking points.
Slide Deck
What is Progress?
• Moving forward
• Getting better at something
• Reaching a goal
• Learning new things
Why is tracking progress important?
Welcome students and introduce the idea of progress. Ask them what comes to mind when they hear the word 'progress'. Encourage sharing a few ideas. Connect it to personal growth or schoolwork.
Why Track Progress?
• See how far you've come
• Understand what helps you succeed
• Stay motivated
• Make changes when needed
Explain that tracking progress isn't just about the final outcome, but about the journey and seeing how you're growing. It helps you know if what you're doing is working.
Setting Our Goal
What is a goal?
It's something you want to achieve or improve!
Transition to goal setting. Explain that before we can track progress, we need a clear goal. Ask students to think about things they want to improve on.
Group Goal Brainstorm!
Let's choose ONE goal we can all work towards or focus on for tracking.
Examples:
• Improve active listening in class
• Turn in all assignments on time
• Understand fractions better
Guide the group to brainstorm a common, achievable goal they can work on together or individually but with a shared focus. Give examples like improving participation in class, turning in homework on time, or understanding a specific tricky subject.
Designing Our Progress Chart
What information should we include to track our goal effectively?
Introduce the idea of a chart to track the goal. Explain that they will help design what goes into this chart.
Possible Chart Categories:
• Date
• What did I do today for my goal?
• How did I feel about my progress? (1-5 scale)
• What challenge did I face?
• What will I do next?
Prompt students for ideas for columns: Date, what action did they take, how did they feel (self-assessment), did a teacher check in, what's next? Emphasize that it should be helpful for them.
Start Tracking!
Let's make our first entry on our charts.
Remember, this chart is YOUR tool to help you reach your goals!
Conclude by having them make their first entry and reiterating the benefits of consistent progress monitoring. Encourage them to use the chart going forward.
Worksheet
Goal Setting & Progress Chart
My Group Goal:
Use this chart to track your daily or weekly progress towards our group goal. Reflect on your efforts and challenges.
| Date | What specific action did I take today for my goal? | How did I feel about my progress today? (1 = not good, 5 = excellent) | What challenge did I face or what did I learn? | What is my next step? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Script
Teacher Script: Track Your Progress
Introduction: What is Progress? (5 minutes)
(Display Progress Chart Slide Deck - Slide 1: "What is Progress?")
"Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Today, we're going to talk about something super important for helping us learn and grow: progress. What does that word mean to you? When you hear 'progress,' what comes to mind?"
(Allow students to share ideas. Guide them towards concepts of moving forward, improving, getting closer to a goal, learning, or getting better at something.)
"Exactly! Progress is all about moving forward, making improvements, and getting closer to where we want to be. Think about when you're learning something new, like a sport or a new skill in a video game. You don't become an expert overnight, right? You make progress step by step."
(Display Progress Chart Slide Deck - Slide 2: "Why Track Progress?")
"Now, why do you think it's important to track that progress? Why bother writing it down or even just thinking about it?"
(Encourage responses. Lead into the points on the slide: seeing how far you've come, understanding what helps you, staying motivated, and making adjustments.)
"It's like having a map for your learning journey! When you track your progress, you can clearly see how much you've accomplished, which can be a huge motivator. It also helps you figure out what strategies are working well and what you might need to change if you're stuck."
Goal Brainstorm & Selection (8 minutes)
(Display Progress Chart Slide Deck - Slide 3: "Setting Our Goal")
"To track progress, we first need a goal. A goal is simply something you want to achieve or improve. As a group, let's think of some common goals related to school or our learning here that we could all work on. It should be something specific and achievable. For example, maybe it's 'improving our active listening during class discussions' or 'making sure all our assignments are turned in on time' or 'understanding a specific math concept better.'"
(Allow students to brainstorm. Write down their ideas on a whiteboard or large paper. Guide them to select one clear, group-focused goal for the activity.)
"Great ideas! Let's choose one of these to focus on for our activity today. Which one do we think would be a good goal for us to work on as a group?"
(Facilitate a quick group decision on one goal.)
"Excellent! Our goal for this activity will be: [State the chosen group goal]. "
Designing the Progress Chart (10 minutes)
(Display Progress Chart Slide Deck - Slide 5: "Designing Our Progress Chart")
"Now that we have our goal, how can we track our progress toward it? What information would be helpful to write down? Think about what would help you see if you're getting closer to achieving [State the chosen group goal]."
(Listen to student suggestions for categories/columns. Guide them towards useful elements, potentially drawing on ideas from Slide 6. Distribute the Goal Setting & Progress Chart Activity.)
"Okay, everyone has a copy of the Goal Setting & Progress Chart Activity. You'll see there's a space at the top for our group goal. Let's fill that in now: 'My Group Goal: [State the chosen group goal].'"
(Display Progress Chart Slide Deck - Slide 6: "Possible Chart Categories:")
"Look at the columns I've provided on your sheet. Do these seem like good things to track? Why or why not? What else might we want to add, or what might we change?"
(Discuss the suggested columns: Date, What specific action did I take today for my goal?, How did I feel about my progress today? (1-5 scale), What challenge did I face or what did I learn?, What is my next step? Explain each one briefly and how it helps.)
"The 'How did I feel' column is important because your feelings about your progress can tell you a lot. If you're consistently feeling low, maybe we need to adjust our approach or get some extra support. If you're feeling great, that's a sign you're on the right track!"
"The 'What is my next step?' column is also crucial. It helps you keep momentum and think proactively about what you'll do tomorrow or next time."
Practice & Next Steps (5 minutes)
(Display Progress Chart Slide Deck - Slide 7: "Start Tracking!")
"Alright, let's make our very first entry together for today. Even though we just started this discussion, what's one thing you did today that relates to understanding or working towards our goal of [State the chosen group goal]? It could be simply participating in this discussion about goals!"
(Model filling in the first row on a whiteboard if possible, using today's date and a relevant action. Have students fill in their own first entry.)
"This chart is a tool for you. You can use it to reflect on your efforts, celebrate small wins, and identify areas where you might need more help. We'll check in on these regularly. Remember, every little step forward is progress!"
"Any questions about using this chart or about tracking your goals?"
(Address any questions and reinforce the value of the activity.)