Lesson Plan
Tracking Triumphs Lesson Plan
Students will set a simple, measurable goal aligned to their IEP and complete a personalized progress monitoring sheet—recording date, goal, and self-rating—to build ownership of tracking their own social-emotional or behavioral growth.
Empowering students to self-monitor supports self-awareness, motivation, and accountability. Personalized tracking reinforces targeted IEP goals and fosters confidence in managing behaviors or social-emotional skills.
Audience
Elementary Students with Social-Emotional IEP Goals
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Guided modeling followed by student practice and reflection.
Materials
- Personalized Progress Monitoring Sheet Template, - Pencil and Eraser, and - Sample Completed Monitoring Sheet (Printed)
Prep
Prepare Materials and Review IEP Goals
5 minutes
- Print a copy of the Personalized Progress Monitoring Sheet Template for each student.
- Review each student’s IEP to select one target behavior or social-emotional skill for monitoring.
- Prepare a sample completed sheet to model the process.
Step 1
Introduction and Goal Selection
5 minutes
- Greet the student individually and explain that tracking daily progress helps them see their own successes.
- Show the sample completed monitoring sheet and highlight its sections.
- Ask the student to choose one target goal or behavior from their IEP to focus on today.
- Record that chosen goal at the top of their blank sheet.
Step 2
Modeling the Progress Monitoring Process
10 minutes
- Demonstrate filling in today’s date, the chosen goal, and a simple self-rating scale (e.g., smiley faces or 1–3).
- Explain how to note brief comments or observations in the comments section.
- Invite the student to help you complete one entry together, talking through each step.
Step 3
Student Practice and Personalized Completion
10 minutes
- Provide the student with their own monitoring sheet and pencil.
- Guide them as they fill in the date, their goal, and an initial self-rating or emotion icon.
- Encourage them to draw or write a symbol that represents their goal.
- Offer prompts or supports as needed to ensure accuracy and understanding.
Step 4
Review and Reflection
5 minutes
- Ask the student: “How will you know you’re making progress on this goal?”
- Discuss when and how they’ll complete the sheet each day (e.g., end of recess, before dismissal).
- Plan a brief weekly check-in with the teacher or support staff to review their sheets and celebrate progress.
Slide Deck
Tracking Triumphs
Using Progress Monitoring to Track Your Growth
Welcome the student and introduce today’s session. Explain that tracking daily progress helps them see how they’re doing and celebrate successes.
Today’s Objective
Set a measurable goal aligned to your IEP and record your progress on a personalized monitoring sheet.
Read aloud the objective and emphasize that the student will be in charge of choosing and tracking their own goal.
Your Monitoring Sheet
- Date
- Goal
- Self-Rating (e.g., 😊 😐 😞)
- Comments or Drawing
Show the printed sample sheet. Point out each section: date, goal, self-rating, and comments. Explain how each part helps track progress.
Modeling the Process
- Fill in today’s date
- Write your chosen goal
- Choose a self-rating (1–3 or smileys)
- Add a brief comment or symbol
Demonstrate filling in today’s date, chosen goal, rating, and a quick comment or doodle. Talk through why each step matters.
Your Turn to Practice
- Take your sheet and pencil
- Fill in Date & Goal
- Mark your initial self-rating
- Draw a symbol that represents your goal
Hand the student their sheet and pencil. Guide them step-by-step, offering prompts and positive reinforcement as needed.
Reflect & Plan
• How will you know you’re making progress?
• When will you update your sheet each day?
• Plan a weekly check-in to celebrate progress
Ask the student reflection questions. Help them decide when each day to update the sheet and schedule a weekly check-in.
Worksheet
Personalized Progress Monitoring Sheet
Student Name: ________________________________________
IEP Goal: ____________________________________________
| Date | Self-Rating (1-3 or 😊 😐 😞) | Comments / Drawing |
|---|---|---|
| ___________ | ___________ | |
| ___________ | ___________ | |
| ___________ | ___________ | |
| ___________ | ___________ | |
| ___________ | ___________ | |
| ___________ | ___________ | |
| ___________ | ___________ |
Script
Tracking Triumphs Script
1. Introduction and Goal Selection (5 minutes)
Teacher: "Hello, [Student Name]! Today we’re going to work together on something called a progress monitoring sheet. This sheet will help you keep track of how you’re doing with one of your IEP goals. Tracking your progress can help you see how far you’ve come and celebrate your successes. Does that sound good?"
(Pause for student response)
Teacher: "Great! Here is a sample sheet from the Personalized Progress Monitoring Sheet Template. Let’s look at each part. First, there’s the Date—so you know when you made each entry. Next is Goal—this is the goal you choose to focus on. Then there’s Self-Rating. You can use numbers 1 to 3 or smiley faces 😊, 😐, 😞. A 3 or a big smile means you feel you did very well. A 1 or a sad face means it was tough. Finally, there’s a space for Comments or Drawing, where you can write a quick note or draw a picture about how it went."
Teacher: "Now, which goal from your IEP would you like to work on today? You might choose raising your hand before you speak, staying calm during transitions, or something else you and I have talked about. Which one would you like?"
(Pause; help student choose; repeat chosen goal aloud)
Teacher: "Perfect! I’m going to write that goal at the top of your sheet now. Ready?"
[Teacher writes the chosen goal on the student’s blank sheet]
2. Modeling the Progress Monitoring Process (10 minutes)
Teacher: "Next, I’ll show you how to fill in one entry step by step. First, I'm going to write today’s date: [Write date]. Great."
Teacher: "Now I’ll write our goal at the top again so it’s clear: [Read goal aloud]."
Teacher: "For the self-rating, think about how you feel right now about working on this goal. Remember, a 3 or 😊 means you did great, a 2 or 😐 means it was just okay, and a 1 or 😞 means it was hard. How do you think you did today?"
(Pause for student response)
Teacher: "I hear you. Let me mark a [rating] here."
Teacher: "Finally, I’ll add a quick comment about what happened. For example: ‘I remembered to raise my hand two times.’ You could also draw a little picture of you raising your hand. Watch me as I draw this hand icon: 🖐."
Teacher: "And that’s one entry! Do you see how each part helps you remember what happened and how you felt?"
3. Student Practice and Personalized Completion (10 minutes)
Teacher: "Now it’s your turn. Here’s your own Personalized Progress Monitoring Sheet Template and a pencil. Let’s fill it out together."
Teacher: "First, write today’s date on your sheet."
(Wait for student to write)
Teacher: "Nice work! Now write the goal we chose at the top."
(Wait)
Teacher: "Great! Next, think about right now—how do you feel about your progress? Which number or face will you choose: 3 😊, 2 😐, or 1 😞?"
(Wait)
Teacher: "Awesome, you marked a [repeat rating]. Finally, use the comments space to draw or write something about what you did. You could draw a symbol, write a short note, or even both. What would you like to do?"
(Offer help as needed)
Teacher: "That looks wonderful!"
4. Review and Reflection (5 minutes)
Teacher: "You did an excellent job filling out your sheet. Let’s think together: how will you know you’re making progress on this goal over time?"
(Pause for student ideas)
Teacher: "Yes! You’ll see more 3s or big smiles, and your comments might show you’re using the skill more often."
Teacher: "When do you think would be a good time each day to fill out your sheet? Maybe after recess, before lunch, or at the end of the school day?"
(Pause; help student pick a time)
Teacher: "Perfect. We’ll plan to meet once a week to look at your sheets together and celebrate how you’re doing. How does that sound?"
Teacher: "I’m really proud of the hard work you’re putting in on this goal. Keep it up, and I can’t wait to see your progress!"