Making Short Term Goals and Long Term Goals

Workplace Goal Setting Lesson Plan:

Making Short Term Goals and Long Term Goals

Susan Watson, EL/Civics Teacher at Prince William County Adult Education Program,

Prince William County, Virginia

Class level: / Intermediate to Advanced Adult ESOL
About the lesson: / This lesson plan is designed to help your students think critically about workplace goals and why they are important, and to reflect on how they will achieve those goals. Students will also have the opportunity to practice taking notes, an important transition skill. Through class discussions and lesson activities, you can build on your students’ experience and vocabulary, and use their words and ideas throughout the lesson. Adapt this lesson to meet the needs of your class.
This lesson was adapted from the Prince William County Adult Education Program ESOL Learning Goals lesson plan used to help students formulate their Student Learning Plan in accordance with NRS guidelines.
Goals: / At the end of the lesson students will be able to formulate their short and long term workplace goals.
Lesson objectives: / Students will take responsibility for their personal affairs in the workplace by embracing a goal setting process.
Students will begin to appreciate the culture of the American workplace setting.
Students will gain practice in note taking and critical thinking skills.
Estimated time: / 1.5 - 2hours
Resources and materials needed: / Board, chart paper, and markers
Tape
Provided in this document:
GOALS pictures
WORKPLACE GOALS pictures
GOALS Notes Template
GOALS Examples for Teachers
GRAFFITI QUESTIONS ** Prep Required**
Goals Information Grid
MY GOALS –Xerox on colored paper(optional)
Warm-up: / Whole Class Discussion. Write the word “goals” on the board. Using a Language Experience Approach (LEA) technique, ask students what the word means. Show them the GOALS pictures. Write some of the responses on the board. As a class, formulate a definition of a goal (something we work hard for, something we want, something for success, etc.). Use the students’ words.
Write “workplace goals”on the board. Ask students about their jobs and what kinds of things they do at work. Ask how long students have been employed, whether or not they have benefits, and if they want to get a promotion at their current job. Explain that some of these are workplace goals.
Show the WORKPLACE GOALS pictures. Help students formulate a definition for a workplace goal (something I want for my future, my career, success in a career, etc.).
Leave the definition on the board or write it on chart paper and tape it up to the wall.
Introduction and Presentation to the lesson: / Explain that today’s lesson is aboutcreating workplace goals for ourselves. We will make short term workplace goals STWG and long term workplace goals LTWG. Write these terms on the board and distribute GOALS Notes handout.
Orient students to the note taking template and direct them to write the definition of a workplace goal (from warm up) on the top of their GOALS Notes. Students write in their native language and / or English on their notes. Notes are for the students’ learning.
Explain that we will begin with STWGs.
Write the words for STWG on the board. Underneath, write 6 months. Explain that a STWG is something you can do in 6 months or less. Share some examples of a short term workplace goal (see GOALS examples for teacher). Solicit a few ideas from students. Write responses on the board. Allow students time to take notes before continuing. Circulate and make sure they are writing on the note taking template.
Write the words for LTWG on the board. Underneath write 1 year. Explain that a LTWG is something you can do in about 1 year. Share some examples of a long term goal (see GOALS examples for teacher). Solicit a few ideas from students. Write responses on the board. Allow students time to take notes. Explain that some goals may be short term or long term, depending on the situation.
Leave this information on the board for the next activity.
Practice Activities: / #1. Graffiti Activity. Tape prepared chart paper with the Graffiti Questions on the walls or lay out on tables. Have students circulate and write something to address the question on each piece of chart paper.
When all students have completed the activity, gather around each chart paper and discuss the responses. Ask students for feedback about the responses.
#2. Goals Information Grid. Distribute the Information Grid and direct students to complete the information by mingling and interviewing each other about goals.
When everyone has completed the activity, come together as a class and discuss the results. Ask volunteers to share information on their classmates’ goals. Who has a great goal? Does anyone NOT have a goal? Why? Can we help them make a goal? Why do we need goals?
#3. Goal Writing Activity. Hold up the MY GOALS writing template. Explain that we will rewrite goals on this colored paper and answer some questions about how we will work to reach our goals. Distribute the MY GOALS writing template and direct students to complete the activity. Use the brainstorming ideas, the graffiti ideas, and the information grid ideas to complete the activity.
Circulate and assist students as needed.
Reflection activities: / Ask volunteers to share their goals with the class.
Ask why we need both short and long term goals.
Ask students what they will do once they have reached their goal.
Congratulate everyone on a job well done.
Extension activities: / Put goals in a special place where they can read them every day.
Check in with students after 30 hours of instructionand ask how they are doing with their goals.
Review goals at the end of the session.

GOALS Pictures

WORKPLACE GOALS Pictures

Complete the health insurance papers.

Get organized!

Get a promotion!

WORKPLACE Goals

What goal is this?

WORKPLACE Goals

Get to work on time!

WORKPLACE Goals

What goal is this?

Goals Notes

What is a workplace goal?
Short Term Workplace Goals / Long Term Workplace Goals

GOALS: Examples for Teachers

This is not a handout

Directions: This is a list of examples to use as ideas and a starting point for students. Depending on class level, use some or all of theseexamples for students to categorize as STWG or LTWG. They may choose to categorize them differently than listed below. If you have any more examples to add, please let us know!

Short Term Workplace Goals / Long Term Workplace Goals
Go to work every day / Get a promotion
Arrive early / Save money for retirement
Help your co-worker / Learn how to do your boss’s job
Learn how to use the computer / Operate your own business
Learn how to do another job / Work from home
Learn how to use a machine / Get a better job
Complete the benefits paperwork / Get a raise
Speak up for myself / Talk to customers
Talk on the phone / Talk to my coworkers
Tell my supervisor if there is a problem

Graffiti Questions

This is NOT a handout. This is for the teacher.

Directions for teachers: Put one question on each piece of chart paper so that students can write their responses underneath. These are suggested questions only. Please adapt the questions to meet the needs of your class. The suggested number of graffiti questions is 4-6.

What is your short term goal?

What is something you want to learn?

Why are goals important?

What is your long term goal?

What job do you want?

GOALS Information Grid

What is your name? / What is your short term goal? / What is your long term goal? / What is something you want to learn? / Do you need more English for your goal?

MY WORKPLACE GOALS

My short term workplace goal:

______.

My long term workplace goal:

______.

How I will work to reach my workplace goals:

______.