Having trouble writing objectives to satisfy school

by April
(Iowa)

I've got a problem writing objectives the way my school wants them. They say I have to write objectives in my lesson plans and code them to show which of the school's goals they relate to. I never had to do that in my college classes.

Here's a list of the goals for the language arts area. Students will be able to

• Read and comprehend diverse written materials


• Use multiple modes of communication clearly and persuasively


• Use language effectively to defend opinions


• Establish and expound upon topics appropriate to a given situation


• Use appropriate voice and tone in communications


• Enhance communication through the use of technology

I'm supposed to teach To Kill a Mockingbird in January. So how do I relate the novel to the goals? This is my first teaching job. I'm only a long-term sub, but I was lucky to get any job. I hope you can help me. I don't want to screw up. I need this job!

Linda responds
Congratulations on landing a job mid-year. That's an achievement, especially in the current economic situation.

What the school is asking is not too hard, but it does take a little bit of extra thought. The first thing you must note is that you don't have to address each of the goals in each day's lesson plan. On a given day, you may work on only one goal, but probably every week or two, you should do something to move your students toward each of the goals.

Let's take the first goal by way of illustration.

The goal is to have students read and comprehend diverse written materials. If students are reading just a novel, that's only one kind of material: fiction.

What might you incorporate into your lessons on To Kill a Mockingbird that would be something other than fictional writing?

• You could have students read an essay about the novel.


• You could have students read a review written when the novel was first published.


• You could have students read a biographical sketch about Harper Lee.

If you work through each of the goals this way for each study unit, you can figure out potential ways to link your teaching to the goals. You'll also see that you can address more than one goal through a single activity.

For example, if you assess students' reading comprehension by having them prepare an oral presentation with PowerPoint slides and a persuasive essay on the same topic you will touch on each of the six goals.

I hope that's helpful, April. Good luck in the job!