No Objective?

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I don't post an objective on the board. No "I Can" Statement either.

Not only do I not do it, I won't do it. Does this mean I don't have a clear plan for learning that day? Do my students feel there is no purpose in my class? Is it a free-for-all? Nope! I do post an agenda, but no objective. While I certainly have a learning objective each day, I choose not to post it. Here is why:


What if you went to see a movie and you saw this posted:

"At the end of this movie you will find out that the neighbor is the bad guy." 

or 

"Today you will watch a love story of two people that will break-up but ultimately realize they are in love and get back together at the end."


Can you imagine the ending being ruined before you even start? Certainly the writer/director of the movie knew where the story was going. They planned it. They took you on a journey, got you invested in the story, revealed things as it went along. You had moments of "ah-ha" and stayed engaged throughout.



So, think of yourself as the writer/director of a movie. Know where you are going, then, plan a lesson that gets kids interested in the story of the math. Bring them along on a journey. But don't reveal the ending just yet. Have students hooked, waiting for the next step. How is this problem going to get worked out? Would this strategy work here? No, it doesn't work? How about this? Yes! "Ah-ha!"

Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 10, 2015 at 9:44 AM

    I feel the same way about posting objectives and I even used the same analogy with other teachers! If learning is supposed to be about the journey as much as it is the destination, why give away the destination?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sarah LarsonSeptember 17, 2015 at 1:13 PM

    Love this Annie!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousSeptember 19, 2015 at 6:35 AM

    This is so true!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Annie ForestSeptember 21, 2015 at 2:13 PM

      Thanks, Christine... I was worried my strong stance might ruffle a few feathers, but glad to hear others agree! :)

      Delete
  4. A BuschJanuary 16, 2016 at 12:45 PM

    You took the words right out of my mouth. Except for:
    "Today you will watch a love story of two people that will break-up but ultimately realize they are in love and get back together at the end."
    That's pretty much every romantic comedy ever.

    ReplyDelete

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