Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom: Building Student Agency, Independence, and Success

by Valerie Bolling

Overview

Goal setting is an integral part of life. But when and how do we teach this important skill to students? And how can we do so in ways that are engaging, rewarding, and nestled into our other priorities in the writing classroom?

In Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom: Building Student Agency, Independence, and Success, Valerie Bolling breathes new life into the work of goal setting with students. Bolling guides teachers, step by step, through helping students set goals, monitor progress, revise (and sometimes even abandon!) goals, and celebrate their achievements along the way. Moreover, Bolling illustrates how teachers, themselves, can set their own goals so that they are learning alongside their students and serving as models for them.

Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom draws on Valerie Bolling’s experiences as a teacher, instructional coach, and children's book author to offer relevant and engaging stories, lessons, strategies, and graphic organizers to help all students become successful and independent goal setters and writers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032862231
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/19/2025
Pages:	140
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Valerie Bolling is an award-winning educator and author. A graduate of Tufts University and Teachers College, Columbia University, she has always loved both teaching and writing. Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom is her first book for teachers, and she’s the author of ten books for children. Valerie enjoys connecting with both children and adults and inspiring them to write their own stories.

Table of Contents

1. Why Goal Setting Matters 2. Ready, Set, Goal!: Introducing Your Students to Goal Setting 3. "How's It Goaling?”: Building a Goal-setting Toolbox with Students 4. Giving Goalden Peer Feedback: Helping Your Partner’s Work Shine 5. Creating a Game Plan: Implementing Teacher and Peer Feedback 6. Checking in on the Game Plan: Guiding Students to Monitor and Assess Goal Progress 7. Time for a New Game Plan: Revising Goals 8. Scoring the Winning Goal!: Wrapping Up Goals and Moving Forward

Editorial Reviews

When it comes to motivating writers, self-selected goals are much more powerful than school-selected goals, and this book offers practical steps that not only help students to make and revise goals, it also offers reflective practices that foster continual improvement. I like how Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom positions the students to do the thinking.”

—Kelly Gallagher, author of Write Like This and Teaching Adolescent Writers

 

“Valerie skillfully blends her experience as a children’s author and middle school writing teacher to offer practical strategies that help students set and achieve personal writing goals. This book is a valuable tool for educators.”

—Dr. Towanda Harris, author of The Right Tools: A Guide to Selecting, Evaluating, and Implementing Classroom Resources and Practices

 

“In Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom, Valerie Bolling shares her knowledge and experience as an educator, author, and human that gives new meaning to the term mentor author.  Students will love learning about her process, can reflect on her work and find easy to implement steps to improve their own writing. She shares her secrets to meaningful goal setting ‘that leads to confidence, perseverance, and self-reflection.’  Read, write, reflect, and repeat.”

—JoEllen McCarthy, educator, literacy advisor, and author of Layers of Learning: Using Read Alouds to Connect Literacy and Caring Conversations 

From the Publisher