Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom

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.

• 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

“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