Activity 20

Creating a College Goal

What Students Do

Through an interview with an employed adult whom they admire, students learn about their experience with goal setting. Using a prescribed set of questions they are encouraged to ask follow-up questions to gain clarify and enter into a dialog. Once they have completed the interview, they share their written notes with others who are doing the same exercise to find common themes. Finally, they discuss what they learned with a trusted adult.

Planning

Review the suggested interview questions with the students and set a due date for completing each interview. Some students may need guidance in identifying an adult to interview in these activities. If this will impact staff in your building, limit the number of students approaching any individual staff member. Some students will choose to interview an adult outside the school. The interview process will be most valuable for students who receive candid responses.

Activity 20 has the worksheet, Goal Setting: Adult Interview.

Introducing the Activity

Students interview an adult to find out how they set and achieved their goals. Explain that planning for one's future is something that everyone goes through and that it can be helpful to talk with others about their experiences. People are usually willing to share their experiences, especially if they believe the information will be used to help someone else. Describe one of your own planning experiences. Include specific details on what influenced you (i.e. time, friends, need for money, adult expectations, dreams, etc.) Elicit examples from your students of when they may have learned from someone older. Ask for instances of learning from both the successes and failures of others. Explain that the information gained will help them develop a more realistic goal statement.