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My Educational Situation Activity Lesson Plan
Learner Objectives
· To identify the current situation that brings you to class
· To imagine a future situation that brings positive change for you and your family
· To recognize the part education plays in reaching your goals
· To brainstorm how you will determine your own progress
· To develop an individual study plan
Directions to teachers
1. Distribute My Educational Situation handout to students.
2. Help students understand the importance of the task. Introduce the activity by explaining:
This handout helps you reflect on your choice to enroll in this class at this point in your life. It’s an opportunity to clarify your situation, imagine the future you want, and recognize how education will help you get there. Your progress isn’t only measured in test scores. Think about other ways you can gauge your progress. Having a plan will help you stay focused and motivated.
3. Go over the questions. Give students time to respond to questions 1-3 on their own. Question 1 looks at the here and now of their current situation. Question 2 asks them to imagine the future and the change that they hope will occur. Question 3 asks them to think about the part education plays in getting from here to there. They are writing their thoughts, so phrases or simple sentences are fine. Point out that you are not correcting their work; in this context, their ideas are the most important than the form.
4. Question 4 asks students to ask themselves, “How will I know I’m making progress?” The group will brainstorm all the ways they can think of that would show an individual that he/she could measure his/her own progress and that progress is more than a test score.
Introduce the activity by explaining: You will brainstorm with your classmates in order to expand the choices you can select for showing progress. Brainstorming (thinking of as many ideas as possible) is a process you can use to generate ideas.
Write every answer on the board. When brainstorming, don’t judge ideas, all ideas are accepted.
Offer additional ideas if group needs more prompts. Here are some suggestions. Add your own as well.
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Get my GED
Move to another education level
Complete all my homework assignments
Attend every class
Get better scores on practice tests
Feel comfortable taking tests
Help my kids with their homework
Conquer math anxiety
Read for pleasure
Improve my math skills
Read more
Read the newspaper every day
Read faster and understand more
Complete assignments in a shorter amount of time
Get praise from the teacher, my family, friends, or classmates
Participate more in class
Ask students to review the list and identify ideas that would work for them. Direct students to fill in question 4 on the handout with their personal choices.
5. End the activity by asking students to think about their individual situation to complete Question 5.
6. Collect handout. Explain that a copy of the handout will be returned to each student and that it will be reviewed mid-way and at the end of the semester.
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