Where Am I on My Journey? Helping Learners Work Towards Their Goals

Every mid-year, my learners can tell me their goals within minutes. "I want to read chapter books." "I want neat handwriting." The harder part is what happens after the goal is set. Goals written on a sheet and filed in a folder don't change much. For learners to work towards a goal, they need to see it, know where they are in relation to it, and take one small step at a time.

That thinking led me to create My Learning Journey, a one-page tool that helps my learners own their goals.

Start with a destination

Learners can't work towards something they can't name. The first box on the sheet is My destination, where learners finish the sentence "My goal is to…"

Young learners often start with goals that are too big or too vague, like "be better at writing." This is where the teacher comes in. Through conversation we narrow it to something concrete, such as "My goal is to use finger spaces between my words." A goal a seven-year-old can picture is a goal they can work on.

Make progress visible with a path

The top of the page is a winding path with four signposts:

1. Just starting: I am learning how to begin.
2. Practising: I am trying and learning.
3. Getting closer: I can do more than before.
4. Reached my goal: I can do what I set out to do.

Learners circle the place that best describes them today. The word "today" matters. It tells learners that where they are is a moment on the path, not a label. Nobody is "bad at" a goal. They are just at stop one or stop two.

The path also gives learners language for self-assessment that is honest without being harsh. A learner who circles "Just starting" isn't failing. They've accurately located themselves, which is the first step in knowing what to do next.

Look for evidence, not just feelings

Section 3 asks: What can I do now that I could not do before? Give an example. The sentence starter is "I know I am making progress because…"

This is where growth becomes real. Instead of "I'm getting better," learners point to evidence: "I used to forget capital letters and now I remember at the start of my sentence." Pairing this with work samples or dated evidence entries helps learners see that progress is something they can prove, not just something the teacher tells them.

Talk about the bumps

I love section 4, My bumps along the way, because it normalises struggle. The prompts are "I find it difficult to…" and "I could try…"

The second prompt is the important one. We don't only name the challenge, we brainstorm what might help. Learners start building a toolkit of strategies: asking a friend, using the anchor chart, slowing down, trying a different way. This builds agency, because the learner is the one deciding what might help.

Choose one small next step

Big goals feel overwhelming. Section 5 asks for one small, achievable action: "Next, I will…"

Not three actions, just one. "I will check for a full stop at the end of each sentence" is something a learner can actually do tomorrow. Small steps add up, and learners experience success along the way, which keeps motivation alive.

Close with reflection

The reflection section uses three sentence starters:

• I am proud of myself because…
• One thing I have learnt about myself is…
• I would like help with…

The last one gives learners a safe, built-in way to ask for support. Sometimes what a learner says here tells me something I'd never have noticed from watching them work.

The 1:1 conference

The bottom of the sheet is reserved for a short conference between me and the learner, with space to record the bumps we talked about and the next steps we planned. The banner reads "My voice matters!" and that is the point.

These conferences are brief, usually a few minutes. I ask more than I tell, and the learner leads. We look at the sheet together, and I help them think through their bumps and plan their next step. Because the plan is written down in the learner's own words, they leave knowing exactly what they're working on.

Why this works in an inquiry classroom

For me, this tool sits comfortably within the IB PYP approach:

• Agency: learners set the goal, judge their progress and choose the next step.
• Approaches to Learning: self-management and reflection skills are practised, not just talked about.
• Learner Profile: learners are being reflective, principled and risk-takers as they name their struggles.
• UDL: the visual path, sentence starters and verbal conferencing give learners multiple ways to express where they are. Drawing, speaking or writing can all be valid ways to complete a section.

Tips if you want to try it

• Revisit it regularly. One sheet per term is not enough. Short, frequent check-ins keep the goal alive.
• Model it first. Fill in a sheet about your own goal in front of the class, bumps included.
• Celebrate movement along the path, not only the finish line.
• Keep the language positive and growth-focused. "Not yet" and "getting closer" are powerful phrases.

The message at the bottom of the page is the one I want every learner to take with them: Small steps lead to big dreams. I am capable. I am growing. I can do it!

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