Summer’s over and the kids are back in school. For parents, this is a time to rejoice. For teachers like us on the other hand, this can only mean one thing – the start of another year of setting objectives and tracking progress. While I know our readers are more than prepared for this imminent tsunami of tasks, I thought it wouldn't hurt to include some tips for monitoring student progress throughout the year for some inspiration.

1. Assessment and evaluation

A good place to start is determining your students’ current language proficiency. This is particularly useful if the student has been out of touch over the summer. As annoying as it is, vocabulary and grammar rules will be forgotten – be prepared to start your fall sessions with fun activities. I always suggest using a game or flashcards as a refresher. Nothing beats Quizlet when it comes to vocabulary retention.

2. Setting learning objectives

Once you've gauged your students’ level, it’s time to set those goals for the next year. Goals should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-specific. I find it helpful to set macro-goals for the whole year ahead and micro-goals for each unit/ section I plan to cover with my students. This way, I can easily track my students’ progress going forward by measuring their end-of-unit quiz results against the learning objectives we set at the beginning. Make sure your students are in on the LOs and are able to contribute to goal-setting. Not only will this serve as a motivating factor, but it will also help your students keep track of their own progress.

3. Reflect, reflect…

Setting learning objectives is important, but it’s useless if your students aren’t reflecting on their knowledge and reviewing lesson materials. A great way to keep your students focused is having them complete a quick self-reflection at the end of each unit. It’s fine to keep these short and to-the-point. The purpose is not to make an assessment out of it but simply ensure that students are aware of their progress and where they are at since the start of their learning journey. You can facilitate self-reflection by asking your students to fill out a reflection form or engaging them in a short interview about their progress.

Once you and your students have completed these steps, keep repeating them for every milestone you reach. After all, learning a language is a marathon, not a sprint! Summer's end may mark the beginning of another year of setting objectives and tracking progress, but it also presents us with an opportunity to ignite the spark of curiosity in our students. Through assessment, SMART goal-setting, and reflection, we can guide them on a path of continuous development and self-discovery.