Student Will Be Able To (SWBAT)

Writing daily student learning objectives on whiteboards is a routine and often frustrating task for teachers. It is meant to prove accountability to administrators who may not understand language acquisition. Yet, practical and concise goals—like discussing preferences in past and present tenses or using new vocabulary in context—can satisfy supervisors who don’t yet understand what comprehensible input is while keeping your own focus on actual CI reading and listening input.

Why Objectives Cause Frustration

• Forced compliance: Writing daily “Student Will Be Able To” (SWBAT) goals on boards feels performative rather than helpful.

• External pressure: Unqualified or uninformed evaluators make checklists to judge our professional work. Hmmm…

• Micro-management: The process often feels designed to intimidate rather than support educators.

Real and Actual Practical Goals to Put on the Board to Satisfy Administrators

Here are some real learning objectives that align with CI that I have used in the past:

• Comprehensive target: SWBAT use the target language to identify, discuss, read, and write about preferences, people, places, and things in present and past tenses.

• Short target: SWBAT use new vocabulary in context (adapted from Phoebe Abrahamsen).

• Bulletproof target: At the lower levels, students will communicate in class by listening and reading in [name of language]. At more advanced levels, they will speak and write in the target language as well.