Progress Toward
Self-set Goals
Florida 4-H
Awards & Recognition Model
Introduction to Goal Setting
Key Concepts
• Volunteers are teachers, facilitators,
encouragers.
• Barriers and builders to communicating
with youth.
• Youth-determined goals.
• Ages and stages of youth development.
• Intrinsic and extrinsic recognition.
• Steps to evaluate progress toward goals
Barriers and Builders
Barriers Builders
• Assuming • Checking
• Rescuing/ • Exploring
explaining • Encouraging/
• Directing inviting
• Expecting • Celebrating
• Knowing • Respecting
Barriers and Builders
Assuming is thinking you Checking is asking the 4-
know what others think, H'er what they think
what they will do, or how about the progress they
they will respond. This made. When we take
response is often used time to check, we indicate
out of expediency. to the young person, "I
However, it deprives a believe you are capable
young person of one of of making good
their most beautiful decisions.“ Checking on
characteristics-the ability how the other person
to learn and change from thinks or feels, or what
day to day. they know, rather than
assuming that you know,
encourages the other
person to continue to
think for themselves.
Barriers and Builders
Rescuing/explaining is Exploring is asking "What?
stepping in to prevent a Where? When? How?"
child from making a
mistake or explaining questions to check how
something rather than the young person
helping the young person perceives the situation.
discover the information Our patience in exploring
for themselves. We
generally believe that ideas communicates to
good parents or the young person that we
volunteers explain things believe they are capable.
to young people. Truly Using this builder helps
effective adults help
young people discover them develop the ability
information themselves. to make good decisions.
Barriers and Builders
Directing is giving very Encouraging/inviting sees
specific instructions so the special uniqueness of
they can only do it your each person and
way. This is another encourages the person to
response that is made
because it is quicker and do things in her or his
ensures that it will be own way. Young people
done-or will it? We are are encouraged when we
basically independent see their ideas, skills, and
creatures who expect abilities as worth-while.
respect from others. True, they need
When we are directed, information, new skills,
we often resent it and feel and experience, but when
unwanted or unworthy. It
is an enormous barrier they are encouraged to
that is used often. do things, they learn
more quickly.
Barriers and Builders
Expecting is setting high Celebrating is recognizing
standards for a 4-H'er, progress and
and then pointing out the encouraging any
4-H'er's failure to achieve progress made. Young
your standards. Yes, we
should have high people are amazing;
standards for young when we celebrate small
people. We need to results, we see even
recognize that they will more results. We need to
achieve these standards celebrate success, and
one small step at a time. later we can help them
Too often we give a see the next step in their
positive response and learning.
then add a "but. . . ."
Barriers and Builders
Knowing is wanting a young Respecting is seeking
person to read our minds information on what a
or to know what we would person thinks,
have done. One of the understands, or feels
most destructive things about something and
we can do is to expect then accepting them and
young people to act like their beliefs. When we
adults-when they haven't use the "What? Where?
been adults or haven't When? How?" questions
done what we have done. we show that we respect
the uniqueness of each
person.
Identify Progress towards Goals
• Seven steps
1. What is your goal(s) and why did you
decide on it?
2. What have you done to achieve your
goal(s)?
3. What did you learn?
4. How do you feel about this experience?
Why?
Identify Progress towards Goals
• Seven steps
5. What would you do differently?
6. How can you use this experience in the
future?
7. What’s next?
Modify goal(s)
Continue working on current goal(s)
Set new goal(s)
Goal Setting for All Ages
Ages and Stages
Helping a 9-year-old set goals is very
different than helping a 13-year-old or
even a 1-year-old.
Choosing Recognition
• Intrinsic: recognition is the inner sense of
accomplishment that a person feels after
accomplishing a goal.
• Extrinsic: recognition is given by a
significant person in the life of the young
person.
Goal Setting
• Setting personal goals is appropriate for youth of
all ages and for all types of activities.
• Goals should be SMART
S pecific
M easurable
A ttainable
R ealistic
T imely
• Goals and plans of action should be determined
by young people with advice from 4-H
leaders/volunteers, parents, etc.
Goal Setting
• Evaluation of progress should be made by
the 4-H'er and interested adults.
• Remember, they are the 4-H'er's goals.
Key Principles of Recognition of
Progress towards Goals
1. Never hold a contest or activity to recognize
progress toward self-set goals.
2. The amount of progress will vary with the
individual. the. goal. the topic. Remember, we
are looking at progress, not the quantity and/or
quality of the work.
3. The unique growth of a young person is
measured against each young person's own
plan.
4. Give this type of recognition privately.
5. Give recognition after the young person has
made progress. Do not hold it out as
"something to get" if you realize your goal.