Valerie Dominguez
ePortfolio
CSU NORTHRIDGE, ENGLISH 115, FALL 2022
Goals and Outcomes
Smart Goals
What is a Smart Goal?
A smart goal is a structured way to set a goal with the intention of helping you achieve it.
S - SPECIFIC
M - MEASURABLE
A - ACTION-ORIENTED
R - REALISTIC
T - TIMELY
​
Smart Goal for the Class
My goal for this class is to improve my reading comprehension because I want to be able to fully understand the book I am reading for the book club (S). In order to succeed I will measure my success by tracking each section of reading I have to do and whether or not I understood that particular section. I will know when I have achieved my goal when I am able to fully comprehend everything I have read (M). In order to achieve my goal I will take annotations while I read to give myself a deeper understanding of the text and look up the definitions of any words I am unsure about. As well, when I am unsure about what I read I will be sure to ask the members of my book club for clarification (A). This goal is worthwhile because not only will it help me while reading Citizen, but it will also help me in future classes where I need to read texts, articles, and/or books. Also, being able to fully comprehend what I am reading will assist me in the assignments I will need to complete in English 115. (R). I hope to accomplish this goal throughout the span of the time I am reading my book for the book club. I am taking this goal as a learn as you go goal so that I allow myself time to achieve it and achieve it for the time I need it. (T).
Outcome
Now that I have finished reading Citizen: An American Lyric, I can proudly say I have accomplished my SMART goal. Throughout the time I was reading the book, I made sure to annotate and clarify what I did not understand. This helped me fully understand the book and not get lost along the way. I am very happy that I was able to improve my reading comprehension since that is something I have struggled with when reading books for school. I hope to be able to keep these skills to use in the future for my other classes.
Smart Goal for the Semester
Outcome
My goal for this semester is to work on my time management skills in order to find a good school life balance and no longer be a procrastinator (S). In order to succeed I will measure the amount of time I’m spending each day completing assignments and working on the things I love so that they will both be balanced. I will know when I have reached my goal because I should end up with a good and sustainable half work and half life balance by the end of the semester (M). In order to achieve my goal, I will start using a planner/an online calendar to help me plan when I am working on my assignments and when I have free time. I have set up a google calendar to input all the work I have to do for my classes and I set up a google spreadsheet with all my assignments to monitor if I am turning them in on time (A). My goal is worth achieving because it is a skill I can use throughout my life and into my career. As a teacher I will need to have excellent time management to be able to grade all my assignments while still creating lesson plans. As well, now that I am in college being able to balance school and life is a must to having good mental health and staying on top of my grades (R). I want to be able to fully achieve a good and sustainable school life balance by the end of the semester. I know I am most likely not going to get the hang of it in the first couple of weeks, so I hope to at least semi-master it by the end of the semester in order to be able to take the skills I'm learning/working on now into future college semesters (T).
Now reaching the end of the semester I found that I have accomplished my goal and have a healthy/sustainable school-life balance. It was very hard to maintain my school- life balance in the beginning, but I found that as time went on I got the hang of it. What mainly helped me achieve my goal was a google document with all my tasks for the week written out so that as I completed them I could check them off. I found that the system I created has worked for me and keeps me on task. I am very proud of myself for finding a balance and I hope to continue the balance I have created.
Student Learning Outcome
One student learning outcome I want to focus on this semester is "2. Construct a theme or thesis and organize and develop a substantial, balanced and convincing defense of it in a voice, tone, language, and format (e.g., essay autobiography, report, editorial, case study, inquiry, and research) appropriate to the purpose of the writing." I want to focus on this learning outcome because I feel like being able to construct a good thesis is the foundation for your essay to be well structured.
Outcome
Now that I have written two essays I have found that I have greatly imprived on my thesis writing skills. I struggled in the beginning to compile my key points of my essay into a sentence, but with the help of Professor Koning I was able to develop a good thesis. Having a good thesis statement was fundamental for my essays and I have structured them better than ever.