The Real Reason Learning Objectives Feel Like “One More Thing”

By Brigid Perhach

If you’ve ever looked at the learning objective you wrote on the board and thought, “Why am I doing this again?”—you’re not alone.

Across coaching cycles, walk-throughs, and PD sessions, I hear the same thing from teachers at every grade level:

• “Kids don’t look at it.”

• “It takes too much time.”

• “I already know what I’m teaching.”

• “This is just for admin.”

The frustration is real, and it makes sense. When something feels disconnected from instruction, of course it becomes “one more thing.”

But here’s the surprising twist:
Learning objectives aren’t the problem—how they’ve been introduced is.

Most teachers have experienced the compliance version of learning objectives, not the instructional version. The compliance version is posted because someone “expects it.” The instructional version anchors the lesson so students know exactly where they’re headed and how to get there.

Research backs this up. Teacher clarity has one of the highest impacts on student learning—an effect size of 0.84. Clarity helps students:

• understand the purpose of the lesson

• focus on what matters

• self-assess

• take ownership of their learning

The disconnect is this: teachers feel the burden, but students don’t always experience the benefit.

This series is designed to bridge that gap. In the next five posts, we’ll explore what learning objectives actually are, how to write them simply, and how to pair them with success criteria to increase independence, confidence, and achievement.

Clarity isn’t compliance. It’s empowerment—for teachers and for kids.