Clear and Rigorous Lesson Objectives

In this episode of The Instructional Coach'e podcast, we explore how to support teachers in writing and using clear, rigorous academic objectives that truly drive instruction. The episode begins by identifying common pitfalls, like task-based objectives that lack cognitive demand or fail to guide lesson flow. Coaches are guided to use Bloom’s Taxonomy to help teachers focus on verbs that reflect deeper thinking and align tasks to those cognitive levels. Teach Like a Champion strategies—like Begin with the End and Post It, Frame It, Refer to It—are woven in to ensure objectives are not just written, but used effectively during instruction. Coaches also learn how to check for student clarity and spot misalignment between objectives and assessment. The episode closes with actionable coaching questions and a reminder that strong objectives set the tone for meaningful student learning.