Informal and frequent goal setting driven by students is an instructional power move with clear research-driven connections to student motivation, ownership of learning, and building an academic culture. This session will walk participants through the key research-driven components of an effective goal setting practice, including having frequent conversations around goals, showcasing success through formative assessment, and reinforcing student relevance and agency. Participants will adapt sample tools and techniques to suit their own instructional practice, particularly to increase motivation and ownership among underserved student communities. The session will demonstrate that goal setting is about taking the spirit in which we educate and translating it into concrete instructional moves that can motivate students to learn more, express more confidence in themselves and their learning, and achieve their short- and long-term aspirations.