New Year’s is a great time for student goal setting. Wait a minute! It’s a great time for everyone to set goals.
Every year, I set lofty goals for myself. While I don’t always accomplish them, setting goals helps me make consistent progress and move in the right direction.
Occasionally I set my goals too high (When I do, it usually has something to do with a bikini ready body by May!). Frequently my priorities change as the year progresses. Even with these bumps in the road, I know for sure, setting goals is the push that gets me moving.
I always write down my goals and then create action steps so I have a plan to achieve them. These small steps make the goal seem attainable.
My Goals for the New Year
This year, one of my goals is to find a healthy balance between work and home. I don’t know about you, but my professional life has a huge impact on my personal life. I feel like I work all the time and when I am not working, I feel guilty because there is so much work to do.
- GOAL – Balance professional and personal responsibilities
- ACTION STEPS
- Leave work no more than ½ hour after end of contracted day four days a week.
- Have one scheduled day per week to stay and prepare for big projects and the upcoming week (no more than 2 hours past contracted time).
- Leave work at work. Don’t bring it home. Know that there will always be unfinished work and it will still be there tomorrow.
- Prioritize tasks. During my time at school, I will rank responsibilities and complete the most time sensitive ones first.
- Use my time at work efficiently. This means I may need to close my door and work on the things I know will have the greatest impact on my students’ learning.
- ACTION STEPS
What About Student Goal Setting?
I believe it is important for students to set goals too. Goals give them the push they need to get moving in the right direction. Goals also help direct their attention back to what is important if they get off track.
Students benefit from an action plan just like we do. It took me several failed goal setting attempts to realize that my students needed more structure and support.
I find my students know the areas they need to improve but have a difficult time creating a plan to get where they want to be. To help them, I have created several goal setting templates.
My younger students needed a concrete plan. I created a fill in the blank superhero goal setting template. This template walks them through creating a goal and setting actionable steps to achieve their goal. Just for fun, it also includes directions so you can easily insert their picture on top of superhero body!
My older students love anything digital. I have created a digital flip book for them to record their goals, action steps, and later reflect on their progress. Digital flip books are amazing because students can create a professional looking document in minutes. As an added bonus, you won’t spend a second in line for the copier!
Student goal setting isn’t time consuming or tedious when you use templates. Students are immediately successful and can focus their attention on reaching their goals.
Goal setting is a great way to connect with your students and understand their individual needs. Are you looking for more ways to connect with your students? Check out my recent post about getting feedback from students (It includes an awesome freebie!).
What are your goals for the new year? I would love to hear about them! Leave me a comment below so we can connect.
-Mary
