Effective Goal Setting for Teachers

The process of setting goals allows students to choose where they want to go in school and what they want to achieve. By knowing what they want to achieve, they know what they have to concentrate on and improve. Goal setting gives students long-term vision and short-term motivation.

Having sharp, clearly defined goals, which students can measure, will allow them to take pride in accomplishing those goals. They can see clear forward progress in what might have seemed a long drawn out process.

By setting goals students can:

1.improve their academic performance

2.increase their motivation to achieve

3.increase pride and satisfaction in performance

4.improve their self-confidence

Now wouldn't you like to see your students become better believers of their academic abilities? And remember, goal setting is an ongoing process which can (and should) be done all throughout the school year.

Goal Setting Helps Self-Confidence

By setting goals and measuring their achievements, students are able to see what they have done and what they are capable of. Seeing their results gives the confidence and assurance that they need to believe they can achieve higher goals.

Basics of Effective Goal Setting

Express goals positively: "To improve my spelling" is a much better goal than "Don't spell with so many mistakes."

Be accurate: If students set an accurate goal, putting in dates, times and amounts so that achievement can be measured and can be satisfied at achieving it.

Set Priorities: When students have several goals, give each a priority. This helps them avoid feeling overwhelmed and helps their attention to the more important ones.

Write goals down to make them more meaningful.

Keep Goals Small: Urge students to keep their immediate goals small and achievable.

Set Goals Students Have Control Over: There is nothing worse than failing to achieve a personal goal for reasons beyond the students' control.

Set specific measurable goals: If students consistently fail to meet a measurable goal, then they can adjust it or analyze the reason for failure and take appropriate action.

Start 2010 on the right foot with a greater understanding of how to create achievable goals and objectives.

What are you waiting for?

Try it!

For more reading about goal setting, click here.