How can you set goals as a teacher?
If you are anything like me, then you set goals for yourself. When it comes to my goals, I tend to set lofty ones, and I often set too many. I end up being hard on myself when I don’t meet them, and I am sometimes left feeling defeated, almost like I haven’t accomplished much at all. This can apply to goals in teaching, fitness, family, and more. Sometimes with my goal setting, I aim high, usually looking too far into the future, which can be a real problem. It can cause me to skip over the present, making me lose sight of all the “baby-step goals” that I need to accomplish in order to meet the ultimate long-term goal.
Think of baby-step goals as the step-by-step plan for reaching the “big-picture goal.” My big-picture goal may be to lose 20 pounds, but my baby-step goal for today might be to walk for 30 minutes. Another big-picture goal could be to have all students in my class reading on grade level by the end of the year, while today’s baby-step goal might be to implement a strategy to help Johnny learn the basic sight words he has been struggling with.
When I think of goal setting in education, I can't help but consider the lofty long-term goals and the stress they cause teachers. Reflecting on my goals as a teacher, I recall all the grand goals set over the years. Often, someone else set those lofty goals for me, which is why I always felt so stressed. It was up to me to figure out how to meet those goals.
Having baby-step goals can give you a sense of accomplishment, especially as a teacher. Teaching can be overwhelming and stressful, and many days we leave feeling like we worked hard but barely made any progress toward the big-picture goal. The problem is, you can't see and appreciate the present because you are so focused on the future. Sometimes, we need to "stop and smell the roses."
And that's where sticky notes come in.
It's a bright idea that helps me focus on the present.
Each week, when you are making your lesson plans, take a minute to think of one "baby-step goal" for that day. For example, on Monday, maybe you want to make sure you meet with your low readers for 30 minutes. You can write the goal on a sticky note and place it with the plans for that day. On Tuesday, you might set a baby-step goal to pull five kids in math to review multiplication.
Remember that those baby-step goals are both factors in helping you meet the "big-picture" goals. For instance, pulling low readers is a baby-step goal that will help you reach the big-picture goal of having all kids on grade level by the end of the year. Similarly, reviewing multiplication with five kids helps work toward the goal of getting 100% of your students on grade level.
Once you accomplish your daily baby-step goal, you can throw the sticky note away, leave it in place in your plans, or keep a journal of all your accomplishments. By the end of the week, you will have met five goals. By the end of the month, you will have met around 25 goals. By the end of the year, you will have met 180 goals. That's a lot of sticky notes to reflect on! It's something to be proud of.
Why just one goal a day? I know I can do more than that.
You are not just accomplishing one thing each day. You might accomplish ten things or more. That's great! The idea behind this sticky note goal-setting plan is to start each day with one goal, one thing you want to make sure you accomplish, and then walk out each day having met that goal. It's a way for you to feel accomplished and leave work each day knowing that you achieved what you set out to do. That's a good feeling!
So, what are you waiting for? Take a look at your lesson plans, grab some sticky notes, and start setting a daily goal.
And here's something else wonderful about this goal-setting activity. If you get to the end of the year and don't have 100% of your kids on grade level (after all, you knew they set an unrealistic goal for you to begin with), you will still see 180 goals you did accomplish. Don't feel defeated. Feel proud!
Sticky notes for goal setting? Yep! It's so easy and worthwhile.
OH! And here is something else wonderful about this little goal-setting activity. If you get to the end of the year and you don't have 100% of your kids on grade level (after all, you knew they set an unrealistic goal for you to begin with), you will still see 180 goals you did accomplish. Don't feel defeated. Feel proud!
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