Setting Goals
Boys Town Skill of the Week
Setting Goals
By helping students learn how to set goals for themselves, you can focus their energy in positive directions and encourage behaviors that will lead them to their goals. Students who have goals and are determined to achieve them are less likely to act out, give up, or do something that could jeopardize their dreams.
Planned Teaching
- Have students give examples of goals that apply to different aspects of their lives. Examples can include sports, health, school, etc (running a mile, dribbling a basketball, eating healthier, spending more time with family or friends, improving their reading level, getting better grades, mastering a game or skill, etc.)
- Brainstorm why setting goals is important
Describe the Appropriate Behavior
- Decide on your overall values and lifestyle desires (Think about and answer these questions: Where do I want to go in life? What kind of person do I want to be? What kind of friendships do I want? What kind of job or career do I want to pursue?)
- List the resources you need to fulfill these lifestyle options (Create a mental inventory of the people or materials that can help make your goal more attainable)
- Examine the intermediate steps in accomplishing your overall outcome (For example, if your goal is to attend college, find out what the admittance requirements are)
- Establish short and long term goals that will help you accomplish the steps necessary for the desired outcome.
Put these steps in appropriate terms for your grade level - use the SMART goals acronym or simplify the above steps
- Set a goal
- Make a plan
- Reflect
SMART Goals
- S = Specific
- M = Measurable
- A = Attainable
- R = Relevant
- T = Time Bound
Give a Reason or Rationale
- Setting goals helps give your life direction and can motivate you to learn and do more
- Helps you achieve your dreams
- Gives you a practical plan for getting what you want
- Provides you with a sense of purpose and a reason for doing things you may otherwise never do
- Others see you as a hard worker and success-oriented
- You develop a sense of perseverance, patience, and character working toward goals
- You have a sense of accomplishment and pride when you reach your goals
Practice
- Have students listen to excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech and discuss what his long term goal was and his short term goals, including and setbacks.
- Discuss other significant events in history and discuss long term goals, short term goals, and any setbacks. Examples include the space program and moon landing, the recent election, upcoming school remodel, etc. Students could plan a mock beautification project or remodel.
- Discuss long and short term goals in developing a diet and exercise program to increase fitness levels. Have each students set at least 3 short term goals to help measure progress toward overall goal.
- Set reading goals and steps to reach that goal, including specific reading strategies.
- Set a classroom goal that solves a problem or issue in the class - have them identify goals and steps to solve the problem as a class community. How will they track progress? Goal examples: leave classroom tidy at the end of the day, reducing tardiness, increasing acts of kindness, improving any of the ROCKS areas
Setting Goals Think Sheet
- My goal for this year is......
- Is this goal possible? Why or why not?
- What time limit do I have to reach this goal?
- What steps do I need to follow to reach this goal?
- Obstacles that may keep me from reaching my goal....
- How I can get past each obstacle...
- Who can help me reach my goal? How?
- Who will keep me motivated to reach my goal?
- How I will know I reached my goal...
Literacy Connections
Wilma Unlimited
Is There Really a Human Race (Jamie Lee Curtis)
Salt in His Shoes
Cloudette
Roberto the Insect Architect
Dare to Dream
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
My Name is Not Isabella
My Name is Not Alexander
Oh the Places You'll Go
Ruby's Wish
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
Martin's Big Words
Amazing Grace
Big Plans
Hether Darnell
Tech Academy @Pettit Park
Email: hdarnell@kokomo.k12.in.us
Website: http://leadyourheartout.blogspot.com/
Location: 901 W Havens St, Kokomo, IN, United States
Phone: (765) 454-7075
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadyourheartout/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Twitter: @HetherDarnell