Once the holidays are over, and students return to the classroom, implementing new goals is a great idea. SMART goals are an easy way to encourage students toward their attainable goals. Use January and the New Year to create new school goals for your students. Use the activities below to make SMART goal planning simple! Be sure to check out the FREEBIE at the bottom of this post.
What are SMART Goals?
As teachers, we set and crush goals daily, but are those goals SMART? SMART goals stand for something unique. I’ll break it down.
- S – Specific – Make the goal clear and explain it with who, what, when, where, and why, if needed.
- M – Measurable – There should be a way to measure whether the goal has been achieved.
- A – Achievable – Students will state why they think achieving this goal is within their power.
- R – Relevant – The goal should help students achieve a larger goal specific to their needs.
- T – Timely – Set a date to achieve the goal to hold yourself accountable.
SMART Goals help students create goals with a purpose. They are all headed toward a larger accomplishment.
How Can Students Use SMART Goals in the Classroom?
SMART goals are a fantastic way to get students excited about their learning. Their work ethic will go up when they have small, attainable goals to work toward. Use this SMART Goal Setting kit to help kids create and carry out their goals.
Here’s how you can easily use the tools in this kit to motivate your students.
- Pass out the weekly goal sheet on Monday, and have the students create their goals using the three steps.
- Students keep goal sheets and tracking logs in a binder or folder at the student’s desk or a specific location in the classroom.
- The students will use their goal tracking log/journal to track their progress and record any notes, ideas, challenges, etc.
- On Friday, have students reflect upon their week and determine if their goal was met.
- The teacher takes up all papers, rates behavior, and provides comments. Use this as feedback for parents & students.
- The teacher gives the papers back to the students to take home. Students take the goal sheets to their parents.
- Parents review, sign, and send the sheet back to school.
- The teacher collects signed goal/reflection sheets for review.
- The teacher can file sheets, or students can keep them in data binders or working folders.
- Use the included bulletin display to keep the momentum going all year long!
Kids will enjoy being a part of their own learning process. They will feel like they have a say in what skills they work on, and you will surely see a confidence boost.
Help Your Students Use SMART Goals
When setting goals with your students, you want them to choose goals they can easily achieve, for example. For starters, think about it like going to the gym. You aren’t going to immediately start lifting 150 lbs, you are gradually going to work up to that.
Your students should set small goals that will eventually lead them to achieve a larger goal.
Create a fun bulletin board to show off their goals and achievements. Motivate kids with their displayed progress, and they will begin cheering on their peers.
Start the New Year Off Right With Student Goal Setting
January is the perfect time to help students set goals. They are returning from a long break from school and will need reminders about how the classroom operates. Use some lesson time to practice goal setting. Let kids get involved in coming up with the goals, not only to be more motivated to achieve their goals but to be more involved in the process.
Examples of SMART Goals for Students
If you aren’t sure where to start with SMART goals, here are some ideas. Hopefully, these will give you an idea of what students can achieve using goals like this.
- I will be able to add 2-digit numbers by February.
- I will read 15 story books by March.
- I will learn to count to 100 by March.
- I will have 20 sight words memorized by the end of the quarter.
- I will write 5-word sentences by February.
You can use my pre-made Goal-Setting Sheets for FREE. Enter your email address, and the resource will be sent to your inbox!
Goal setting is a great way to keep students accountable for their learning. The best way to judge whether this is being achieved is to use SMART goals and to let students be a part of the planning process. Using various resources listed in this post will help your students thrive in the classroom.
Thanks for reading! Here are some more Goal Setting Posts you may enjoy:
- Goal Setting With Students
- Establishing a Growth Mindset in the Classroom with These Student Smart Goals Examples
- Easy to Implement Student Activities for the New Year
