Aren’t all goals smart?

 Quickly take a few minutes and write in your binder under the “Goals” section to answer the following questions:  What makes a goal good or bad?  Why do we need goals?

 Goals give us something to work towards.  When we accomplish our goals it helps us to feel better about ourselves.  When we keep track of our goals it helps us to see our progress. It lets us know what we still need to work on.

 S – Specific - Specifically what do you want to accomplish?  M – Measurable – How can you measure that you met your goal?  A – Action – What will I do to meet my goal?  R – Realistic – Is this goal something I can really do?  T – Timely – How long will it take to reach my goal?

 “I will get at least a 90 on my next reading test.” Let’s see: S – It is very specific – at least a 90 on a reading test M- It is measureable because you are looking for a specific grade – a 90 A – There can be action – the student can study and work on their reading. R – This is a reasonable goal if the student usually gets B’s on their tests. T – There is a definate time limit – the next test.

 “I will get at least a 90 on my next reading test.” It met all the requirements so… Yes!!! This is a S.M.A.R.T goal.

 “I’ll do better in school.”  Let’s see – S – Specific – What does better mean and what subjects in school? M – Measureable – It is hard to measure whether something is “better” or not. A – Action - What would I have to do to be better in school? R – Reasonable -This is something that can be done. T – Timely – When will this be accomplished?

 “I’ll do better in school.” It doesn’t meet all the requirements so… No!!! This is not a S.M.A.R.T. goal. (This is a general goal but we want to have S.M.A.R.T. goals that we can accomplish and see our progress!)

 Divide your paper in half and draw a line down the middle where the crease is.  On one side at the to write “S.M.A.R.T. Goals”  On the other side write “General Goals” You will be working together with the person sitting across from you to put the following goals either in the “S.M.A.R.T. Goals” column or in the “General Goals” column. When your paper is ready put your hands over your ears.

 I will get at least an 85 on the next math test.  I will do my best on all of my work.  I will only change my color 2 times this week.  I will increase my knowledge of fractions from a 1 to a 3 on the class rubric by the end of the unit.  I will be prepared for class.  I will always make sure to get passing grades on my spelling tests.

S.M.A.R.T. GoalsGeneral Goals I will get at least an 85 on the next math test. I will do my best on all of my work. I will only change my color 2 times this week. I will be prepared for class. I will increase my knowledge of fractions from a 1 to a 3 on the class rubric by the end of the unit. I will always make sure to get passing grades on my spelling tests.

 “It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy of life lies in having no goal to reach.” - Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, Educator What would your life be like if you never achieved anything, never met any goals? (It feels good to reach our goals!)

 We will be writing S.M.A.R.T. goals throughout the year.  Let’s start today by making our own S.M.A.R.T. goals for reading, math, and behavior.