The first week back to work at the beginning of a new year can be a blur, and amid a busy schedule of preparations for the arrival of students for in-person and online learning, setting time aside to think about goals can feel like just one more item on a miles-long to-do list. Add to this the unexpected chaos that characterized 2020, and it may be tempting to write off any professional goal setting as futile. However, there is immense value in taking a step back at the beginning of a new semester to establish goals for the upcoming months. When done correctly, the time spent setting goals can help you feel renewed, refreshed, and ready to make the next semester a success.
When setting goals for your semester, it can help to focus on these core areas:
Setting goals for all these categories may feel overwhelming, but remember some of these areas may have goals that overlap. To help guide you on your goal-setting journey, consider the four below methods as guides for screening and refining your goals.
Many are familiar with the SMART Goals framework, which specify that goals should be:
Checking that each goal on your list is a SMART goal will help you avoid goals that are too vague or lofty, increasing the chances that you will implement change and see results. For a detailed explanation of the SMART goals framework, including how to set SMART goals for your simulation lab, see our post “Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals for the Classroom.”
An adaptation of the SMART Goals framework, SMARTER Goals adds an extra two letters onto the end of the word, standing for:
Regular goal assessments allow for course corrections along the way if you find that your current methods are not achieving the results you want to see. Likewise, a final review of goals is a good way to get a holistic view of a larger time period, and see the big-picture view of whether you’re achieving your goals, and what may be standing in your way if you’re not.
As Professor of Education Debra Meyer, PhD, puts in her article “Make Your Teaching Goals REAL This Year,”:
“…I have found that REAL goals are more effective in changing my practice more in meaningful and enduring ways. When the goals of teaching are REAL, they reflect changes I’ll be making that are steeped in a mastery mindset of continuous improvement. In the process of working toward them, I expect that my habits will become more authentic and long-lasting, transforming a “teaching goal” into a “teaching practice.”
Meyer states her REAL goals as being:
One of the key differences Meyer points out in her strategy is the lack of a specific timelines or end dates. For Meyer, REAL goals are ones that she intends to incorporate into her daily practice, that interest and engage her, that are true to life, and that she is always seeking to improve on.
In their 1990 book, “A Theory of Goal Setting & Task Performance,” psychologists Dr. Edwin Locke and Dr. Gary Latham list their five key principles of goal setting as:
Which of these four frameworks feels the most natural to you? Are you more familiar or comfortable with a different method of goal setting? Comment below and let us know if you’ve had success using these methods before – or if you’re ready to try them now.
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