Help Your Student Set SMART Goals This Year

We are just about a week into 2015, and with a new calendar year often come New Year’s Resolutions. Goal-setting is a habit for excellent students and can be a useful tool for motivation and confidence-building throughout the year, so we want to set you up for success. A proven way to set goals and resolutions is to make sure they are S.M.A.R.T.

Make Sure Your Goals Meet These Criteria

• S- Specific (Be as specific as possible, so that there is no confusion about what needs to be done.)
• M- Measurable (Make sure that there is a way to measure your progress and achievement.)
• A- Achievable (Challenge yourself, but make sure that your goal is possible to attain.)
• R- Realistic (Are you both willing and able to do what it takes to work toward your goal?)
• T- Timely (Set a time-frame for when the goal should be completed.)

How do you set a smart goal? We’re glad you asked. Here are a couple of common examples:

Goal 1: Exercise more.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal 1: I will run around the track on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school for twenty minutes, and each month, I will increase the amount of time by five minutes, until I can run for an hour without stopping.

Goal 2: Get a better grade in math.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal 2: I will get a B+ or higher on the final math exam by attending one lunch review session each week, and highlighting 2-3 difficult homework problems to ask about at my weekly tutoring sessions.

S.M.A.R.T. goals are a recipe for how to achieve a desired outcome, rather than a vague idea of what you want to happen. Make sure that your goals are written down (or typed up) so that you can review them regularly, and make modifications if necessary as you go. It is mid-way through the school year, and a wonderful opportunity to sit down, reflect on your goals, and make them S.M.A.R.T.

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