Goal Setting Strategies for Education

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Goal setting provides a path or set of steps on how to accomplish a specific skill, task or dream. Teachers should employ goal setting within the classroom. Setting goals not only helps students, but helps teachers monitor progress and accomplish skills and tasks with students. Teaching goal-setting strategies helps children become more confident, more willing to take responsibility for their actions and better leaders.
  • Identify Goals
A goal is the end result or the accomplishment of a specific effort. Teach children the meaning of a goal through examples. True stories depicting people throughout history defeating overwhelming odds to accomplish their goals are good examples to inspire students. Stories about Harriet Tubman, Mother Theresa or Thomas Edison give choice examples of working achieving something despite great odds. Teachers and parents are excellent examples of great role models as well, according the to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Choose a general theme or objective for the classroom, and have children list specifics of what each child would like to accomplish.
  • Set Parameters
Set limits on goals. Teach goal setting with an a positive end in mind says author and goal-setter John Bishop, who wrote "Goal Setting for Students." Students learning about how to accomplish goals will receive more satisfaction if a task is completed as stated rather than falling short of the mark. Begin with small goals with the classroom, achieve them and then move to larger and longer tasks.
  • Teach Responsibility
Give students something to be responsible for. A study done by Dale Schunk in conjunction with the United States Department of Education in 2001 have found that students are likely to achieve self-regulated goals when put forth an effort and commit to them. Teach the effects of responsibility with a reward system for timely accomplishment. Slowly wean students from giving a reward to having them recognize the reward in the accomplished goal.
  • Monitor Progress
Set up a chart in the classroom with each student's name and monitor progress on a regulated basis. Subdivide the main goal by breaking it down to smaller accomplishments. Note when the student has achieved certain mile-markers and praise or reward the student. Ron Hubbard says to write down and make a note of your goals on his site Tipsforsuccess.org. Reinforce momentum by highlighting the progress already made and give encouragement on how to proceed forward.

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