How SMART are Your Goals?

I wrote a blog post in June asking you to answer two questions that would help you reflect on your previous school year. Now it is time to put your answers to work in order to create a personal objective for the upcoming year that is based on SMART goals. These types of goals help educators work smarter not hard in improving student achievement. A SMART goal clarifies exactly what you intend to do in order to help increase your students levels achievement. So what is a SMART goal? Think of the following example and see which one is SMART.

EXAMPLE: A general goal would be, "Increase students math scores." But a specific goal would say, "Students will work on patterns and functions as focus activities daily in order to work towards an average assessment score of 85% during the first nine weeks."

A SMART goal is:

• Strategic and Specific – Your goals need to be in line with your schools vision and mission statement. Focus on specific student learning. This answers the question – Who and What?

• Measurable – The success toward meeting your goals can be measured in student achievement. It answers the question - How?
  
• Attainable – Your goals can be achieved within the school year, with increased teacher effectiveness. It should be a stretch from your current level of achievement data.
  
• Research Based – Your goals are aligned with your schools vision, and focus on increasing student achievement by utilizing research based techniques that have be proven over time. There are several R's here, but for education, I feel this one works best.
  
• Time Bound – Your goals need to have a clearly defined time-frame including a target date. It answers the question – When?

A lot of times we have the greatest intentions when we start our school year off, but as the year charges on, we can quickly get off task if we do not have a map to help guide us. By creating your map before you have to start walking it, you increase the likelihood of success. Here is a great site I found that gives you more information about how you and/ or your staff can work SMARTer, not just harder in the upcoming school year. Good luck!

http://www4.asq.org/blogs/edu/2006/04/how_smart_are_your_goals.html

How Do You Prioritize?

You have probably heard this before, but wanted to share with you anyway, just in case you haven't. When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar ... and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous, "Yes!"

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, " I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - your God, your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."