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Articles for Teachers

These articles are written especially for teachers by our Buddy Project staff.

 

Don’t Settle for Cheese!

A TEACHER’S TO DO LIST:

1. Finish grading.
2. Throw away the used tissues all over your room.
3. Finally publish the long-term writing projects.
4. Students haven't mastered adjectives, so you revamp your lesson plans.
5. Eat a piece of chocolate!
6. Call a parent about missing homework.
7. Attend school improvement team meeting.
8. Analyze student test scores…

Do you ever feel more like a rat in a maze than a teacher? Think about it. A hungry rat is placed in a maze where it smells food. Heading toward the odor of cheese, the rat encounters an obstacle in its path and it has to change course. Other obstacles appear and with each the rat changes direction. Finally the cheese appears and it is gulped down! The rat is momentarily satisfied, but tomorrow comes and the maze, the obstacles and the quest for cheese return.

Does the rat ever wonder why it spends its life chasing cheese? Does it ever set aside time to think about goals? Does the rat ever consider looking over the maze walls to gain a new point of view and setting a goal that is larger than the next piece of cheese?

What if you changed your TO DO List to look like this:

1. Spend an evening examining my teaching convictions.
2. Develop SMART goals and resolutions.
3. Check the cheesiness of my goals by asking myself some focused questions.

The maze of teaching won’t be monotonous if you have well defined, worthy goals. And you’ll be more likely to succeed if your goals line up with what you value and your convictions about education.

Don’t settle for cheese! Try using SMART Educational Goals to guide your actions. SMART goals are:

Specific- Describe your goal in precise terms so there is no confusion as to what needs to be accomplished. Try answering the "W's": Who, what, where, when, why. Example: A general goal would be, "Communicate better with parents." But a specific goal would say, "Produce a weekly newsletter that includes class news, volunteer requests, current topics of study, and extension activity ideas."

Measurable- Make sure you include the measures you will use to judge your progress towards achieving the goal. Example: “Instruction will continue until 90% of the students have attained mastery of this skill.”

Attainable- Construct a goal that is achievable. Don’t set it so high that in the back of your mind you know failure will eventually happen. Example: An unreasonable goal is, “Use technology with every lesson I teach”, but an attainable goal would be, “Integrate technology into one lesson plan each week.”

Relevant- Meaningful goals align with your convictions and dreams. Your goal should relate to attaining something that is necessary, of value and that supports your educational vision. Example: A relevant goal could be to, "Plan one weekly homework assignment that increases family involvement and communication."

Time-based- Determine a date, timeframe, or schedule for your goal. Example: A vague goal would be to, "Encourage my students to write more often." A time-based goal is to, "Set aside 15 minutes each day for journaling time."

Checking the cheesiness of your goals involves being totally honest with yourself. Reread and recommit to your goals frequently. Another way to check the cheesiness of your goals is to ask yourself the following questions, written by Laura Hess:

1. "What will achieving this goal do for me? What is the benefit? Why bother?"
2. " Is this goal something I want or am I taking it on for somebody else? Is it something you really want or is it something you think you should do? Typically, a "should" goal creates resistance because it's not your own."
3. "Is this the right time for me to take on this goal?"
4. "What do I need to move me forward? What resources do you have available to you and where do you need additional support?"
5. "Who do I want to talk to about this goal? People are great support for you. Choose your support system carefully - you want people who are positive and nurturing. The more you talk about your goal, the more real it becomes."
6. "What is the one daily action step I'm willing to take that will make the biggest difference to me in achieving my goal?"
7. "What blocks are in my way? There's usually something in your way. Any block you identify will fall into one of five broad categories: Lack of money. Lack of time. Negativity (yours and other people's). Uncertainty. Lack of information. All blocks can be removed."

For more Goal-Setting Ideas:

Goal-Setting Expert Advice and Tips

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Find advice on how to set goals.

New Year Resolutions or SMART Goals?

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Written by Laura Hess, this article includes concrete advice for goal setting.

Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals

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This is from Paul J. Meyer's "Attitude is Everything."

Related Links

• Smart Goals for Parents
• Smart Goals for Kids