Aug 2009
Setting Goals to Improve Performance How SMART are you? This is one of the questions we ask the children at my school. Naturally they are all SMART in many different ways. We set aside time at the beginning of each term for each child to set their own goals. These goals must be: Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timed. State your goals in the present tense, as if it is a reality now - ‘I am brilliant at my eight times table.’ The children recognise where they are SMART and doing well, and use that as a starting point for any area that they feel requires improvement. Each child will set goals to help him achieve whatever he truly desires. The most important point is that the child sets her own goals, not the teacher. You may be itching to intervene, do not even think about it! These goals need to be short term (one week), medium term (review them at Half-Term), and long term, (review at the end of the term). If the goals are not working refine them and change them. Effective teachers are required to ask open questions, such as: Tell me about? How do you feel about? I believe that goals to improve behaviour are just as important as subject based goals. As a teacher lead the way; set your own goals too, write them up and display them in the classroom. Own up if you get something wrong. We advocate honesty being the best policy with our children. Just because we are adults, doesn’t mean we don’t make mistakes too. Effective teachers are brave and open, and the children will model your behaviour. Encourage the children to make a commitment to their goals, sign them and display them in the classroom. We involve parents in this process at my school, by writing them down in the Homework Diary. Every goal achieved is a positive affirmation and encourages self-confidence and belief in oneself. And most importantly, we create an environment that stimulates and encourages freedom of speech and expression; put this in the mixing pot with a large dose of humour and love, and you can’t go wrong. Pippa Harris-Burland is the co-author of Daily Brain Teasers, Thinking Skills for Ages 7-9 year olds, published by Scholastic. She is Headmistress at Rookesbury Park School, Wickham, Hampshire. Ages 2 ½ -13 yearswww.rookesburyparkschool.co.uk
back to list
Rookesbury Park School
Preparatory School for Boys and Girls aged 2 to 13
Setting goals
