New year, New me…right? At least that’s how the saying goes. But, what does that all actually mean?
It's very cliche isn't it, when we enter into a new year all of a sudden everyone wants to set goals for themselves. And it's not a bad thing. Wanting to improve is a good thing.
Being a teacher means goal setting takes a whole new meaning-at least that’s what I think. If you improve as a teacher, by default you improve as a person, right? I find that if everything is going as smoothly as it can in my teacher life then I can focus more on my personal life. So I suppose that's what I mean, there is a lot of overlap between your teacher life and your personal life, so why shouldn't your goals overlap, too?
I am by no means a professional in the art of goal setting. But, what I would like to do is give you 3 keys I use when setting goals.
Key 1: Write it down.
It's probably safe to say that if you don't write down your goals then you may not reach all of them. If it’s not on your radar then how are you going to know when you've met the goal or if you're even close to meeting your goal? This can apply for any type of goal, whether it's short-term or long-term. I use two forms when I write things down-sticky notes and my notes app on my iPhone.
Key 2: Have a plan.
Great. So you wrote down the goal, now how are you going to reach it? I'll give you an example of one of my goals, which is to be more organized. As a new teacher I struggled to juggle all the duties that came with being a teacher, so I knew I needed a better way of organizing so I would not forget things I needed to do or get done, or had already done. The way I am tackling that goal is by utilizing a planner and my calendar. I also create to-do lists that way I know what needs to be done, and whether or not I have done it already. I find that when I am organized I can focus my attention more on my students and my lessons.
Key 3: Keep track and adapt.
If there are any special education teachers out there then you know what I mean when I say data. Although, I'm sure you know what that means if you're a general education teacher as well. Keeping tabs on your goals to see where you're at is important. I'll give you another example. Let's say you have a goal to drink more water and eat your lunch. Now, this may sound like a silly goal, but I'm sure as a teacher you know that it's very easy to forget to take care of yourself in the classroom. And I don't know about you, but when my basic needs are not met I can be a very cranky teacher. So, for this goal you would need to keep a daily log of the days you eat your lunch and how much water you drink. With that data, you can look at how you're doing. If you find that you are doing poorly most days out of the week then perhaps you need to re-evaluate and adapt your goal or make adjustments so that it can be attainable.
Okay, now that you've finished reading this blog, that means that you’re a professional at goal setting. All joking aside, I hope this has inspired you. Now, go out there, set some goals and make it happen. And remember, you’re awesome.