Each day, people set goals for themselves at work and at home. In school, students set goals for achieving academically and performing well in their extracurricular activities. We see the value of teachers and administrators setting goals for themselves, and how this has the potential to benefit them, their workplace, and, most important, the students.
Creating Your Goal Game Plan
The first part of setting a goal is knowing your “why.” Ask “Why are you working toward this goal? What is pushing you to make this effort?”
We have found that the ‘why’ of the goal for teachers and administrators is the students. In the end, professional goals almost always include an educational benefit for students.
Once you know your “why,” the second step is creating a game plan. How will you achieve this goal? What will be your main focus and what do you hope for as an end result?
Goals and game plans will be different for every individual. In many schools, some goals are set at the leadership level, such as incorporating more technology into lesson plans. You or your team might then choose to set smaller, specific goals, such as using Google Drive in one lesson per week.
The Golden Standard of Setting Goals
In The 5 Golden Rules of Goal-Setting, Entreprenuer.com contributor Jeffrey Hayzlett shares how to go about setting and achieving your goals.
We want to share just three of his rules with you so you can better plan, work toward, and accomplish any goal you have at your school.
- Your goal must motivate you
- Write your goals down every week
- Put a plan into action
Having this small checklist and organizing your thoughts will make your goal feel more attainable.
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Professional Goals: How to Reach Them
Now that you know how to choose a goal based on your "why" you need to break down this goal into smaller, incremental steps.
Within your larger goal, there are going to be smaller achievements you will reach along the way.
We see three main steps for academic leaders in achieving their professional goals each year.
- Set measurable goals: Remember to have a realistic and mission-focused goal. Make sure to include the tasks you do not like as this is where the most growth can come from.
- Create an action plan: Set up a plan with step-by-step guidelines and even a timeline of what you will be doing each day and for how long.
- Assess and refocus: Look back at what you accomplished and what you did not. Make sure to be realistic but not overly critical of yourself if you did not accomplish all of your overall goals.
Make a timeline with a set beginning and end to ensure you stay on top of achieving your goal. The measurement of completion is important, so setting up a timeline will allow for a positive end result.
Learning and Growing From Your Goals
A key part of goal setting and planning is knowing that there is no such thing as failure.
That is to say, that while the end result may not be what you expected, every attempt provides a learning experience. You learned something new and there is no failure in that. Now consider how can you alter your goal, based on what you’ve gleaned from this experience.
A Growth Road Map
If you are looking to gain even more knowledge about growth and innovation, we suggest reading Comprehensive Faculty Development: A Guide to Attract, Retain, Develop, Reward, and Inspire. It is a must-read for any school leader and you can download the first chapter for free.
The book dives into recognizing the impact of faculty culture on the student experience, as well as how to create tools for growth while looking at student-centered policies and approaches. The book also talks about how to make confident decisions in hiring and dismissals along with finding a positive framework in evaluations.
