SMART Goals for Students

Setting SMART goals is a great way for students of all ages and backgrounds to get out of the trap of leaving studying to the last minute and instead creating goals that will help you learn effectively from the beginning.

So, what are SMART goals? George Doran coined the phrase in an article he wrote about how to write management’s goals and objectives, but the nomenclature has taken off into many different spheres since then. The letters mean different things for different people in different contexts but it is a versatile tool for creating achievable goals with easy steps to follow.

Specific

If your goal is vague or too general, it is difficult to achieve anything. Make your goal concrete by breaking down your goal into smaller steps. Instead of saying “I want to do well in maths”, say “I want to improve my grade by 10% this term” or “I want to get an A for every test this semester”

Measurable

How will you know if you are achieving your goal? Create criteria to establish whether you are getting anywhere. If you want to do better in maths, plan to practice a set number of equations each day, work towards completing practice papers before assessments, and do online worksheets or quizzes once a week to practice.

Achievable

An achievable goal needs to be something that is within your ability to attain. If you are failing a subject, it is unrealistic to set the goal of getting a distinction. Rather, set the goal of improving by x percent.

Relevant

Do you have the resources to complete this goal? Does it fit in with your short-term and long-term goals? Why do you want to achieve this goal?

Timely

Slow and steady wins the race. A routine can help you accomplish your goals by avoiding procrastinating, and making sure you complete a little bit of your goal every day, rather than trying to cram everything in at the last second. Be flexible, but don’t let things slide!

SMART Goals Help You Monitor Your Progress

A major benefit of setting SMART goals is that you can monitor your progress effectively. How will you know if you’re improving if you don’t reflect on your work? Compare how many answers you get right on each worksheet or practice test to see if you are getting better, or where you need to make changes. Keeping note of how you are progressing in a structured manner will ensure that you achieve your goals.

Download your SMART Goals template here

Works Cited

Connell, G. (2016). “Setting (almost) SMART goals with my students”. Scholastic. https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/genia-connell/setting-almost-smart-goals-my-students/

Doran, G. T. (1981). “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives”. Management Review. AMA FORUM. 70 (11): 35–36.

Haughey, D. (2010). “SMART goals”. Project Smart. https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/smart-goals.php

Quick and Easy ESL Halloween Lesson

This is a quick and easy Halloween lesson I did with my students aimed at kids aged between 4 and 10.
The lesson can be adapted for different speaking levels.

Let’s Make a Bucket List

Lesson Outline

In the last few years, while I have been working as an English Second Language instructor, I have had the opportunity to develop my own lesson material and assessment procedures. I decided to adapt an existing lesson, and make it available as an e-class. The lesson is about idioms, specifically writing a bucket list.

Writing a bucket list is a great way to think about your goals and dreams for the future. In this e-class, aimed at upper intermediate and advanced second language speakers, you will learn about the idea of a bucket list, complete a video comprehension based on The Bucket List, answer a few reflective questions about what you might want to do someday, and write your own bucket list.