How to Set Goals for a Classroom Teacher

Having teachers set goals can help them stay on track and reach their professional goals.

Schools often require teachers to submit written goals for the year to encourage teachers to have personal goals, organizational goals and goals for the students that focus on improvements of lesson plans. When setting goals, teachers should consider themselves and what they need to function effectively in the classroom and promote classroom learning. Setting goals can help teachers improve their lives, whether they have been teaching for one year or are ready to retire.

Instructions

1. Determine if there are state standards for teachers in the area in which you teach. The state standards can help give ideas for areas to improve, such as using knowledge of students in order to engage them, how to connect learning to prior knowledge, subject matter, promoting critical thought and monitoring students' learning.

2. Rate teaching and learning in the classroom based on the state standards by saying not present/applicable, intermediate or advanced. Determine the criteria you want to use for each of the categories. If you have a co-worker whom you trust, you may ask him to sit in on your class and rate your teaching.

3. Determine what to work on for the classroom, such as management of the classroom, planning lessons, developing new lesson plans or another area. Consider what you would like to be as a teacher, become more organized or attain additional certifications to each in new areas.

4. Compare your students' standardized test scores or other test results with other students on a school level, district level, state and national level. You may also consider examining grades for your students from the current year with a previous year. Determine what you would like students to achieve in regards to their grade in your course and in terms of their comprehension of subjects.

5. Outline your personal, classroom and school goals. Teachers are expected to be role models for their students, so setting personal goals is important. For instance, a teacher may want to become more physically fit or spend time reading a book daily. Set emotional goals like refraining from participating in the stress of gossip or anger. Classroom goals may include improving lesson plans to better facilitate student learning.

6. Identify each area you want to improve and keep it in front of you when you work on the lesson plans. Try to incorporate these areas into the lesson plans, books and classroom management.

7. Write down what steps need to be taken in order to attain specific goals. Assign timelines for accomplishing steps you identified.

8. Share the goals in order to help you become more accountable and help raise the level of commitment to specific goals.

9. Evaluate your goals on an ongoing basis to determine what you may need or want to change.

Tips & Warnings

• Posting your goals in the classroom will serve as a reminder to remain successful and committed to the goals.

References

• NDT Resource Center: Goal Setting