Teacher Guide: Goal Setting and Planning Activity

Teacher Guide: Goal Setting and Planning Activity

Teacher guide: Goal setting and planning activity

Goal Setting

Wish

Think about your most important wish or goal and write it down

Outcome

What would be the best outcome if your wish came true? Write it down and then relax and think only about this outcome.

Setting a goal

Create a SMART goal that will help you move closer to your wish. (Remind students what S.M.A.R.T. stands for - specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound).

This goal should be something that you can make progress on within the next week. Write this goal down on your Goal Worksheet.

Accomplishing the goal

Think about what you need in order to accomplish this goal(time, help, a quiet place to work, other resources, etc.).

Plan

Making a plan

Think about when you will work on your goal and what strategies would work best for you.Focus on only one strategy for now. Write it down as a “when-then” statement on the Goal Worksheet.For example:“When I get home from school, then I will do my homework for 30 minutes and then take a break.”

Obstacles

Think about your one major obstacle to your “when-then” statement. What is something that could prevent you from achieving your goal?

Relax and think about this obstacle. Where does it occur and in what place? When it is likely to occur?

Action

Now think about what you can do to overcome your obstacle? What action or behavior would help you?

Now, make an “if-then” statement.For example:If I get distracted, thenI will do my homework in a room where I don’t have a TV or video games.

Share your “if-then” statement with your group – are there other ideas that your group has that could work better?

Visualize this“if-then” statement in your mind.Picture yourself using the identified action to avoid the obstacle.

If you use a calendar to keep track of your activities, record your planned action at this time.

Review

Is your plan working?

If not, what is preventing you from following your plan?

Revision

Do you need to make an adjustment to your plan?

Do you need help?From whom?

What else do you need to accomplish this goal?

Did you incorporate deliberate practice into your plan?How?

Revise plan as needed.

Nextstrategy

If you feel that you have mastered this portion of your plan, create a new SMART goal which is related to your wish and then write new “when-then” and “if-then” statements to help you move closer to your goal.

Based on the research of Gabriele Oettingen and Peter Gollwitzer

and adapted with permission from the Duckworth Lab.