Goal Setting: Learning Objectives Describe the role that personal goals play in driving motivation Understand principles of goal setting using the SMART goals approach Recognize factors in goal achievement that fall within or outside of your control Set personal goals that adhere to the SMART principles Note that these learning objectives are, essentially, the goals for this session

If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else. - Yogi Berra Use this quote as an introduction to the idea that having a goal gives direction to our behavior – or motivates us.

Importance of Setting Goals Gives us a reason to act; motivates us Allows us to evaluate our actions as helpful, neutral or harmful Increases the chance of succeeding Others? Review these general reasons for setting goals. Allow students to provide additional reasons.

Effective Goal Setting: SMART Goals S pecific M easurable A chievable R elevant T imely On this slide, list out the SMART qualities. We will go over each in greater depth. Note that some resources use the acronym in a lightly different way (e.g. R for realistic, rather than relevant)

Make them Specific A vague goal can lead to lack of focus Being specific allows us to direct our attention “I will work hard this semester.” OR “I’ll take notes in every class and re-write my notes each day before going to bed.” On this slide and the next several that follow, invite student comments and critiques on the first stated goal before revealing the improved goal.

Make them Measurable Setting measurable goals allows us to track progress And know if we are actually achieving the goal This separates a goal from an aspiration or a wish “I will become more socially active.” OR “I will introduce myself to at least two people in each class who I don’t know and join at least one club that matches my interests.”

Make them Achievable If the goal is unrealistic, we won’t believe in it, and it won’t motivate us. However, it should be difficult enough to require significant effort and improvement. “I will go undefeated all four years.” “I’ll make it to every practice.” OR “I’ll win each contest against less experienced opponents.” “I will not make the same mistake twice in a row.”

Make them Relevant Set goals that matter to you. Ensure that the goal is targeted at the most important aspect of a task. “I will study for four hours today.” OR “I’ll master 5 key concepts before taking a break. “I will be the fastest runner on the team.” “I’ll improve my time by 10%. Point out that the first example emphasizes not the time allotted but rather what you do with that time. The second example emphasizes a focus on self-referenced goals. It also speaks to task versus ego orientation, which will be covered in the Intrinsic/Extrinsic Motivation lesson.

Make them Timely Having a deadline ensures we stick to the task and maintain effort Helps us break major endeavors into feasible units “I will prepare for my final exams.” OR “I’ll make study guides for each unit no later than one week before the final exam, then review each guide at least once per day.”

Your Turn Apply these goal setting principles to your own chosen activities. Complete SMART Goal Worksheet. Be prepared to share. Instructor can decide whether to have students work independently on the worksheet or with partners. It is also up to the instructor whether to have students share with the entire close or in a smaller group. The worksheets can be given as classwork or homework.

Controllability Focus on the aspects that are controllable. Emphasize your own actions rather than on outperforming others. When seeking approval from others, focus on what you can do to increase the likelihood of that approval. It should be up to us whether we achieve the goal; not left to chance or something that requires hope

Process versus Outcome Focus Preferable for most goals to be on the process rather than the outcome. Recommend a 3 to 1 ratio. When attending to the process, the outcome usually takes care of itself. Example: Setting goals for study habits (process) leads to good grades (outcome). Process goals lie more fully within our control.

Mastery or Learning Goals versus Performance Goals Focusing on the process emphasizes learning or achieving mastery of a skill or task. Focusing on the outcome emphasizes the performance. List out mastery/learning goals and performance goals in worksheet. Provide worksheets to students after reviewing this slide.

Resources https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/smart-goals.htm Umass Dartmouth SMART goals http://www.umassd.edu/fycm/goalsetting/resources/smartgoals/ K-12 Lesson Plan SMART goals https://www.edutopia.org/blog/smart-goal-setting-with-students-maurice-elias SMART Goal Worksheet (included within resources folder)