Whether it be the start of a new term, or a new academic year, many of our teachers worldwide are back to school this week after a break. Energised, rested and refreshed from a few weeks away from the usual daily routine, this time of year can be motivating. For others, back-to-school can be challenging. Either way, it’s a great opportunity to look ahead and set goals for ourselves both professionally and personally:
Asking questions like these can be useful:
- What do you want to achieve this term?
- Are there any professional relationships that you want to build? How will you achieve this?
- Is there a subject area that you feel you want to know more about? How could you fill the gap?
- Is there a class that you find challenging to teach? How will you overcome this?
- Are there any students who you feel aren’t fulfilling their potential? How might you help them?
- What teaching areas do you want to focus on? Assessment? Behaviour management? Lesson planning? How can Teach2030 help you?
Goals are very similar to objectives that we set in class. In the course ‘Planning Lessons to Reach All Learners,’ SMART objectives are outlined, helping goals to be achievable:
- SPECIFIC – what will be accomplished?
- MEASURABLE – how will you know it’s been a success?
- ACHIEVABLE – is the goal do-able?
- RELEVANT- what makes this goal important? How does it fit into wider goals?
- TIMELY – how much time is needed to achieve the goal?
After setting the goal, it can also help to create a plan of action breaking down all the steps to get there. This table could contain as many rows as is needed.
| Step to take | Time frame | Notes | Reflection |
Hopefully, this term, you’ll be able to set a professional goal and achieve it! What’s your goal for this term? Comment below and tell us!
Teach2030 wishes you the best of luck this term. Watch out for our workshops. We’ll also be publishing a brand new course in time for World Teacher Day!
