If you can dream it, you can achieve it
The importance of goal setting
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a teacher. I wasn’t particularly interested in letters after my name, going to university or developing my knowledge but I knew that they were a means to an end and a way to achieve my dream.
Once into teaching, I loved finding new activities for my classroom. It was an extension to my home – I was always looking for ways to make it look more attractive and more interactive for the pupils in my class. I loved it and still do!
Having achieved my initial dream, I raised the stakes. I wanted to be the best teacher I possibly could and inspire the pupils. I knew I had to develop my use of Welsh in the classroom to be able to do this. This was the first substantial professional development I had undertaken since leaving university and at first I was a little daunted. I needn’t have worried as it wasn’t long before I was bitten by the learning bug. I studied for my Diploma, then my Master’s degree and finally my Headship qualification. I fell in love with the journey!
Goal setting is critically important to learning and something we undertake with all our learners at the beginning of their journey. Understanding what motivates them allows us to create a bespoke learning plan which keeps them inspired and on track.
As they begin to move in the direction of their goal and gain confidence, it never fails to surprise me how their dreams grow bigger and the world seems to open up!
5 Reasons Why Goal Setting Is Important
1. Goals Give You Focus
Imagine having to shoot an arrow without being given a target. Where would you aim? By setting goals for yourself you give yourself a target to shoot for. This sense of direction is what allows your mind to focus on a target and rather than waste energy shooting aimlessly, allows you to hit your target and reach your goal.
2. Goals Allow You To Measure Progress
Tuition works because we measure the success against each person’s individual goal!
3. Goals Give You Motivation
By making a goal you give yourself a concrete endpoint to aim for and get excited about. It gives you something to focus on and put 100% of your effort into and this focus is what develops motivation.
4. Goals Help You Overcome Procrastination
When you set a goal for yourself you make yourself accountable to finish the task. You take ownership of it!
5. Goals stop you worrying about the small stuff
There’s an old saying, ‘You can do anything just not everything.’ Goals ensure you are clear about what you most want to achieve!
Learning is far more than knowledge. It’s about possibilities that combined with confidence lead to opportunities. It’s about proving to yourself that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
Tops tips for efective goal setting
1. Express goals positively: “To improve my spelling” is a much better goal than “Don’t spell with so many mistakes.”
2. Be accurate: If you set an accurate goal, putting in dates, times and amounts so that achievement can be measured and can be satisfied at achieving it.
3. Dare to dream big: To believe something is possible is the fuel to get you there!
4. Set Priorities: When you have several goals, give each a priority. This helps you avoid feeling overwhelmed and helps their attention to the more important ones. Write goals down to make them more meaningful.
5. Set specific measurable goals: If you consistently fail to meet a measurable goal, then they can adjust it or analyse the reason for failure and take appropriate action.