Lesson Plan
Dream Big, Plan Small: Mastering Your Goals
Students will be able to write one short-term academic or personal SMART goal.
Mastering goal-setting helps students develop crucial self-management, motivation, and self-discipline skills, empowering them to achieve their academic and personal aspirations.
Audience
7th Grade
Time
20 minutes
Approach
Through visualization, direct instruction, and a workshop, students will create SMART goals.
Materials
Smart Goals Slide Deck, and SMART Goal Planner
Prep
Preparation
10 minutes
- Review the Smart Goals Slide Deck to familiarize yourself with the content.
- Print copies of the SMART Goal Planner for each student.
- Ensure projector or interactive whiteboard is ready for the slide deck presentation.
Step 1
"One Month From Now..." Visualization
5 minutes
- Introduce the Topic (1 minute): Begin by asking students to close their eyes and imagine themselves one month from now. What is something they've accomplished that makes them proud?
2. Guided Visualization (2 minutes): Guide them through a short visualization exercise. "Imagine it's one month from today. What academic goal have you achieved? Maybe you've improved your grade in a subject, or mastered a new skill. What personal goal have you reached? Perhaps you've read a new book, learned a few chords on a guitar, or consistently helped out at home. How do you feel? Proud? Accomplished?"
3. Share Out (2 minutes): Ask a few students to briefly share what they imagined. Emphasize that these achievements didn't happen by magic, but through focused effort and clear goals.
Step 2
Introduce SMART Goals
5 minutes
- Introduce SMART Acronym (2 minutes): Present the concept of SMART goals using the Smart Goals Slide Deck. Explain that SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
2. Explain Each Element (3 minutes): Go through each letter of SMART, providing a brief explanation and example for each. Refer to the Smart Goals Slide Deck for visual aids and key points. Engage students with quick checks for understanding (e.g., "Why is 'specific' important?").
Step 3
Goal-Setting Workshop
8 minutes
- Distribute Worksheets (1 minute): Hand out the SMART Goal Planner to each student.
2. Model a SMART Goal (2 minutes): Using the board or projector, model writing a short-term academic or personal SMART goal. Think aloud as you go through each letter of SMART. For example, 'My goal is to read two non-fiction books about history by the end of next month to broaden my knowledge.'
3. Student Work Time (5 minutes): Instruct students to independently write one short-term academic or personal SMART goal on their SMART Goal Planner. Circulate around the room, offering guidance and answering questions. Encourage them to choose a goal they genuinely want to achieve.
Step 4
Accountability Partner Check-in
2 minutes
- Partner Up (1 minute): Ask students to pair up with a classmate.
2. Share Goals (1 minute): Have students share their SMART goal with their partner. Instruct partners to offer one piece of positive feedback or a suggestion for refining the goal, ensuring it truly meets the SMART criteria. This encourages peer accountability and reinforces understanding.
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Slide Deck
Dream Big, Plan Small
How can we achieve our goals?
Greet students and introduce the concept of setting goals. Ask a quick warm-up question: "What's something you hope to achieve soon?" (Think-Pair-Share or quick show of hands) This slide sets the stage for thinking about aspirations.
What Makes a Goal 'SMART'?
A framework to help you achieve your dreams!
Transition from general goals to effective goal setting. Explain that not all goals are created equal. Introduce SMART as a powerful tool. "To really make our dreams happen, we need to set smart goals. And no, I don't mean 'smart' as in really clever, though they are! SMART is actually a special acronym."
S is for Specific
Your goal should be clear and well-defined. Think about exactly what you want to achieve.
- NOT Specific: "I want to get good grades."
- SMART Specific: "I want to earn an A on my next science test."
Explain 'Specific'. Use an example like: Instead of "I want to get better at math," try "I want to improve my grade in algebra by 10%." Emphasize clarity. "A specific goal answers the questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? The more detail, the better!"
M is for Measurable
You need a way to track your progress and know when you've reached your goal.
- NOT Measurable: "I want to read more books."
- SMART Measurable: "I want to read 3 new books this semester."
Explain 'Measurable'. How will you know if you've reached your goal? "If you can't measure it, how will you know if you've succeeded? Measurable goals have criteria for tracking progress."
A is for Achievable
Your goal should be realistic and attainable. It should challenge you, but also be something you can do.
- NOT Achievable: "I want to become a professional athlete by next month."
- SMART Achievable: "I want to practice my sport for 30 minutes every day."
Explain 'Achievable'. It's important for goals to be challenging but realistic. "Your goal should push you, but it should also be something you realistically can achieve. Setting goals that are too easy won't motivate you, and setting goals that are impossible will just lead to frustration."
R is for Relevant
Your goal should matter to you and align with your values and bigger aspirations.
- NOT Relevant: "I want to learn how to code (even though I dislike computers)."
- SMART Relevant: "I want to improve my drawing skills to create my own comic book characters."
Explain 'Relevant'. Why is this goal important to you? Connect it to their bigger aspirations. "A relevant goal matters to you. It aligns with your values and other objectives. It's a goal that genuinely contributes to something important in your life."
T is for Time-bound
Your goal needs a deadline. When do you want to achieve this goal by?
- NOT Time-bound: "I want to finish my project."
- SMART Time-bound: "I want to complete my science fair project by Friday."
Explain 'Time-bound'. Deadlines create urgency. "Every SMART goal needs a finish line! A time-bound goal has a clear start and end date, creating a sense of urgency and helping you stay focused."
Putting it all Together: SMART Goals!
A SMART goal is:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Think about a goal you have and how you can make it SMART!
Summarize all the elements. Reinforce that all five parts work together. "So remember, for a goal to be truly SMART, it needs to hit all five of these points. It's like a checklist for success!"
Your Turn! Time to Plan!
Use your SMART Goal Planner to create your own amazing SMART goal!
Prompt students to get ready for the workshop using the worksheet. "Now it's your turn! You'll use your SMART Goal Planner to craft your own awesome goal."
Worksheet
SMART Goal Planner
Name: ____________________________
Date: ____________________________
My Awesome Goal:
Think about one academic or personal goal you want to achieve in the next month. Write it down here first, then we'll make it SMART!
Making My Goal SMART!
Now, let's break down your goal using the SMART criteria. Use the questions below to help you make your goal strong and clear.
Specific: What exactly do I want to achieve? Who is involved? What actions will I take?
Measurable: How will I know when I have achieved my goal? What evidence will I see?
Achievable: Is this goal realistic and something I can actually accomplish? Do I have the resources and skills needed, or can I get them?
Relevant: Why is this goal important to me? How does it align with my values or bigger dreams?
Time-bound: When will I achieve this goal? What is my deadline?
My Final SMART Goal:
Write your complete SMART goal here, combining all the specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound elements!