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Goal Getters

Lesson Plan

SMART Goals Subgroup

Students will learn the SMART goal framework and collaboratively analyze examples before writing and sharing their own personalized SMART goal.

Teaching SMART goal setting builds planning skills, fosters student ownership of learning, and boosts confidence in achieving academic and personal objectives.

Audience

6th Grade

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Explicit teaching plus guided and independent practice.

Materials

Chart Paper, Markers, Timer, SMART Goals Poster, and SMART Goals Worksheet

Prep

Prepare Materials

5 minutes

  • Print enough copies of the SMART Goals Worksheet for each student
  • Display or print the SMART Goals Poster for group viewing
  • Gather chart paper and markers for visual support
  • Set timer for each activity segment

Step 1

Warm-Up

2 minutes

  • Greet students and explain the goal of today’s session: learning to set SMART goals
  • Ask: “What is a goal? Why might it help to make goals specific?”
  • Transition to introducing the SMART framework

Step 2

Introduce SMART Goals

4 minutes

  • Display the SMART Goals Poster
  • Define each letter: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
  • Provide a brief academic example and ask students to identify which elements are missing

Step 3

Guided Practice

4 minutes

  • Distribute the SMART Goals Worksheet
  • Work through a sample goal as a group: identify how to make it SMART
  • Invite volunteers to suggest improvements for each component

Step 4

Independent Practice

3 minutes

  • Students write their own personal SMART goal on the worksheet
  • Teacher circulates to offer support and feedback
  • Encourage students to check each SMART criterion

Step 5

Wrap-Up

2 minutes

  • Invite 1–2 students to share their SMART goal with the group
  • Quickly recap the SMART acronym
  • Encourage students to display or keep their goals visible to track progress
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Slide Deck

SMART Goals Small Group Lesson

Today we will:

  • Learn the SMART goal framework
  • Practice making a goal SMART
  • Write and share your own SMART goal

Welcome students to the small‐group session. Explain that over the next 15 minutes, they will learn what a SMART goal is and practice writing one of their own.

What Is a SMART Goal?

SMART stands for:
• Specific: Clear and focused
• Measurable: Trackable progress
• Achievable: Realistic and within reach
• Relevant: Meaningful and aligned to you
• Time-bound: Set within a deadline

Introduce each component of SMART. Ask students to repeat definitions aloud and give a quick real‐life example for each.

Example: Academic SMART Goal

“I will raise my math grade from 75% to 85% by the end of the trimester.”

• Specific: Raise math grade
• Measurable: from 75% to 85%
• Achievable: With extra practice and help
• Relevant: Improves my overall GPA
• Time-bound: By end of trimester

Display the example on chart paper or the screen. Talk through each part of the example goal and label which SMART criteria it meets. Invite students to point out any missing elements.

Guided Practice

  1. Distribute SMART Goals Worksheet
  2. Sample goal: “I want to get better at reading.”
  3. As a group, make it SMART:
    • Specific: …
    • Measurable: …
    • Achievable: …
    • Relevant: …
    • Time-bound: …

Hand out the SMART Goals Worksheet. Read the sample draft goal aloud. Guide students in improving it step by step by checking each SMART criterion.

Wrap-Up & Next Steps

• Share your SMART goal with the group
• Recap: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
• Keep your goal visible and track your progress

Invite one or two students to share the SMART goal they wrote. Recap the SMART acronym and encourage students to display their goals where they can see them.

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Worksheet

SMART Goals Worksheet

Use what you learned from the SMART Goals Poster to write and refine your own SMART goal.

1. My Initial Goal

Write a general goal you want to achieve:







2. Improving Your Goal

For each SMART criterion below, rewrite your goal to make it stronger.

Specific (S): What exactly do you want to accomplish?





Measurable (M): How will you measure your progress or know you’ve met your goal?





Achievable (A): What makes this goal realistic and within your reach?





Relevant (R): Why is this goal important or meaningful to you?





Time-bound (T): By what date or within what timeframe will you achieve this goal?





3. My Final SMART Goal

Combine your improvements into one clear, SMART goal:












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Reading

SMART Goals Poster

Use this poster as your guide to creating clear, powerful goals. Remember: a SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound!

S – Specific 🎯

Be clear and detailed about what you want to accomplish.
Ask yourself: What exactly do I want to achieve?

M – Measurable 📏

Define how you will track progress or know when you’ve succeeded.
Ask yourself: How will I measure my progress?

A – Achievable 💪

Ensure your goal is realistic given your resources and time.
Ask yourself: Can I reasonably accomplish this?

R – Relevant 📌

Connect your goal to what matters most to you.
Ask yourself: Why is this goal important to me?

T – Time-bound ⏰

Set a clear deadline or timeframe for reaching your goal.
Ask yourself: By what date will I achieve this?

Example SMART Goal:

“I will increase my reading speed by 10 words per minute within the next 4 weeks by practicing daily for 15 minutes.”

• Specific: Increase reading speed
• Measurable: +10 words/minute
• Achievable: 15 minutes of practice each day
• Relevant: Improves my comprehension and confidence
• Time-bound: Within 4 weeks

Use this poster alongside the SMART Goals Worksheet to write and refine your own SMART goals!

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