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Your SMART Goals, Your Success!

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Lesson Plan

Your SMART Goals, Your Success!

Students will be able to define and identify the components of a SMART goal (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). Students will apply the SMART goal framework to create a personal goal.

Learning to set SMART goals helps students break down big dreams into actionable steps, making success feel less daunting and more attainable. This skill builds self-confidence, improves planning, and fosters a proactive approach to personal and academic challenges.

Audience

7th Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, direct instruction, and a guided individual activity.

Materials

Smart Goals Slide Deck, My SMART Goal Worksheet, and SMART Goal Examples Handout

Prep

Review Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm Up: Goal Brainstorm

5 minutes

  • Begin with the Goal Brainstorm Warm-Up to get students thinking about goals.
    - Ask students to quickly jot down 1-2 goals they have (big or small).
    - Facilitate a brief class share, asking a few students to share one goal they wrote down.

Step 2

Introduce SMART Goals (Slide Deck)

10 minutes

  • Introduce the concept of SMART goals using the Smart Goals Slide Deck (Slides 1-7).
    - Go through each letter of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) with examples and encourage student participation in defining each component.
    - Use the SMART Goal Examples Handout to further illustrate each component.

Step 3

Guided Goal Setting Activity

10 minutes

  • Distribute the My SMART Goal Worksheet.
    - Guide students through the worksheet, prompting them to transform one of their brainstormed goals (or a new one) into a SMART goal.
    - Circulate the room to provide individual support and answer questions. Encourage students to think critically about each component as they apply it to their goal.

Step 4

Cool Down: One-Word Reflection

5 minutes

  • Conclude with the One-Word Reflection Cool Down.
    - Ask students to share one word that describes how they feel about setting goals after today's activity.
    - Collect the worksheets as an exit ticket.
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Slide Deck

Your SMART Goals, Your Success!

Let's learn how to set goals that you can achieve!

Welcome students and introduce the topic: setting goals! Briefly explain that today they'll learn a powerful method for setting goals that actually work.

What's a Goal?

A goal is something you want to achieve or do.

What are some goals you have? (Think big or small!)


Start with a quick brainstorm. Ask students: What are some goals you have? Write them on the board or ask them to shout them out. Acknowledge all ideas, big or small. This ties into the warm-up.

Meet SMART Goals!

SMART is a special way to make your goals super clear and reachable.

Each letter stands for something important!

Transition to introducing SMART goals. Explain that 'SMART' is an acronym that helps us remember the key ingredients for effective goal setting.

S is for Specific

Specific means your goal is clear and detailed.

Ask yourself:

  • What exactly do I want to achieve?
  • Who is involved?
  • Where will it happen?
  • Why is this goal important to me?

Example: Instead of "I want to get good grades," try "I want to achieve an 'A' in my Science class this quarter."

Explain 'Specific.' Provide examples like 'I want to get better at math' (not specific) vs. 'I want to improve my algebra test scores' (specific). Emphasize clarity.

M is for Measurable

Measurable means you can track your progress and know when you've reached your goal.

Ask yourself:

  • How will I know when I've achieved it?
  • How much? How many?

Example: "I want to read for 20 minutes every night."

Explain 'Measurable.' How will they know if they achieved it? Give examples with numbers or observable outcomes. 'I want to read more' vs. 'I want to read 3 books this month.'

A is for Achievable

Achievable means your goal is realistic and possible to reach with effort.

Ask yourself:

  • Is this goal something I can actually do?
  • Do I have the resources and skills?

Example: "I will practice my basketball free throws for 30 minutes, 3 times a week."

Explain 'Achievable.' Goals should be challenging but possible. Discuss the difference between a dream and a goal. 'I want to fly to the moon by tomorrow' (not achievable) vs. 'I want to learn 3 new chords on my guitar this week' (achievable).

R is for Relevant

Relevant means your goal matters to you and aligns with what you want.

Ask yourself:

  • Is this goal important to me right now?
  • Does it fit with my other goals?

Example: "I want to finish my history project on time to improve my overall grade in history."

Explain 'Relevant.' Why is this goal important to them? Connect it to their personal values or future aspirations. 'I want to learn to juggle because my friend told me to' vs. 'I want to improve my public speaking skills because it will help me feel more confident in presentations.'

T is for Time-Bound

Time-Bound means your goal has a clear deadline.

Ask yourself:

  • When will I achieve this goal?
  • Is there a target date?

Example: "I will complete my science fair project by the submission deadline next Friday."

Explain 'Time-bound.' Every goal needs a deadline. 'I want to clean my room' vs. 'I want to clean my room by Saturday morning.' Deadlines create urgency and focus.

SMART Goals: A Quick Review

Specific: Clear and detailed.
Measurable: You can track progress.
Achievable: Possible to reach.
Relevant: Matters to you.
Time-Bound: Has a deadline.

Now, let's practice!

Summarize all components. Briefly review each letter and what it stands for.

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Warm Up

Goal Brainstorm Warm-Up

Take a moment to think about your hopes and dreams for the future, both big and small. These could be about school, sports, hobbies, friendships, or anything else important to you.

Quickly jot down 1-2 goals you have. Don't worry about how you'll achieve them yet, just think about what you want to achieve!













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Cool Down

One-Word Reflection

Think about what you learned about setting SMART goals today. How do you feel about setting goals now?

In one word, describe how you feel.




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Worksheet

My SMART Goal Worksheet

Name: _________________________ Date: ____________________

Step 1: My Initial Goal Idea

Write down one goal you have. It can be something from our brainstorm or a new idea. (Don't worry about making it SMART yet!)







Step 2: Make it SMART!

Now, let's take your goal and make it SMART. For each letter, answer the questions to refine your goal.

S - Specific

  • What exactly do I want to achieve?
  • Who is involved?
  • Where will it happen?
  • Why is this goal important to me?












M - Measurable

  • How will I track my progress?
  • How will I know when I've reached it?
  • How much? How many?












A - Achievable

  • Is this goal realistic for me right now?
  • Do I have what I need (skills, time, resources) to achieve it? If not, what do I need to get?












R - Relevant

  • Why is this goal important to me?
  • Does it align with what I truly want or need?












T - Time-Bound

  • When will I start working on this goal?
  • What is my target completion date?
  • Are there any smaller deadlines along the way?












Step 3: My Final SMART Goal!

Write out your complete SMART goal below. Congratulations, you've just created a powerful plan for success!













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Reading

SMART Goal Examples Handout

Setting goals can be tricky, but using the SMART framework makes it much easier! Here are some examples to help you understand each part.

S - Specific (Clear and detailed)

  • Not Specific: I want to get better at math.
  • Specific: I want to raise my grade in Algebra to a B by studying 30 minutes each day after school.

M - Measurable (You can track your progress)

  • Not Measurable: I want to read more books.
  • Measurable: I want to read one non-fiction book each month.

A - Achievable (Possible to reach with effort)

  • Not Achievable: I want to learn to fly by next week.
  • Achievable: I want to learn to play three new chords on my guitar by the end of the month.

R - Relevant (Matters to you)

  • Not Relevant: My friend wants me to learn to juggle.
  • Relevant: I want to improve my public speaking skills because it will help me feel more confident in my class presentations.

T - Time-Bound (Has a clear deadline)

  • Not Time-Bound: I want to clean my room.
  • Time-Bound: I want to clean and organize my entire room by this Saturday afternoon.

Putting it all together: A SMART Goal!

  • Goal Idea: I want to get better at running.

  • SMART Goal: I will train to run a 5K race in under 30 minutes by completing three 30-minute training runs each week for the next 8 weeks, culminating in the local 'Spring Sprint' 5K event.

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